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Wednesday, January 16. 2008

On Bourbon Street

Quoted from Prof. Deneen's Let the Good Times Mold:

Observing the people seeking accelerated intoxication and wandering in herds looking this way and that hoping to see actual outbreaks of ecstasy, I couldn't help but be struck by the forlornness of the appearance of revelry, the desperation that underlie the efforts to appear joyous, the unexceptionalness of the now-unremarkable female ululations and the wholly predictable male whoops. The celebration seemed more a set of expected and dutiful going through motions, all actual meaning of the original purpose of the celebration lost to the unbroken hedonism of our culture and, more importantly, the overarching disbelief in any actual "structure" that could sustain genuine outbreaks of "anti-structure." A mockery instead of a celebration, a self-consciously mimiced charade rather than an outbreak of overturned or reversed roles, in a concentrated form my encounter with Bourbon Street over the weekend helped me to understand better my dissatisfaction for much of what passes for apparent celebration in our culture.

Posted by Bird Dog in The Culture, "Culture," Pop Culture and Recreation at 18:12 | Comments (28) | Trackbacks (0)

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Oh gag. GET. A. LIFE. Professor.
#1 Meta on 2008-01-16 19:32 (Reply)
I am reminded of a fraternity at W&M whose members would gather into small groups and shout "Party!" at odd intervals during a kegger. It occurred to me that if you had to keep announcing that the event was a party, perhaps it wasn't one.
#2 Assistant Village Idiot (Link) on 2008-01-16 19:37 (Reply)
Southerners party best. At Citadel parties someone would holler 'gator' and thousands would drop instantaneously onto their backs - not spilling a schosh of their Canadian Mist - and writhe around like maniacs.
#2.1 Meta on 2008-01-16 21:32 (Reply)
Is a party a celebration? Or is it a marginally sanctioned venting of aggression? Sometimes you just have to let art flow over you.
#3 Jephnol on 2008-01-16 19:52 (Reply)
If the professor is looking for "meaning" in an alcohol-testosterone laced environment - he ain't gonna' find it. Not in this century. Not in any century.
#4 Peter Boston on 2008-01-16 19:57 (Reply)
You have to read the whole thing.
I think part of his point is that it's all hyped-up, and that nobody is really having a good time - just a simulacrum of a god time. Like that horrible thing they play at weddings: Celebrate good times - cm'on.
#4.1 BD on 2008-01-16 20:38 (Reply)
Hear, hear Mr. Boston. To the point.

Let's see... I wonder how the Babylonian's (I think) acted when they brewed up that first batch thousands of years ago. Much the same I suspect.

Of course its hyped up... its supposed to be hyped up. Just seems dour to me BD.
#4.1.1 Luther McLeod on 2008-01-16 20:46 (Reply)
that first batch musta been a revelation --
#4.1.1.1 buddy larsen on 2008-01-16 21:11 (Reply)
Revelation 3 A.M. - Make love, not war. RALLY !!!

Party on, dudes!

Girls! Show us your tits!


Celebrate, celebrate....dance to the music... Celebrate!
#4.1.1.1.1 Meta on 2008-01-16 21:37 (Reply)
hey i barley remember whut we made that beer out of -- how 'bout YOu, San-Ak-Karib II ?

hannity & Colmes -- right now -- hurry -- Jonah Goldberg next guest after commercial -- re his book ''Liberal Fascism'' -- hurrrry
#4.1.1.1.1.1 buddy larsen on 2008-01-16 21:51 (Reply)
well -- that was a fast interview. Allen Colmes tried so hard to discredit his thesis that he made Goldberg's point for him -- hahahaha!
#4.1.1.1.1.1.1 buddy larsen on 2008-01-16 21:58 (Reply)
Reminds me of Samuel Johnson's observation that nothing is more depressing than "a scheme of merriment."
#5 Clubbeaux on 2008-01-17 04:48 (Reply)
I am continually amazed at the endless drivel produced from "experts". Who cares if they're experts if their writing is on partying. Like we're gonna stop debauching ourselves and practicing recreational fornication because of some paper written by a geek. Onward fornicators !!! I debauch therefore I am. Hit that bong a mighty hit, push that needle til you can't quit. Onward woody to the mons.

What a waste of time.
#6 Rupert on 2008-01-17 06:45 (Reply)
"Onward woody to the mons."

Dude.... P A R T A Y .....
#6.1 Sweaty patriot on 2008-01-17 14:36 (Reply)
From this day forth, I'm going to wake up every morning and my first thought is going to be, "Thank God I'm not Professor Deneen!"

Christ, what a stuffy old fart. This was posted...why? To be truthful, though, few things are as amusing as watching some self-described "intellectual" try to psychoanalyze society.

"and, more importantly, the overarching disbelief in any actual 'structure' that could sustain genuine outbreaks of 'anti-structure'."

That's it, buddy! You nailed it!

Some suggestions for the good professor:

- Learn how to use punctuation properly, you dweeb:

"How then, can we understand the..."

Either put a comma after "How", to separate the clause, or, preferably, remove the comma after "then".

- "ninth ward" is a proper noun and should be capitalized.

- You meant "undulations", not "ululations", you effete snob. Ululations are the high wails that Arabic women utter when in grief.

- Try and keep your tenses straight, will you? You start off the first paragraph with "I come from a long weekend", in the present tense, then you start off the second paragraph with "I was reminded", rather than "I AM reminded". Pick a tense and stick with it, buddy.

And this guy's a "professor"? Oh, wait. He's a political science professor.

Well, that explains a LOT.

Exit question: Since there was no real point to this except that the good professor doesn't like unabashed revelry, we're left with the question as to why Barrister posted it.

New Orleans is in the South, and this article certainly didn't portray it in a very good light.

Barrister is a Yankee.

Should I actually voice the question, or is it obvious?
#7 Dr. Mercury (Link) on 2008-01-17 09:36 (Reply)
Posted it as a provocation. Successfully. Posting something here never means we agree with it - unless we say so.

We just try to post interesting stuff.
#7.1 BD on 2008-01-17 10:07 (Reply)
Empty revelers are the yankees being relieved of their cash by Bourbon Street's professional class.

Prof. Deneen's seeing his face in the yankee crowd.

Change, no.

Folding money, thank you, yank.

Come on back for Mardi Gras.
#8 Leag on 2008-01-17 10:30 (Reply)
"If the dead are not raised, `Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.'"

Perhaps the un-illuminated mind cannot wrap itself around the apologia supporting the conviction of the saints, and opts for a wee bit of bacchanalian revelry before another Monday rolls around.

Sweet hearts, if God does not exist it has been said all things are permissible. One Monday will come and the most intricate of your thoughts will have turned to dust with the contents of your skull. Why not uncork a bunghole? (You’d be a fool not to).

Vanity, baby, all is vanity.
#9 Jephnol on 2008-01-17 10:35 (Reply)
"Onward woody to the mons.'


P A R T A Y ....... Dude ..... P A R T A Y
#10 Sweaty patriot on 2008-01-17 14:39 (Reply)
"sweaty patriot' --hahaha ---only in America --
#11 buddy larsen on 2008-01-17 17:21 (Reply)
Dr. Mercury, you are the only sane poster on this thread...
#12 KRW on 2008-01-17 18:18 (Reply)
Nah, Buddy is the most sane. Hands down.
#12.1 Jephnol on 2008-01-17 19:08 (Reply)
Whut! Mos' sane? Whut yew tolkin' 'bout? My Buddy aint sane he's jes laidbak an lukin fore luv an muffins. Thas it. I kno.

Dr. Mercry es smart bot he wunts yew ta kno et. Pedant but not bothresum. Keep tolkin, Doc.

Buddy send money.
#13 Buddy's Auntie who gevs him advise on 2008-01-17 20:03 (Reply)
You see, KRW. I rest my case. Even Buddy's Auntie will tell you.
#14 Jephnol on 2008-01-17 20:19 (Reply)
"sane": the gerund form of "to say"; regional, principally souf o de Masom Dixom Line.

"as I wuz sane to my aunt jus ta uther day, wen it rains it pours."
#15 buddy larsen on 2008-01-17 23:42 (Reply)
"AS i wuz sane to the Dovers, Ben and Eileen, "you folks best straighten up!"
#16 buddy larsen on 2008-01-17 23:46 (Reply)
Picture of mental health, Buddy... I look to you for guidance.
#17 Jephnol on 2008-01-18 01:09 (Reply)
uh oh -- that's what they always say just before they come after me with the butterfly nets --
:-(
#17.1 buddy larsen on 2008-01-18 01:26 (Reply)

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