I got to see an impressionists exhibit today and I was as giddy as something that is a cliche for giddiness. I know, I know….the impressionists are the pop music of the fine art world. They’re well-known, they’re everywhere, and they’re accessible as can be. I’m fine with that. Just like I love a good singalong chorus, art which is just obviously beautiful and doesn’t require a long explanation as to why it’s beautiful is very appealing to me.
The funny thing, to me, is how exciting today was. I was actually giggling at times at how delightful it all was. I don’t remember reacting that way in my twenties. Back then, it was something I had to try to appreciate, like jazz fusion, rather than something I got any real joy out of. I could tell people “I saw a van Gogh,” which sounded pretty cool, but I can’t say I got a great deal of joy from it. Today, there’s was a big ol’ Monet in the middle of the exhibit, just as obvious as could be, like “well, you really can’t have this kind of exhibit without at least one Monet,” and I’ll be damned if the thing wasn’t absolutely glorious. The thing seemed to give off a light of its own.
I’m at a loss to explain exactly why seeing these exhibit hit me the way it did. My tastes are certainly no more refined than they were. Maybe it’s just a “where I am in my life right now” kind of thing and the lesson is to keep trying things you weren’t wild about before because you’re not the same person you were twenty years ago. At least, I hope you’re not. If you are, you might want to consider changing things up a bit.
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Reading the Sherlock Holmes short stories for that last writing prompt I did, the character’s view of women was a real distraction. He’s rude and condescending to almost everyone, but he seems to think of women as barely human. I don’t remember that from my first reading of the books decades ago, but I think it’s safe to say they haven’t aged well. That made it a good deal easier to take the piss out of Holmes’ smug generalizations, so it wasn’t a complete loss by any means.
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Apropos of nothing, I hope things are going well for Rebecca Black. I was trying to think of something Friday-related for a subject line yesterday when Rebecca Black’s Friday popped into my head because I am nothing if not fluent in past their sell-by date cultural references. It’s been a good five years since I’ve thought of that song and I’ve heard nothing about what came next for her, but I hope it’s something good. Fame sometimes happens to people who aren’t prepared or equipped to deal with it. The results aren’t always pleasant to look at. I’m not going to do any poking around, but I hope Rebecca Black is doing OK.
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I got to see the first episode of Comedy Bang Bang with Kid Cudi tonight and I’m pretty sure the show won’t miss a beat. That isn’t to say I won’t miss Reggie Watts, who was very much the heart of the show and one of the most likable comic performers I’ve ever seen. Cudi, though, is very canny choice for a replacement. He’s got a similar skill set, but a very different tone, and I hope the writers make as good use of his energy as they did of Reggie’s laid-back goofiness.
-RK
This one wasn’t in the exhibit, but I love it’s one of my favorites, so I wanted to use it anyway.