Azraella
10th November 2011, 17:11
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kz3yZk0iKc&feature=related
My thoughts:
I was a child of the 80's, and like the generation before me and every generation since, I grew up on Dr. Seuss. Mostly on the books, but also the animated television specials that were magnitudes better than the drivulous live action adaptations Hollywood has churned out the past few years. Once Sam I Am tried the Green Eggs and Ham, he found that they were actually quite delicious. The Lorax warned of looming environmental disaster, and I understood. Had the north-going and south-going zaxes simply compromised, both would have gotten where they were going instead of neither. And while the full implications of Foxes in Sockses to this day escapes me, I knew that the lesson of The Sneetches was that people were not to be judged by superficial things. Even as a tiny Lady Catherine, I understood that it was a story about discrimination and equality.
I am speaking of course of one Sylvester McMonkey McBean, opportunistic capitalist and self-proclaimed "fix-it-up chappie". McBean devised a way to put stars onto the plain-bellied sneetches for the low low price of just three dollars. When the original star-bellied sneetches complained, McBean told them that belly stars were no longer in style and devised a way to remove their stars for just ten dollars. Soon things got hectic with stars going on and coming off at a ridiculous pace. Once McBean had every last dollar of the sneetches' money, he simply left. It was then, when they had hit rock bottom economically, that the sneetches had their revelation that sneetches were sneetches, regardless of abdominal decorations.
Reading the story again as an adult, the implication was clear: Capitalist interests were playing the sneetches against each other for their own selfish financial gain. I understood the message, but I wasn't sure I believed it. Now I can be a real cynical motherfucker, but this seemed like a stretch. Maybe it was a moment of naivety on my part, but I thought surely the good doctor had overreacted in this case.
It seems to me that keeping people fighting about race/sex/whatever really does benefit moneyed interests. If they can keep the masses arguing about affirmative action and immigration, they can divert attention from the real reason that jobs are being lost. For the sake of corporate profits. Keep them fighting amongst themselves instead of banding together against the common enemy. It's not about black and white at all. It's all about green.
Then again, maybe I'm not understanding The Sneetches at all. Maybe it's really just a parable about fashion and keeping up with the Jonses. Maybe it's just a story of rich vs. poor.
What do you all think?
My thoughts:
I was a child of the 80's, and like the generation before me and every generation since, I grew up on Dr. Seuss. Mostly on the books, but also the animated television specials that were magnitudes better than the drivulous live action adaptations Hollywood has churned out the past few years. Once Sam I Am tried the Green Eggs and Ham, he found that they were actually quite delicious. The Lorax warned of looming environmental disaster, and I understood. Had the north-going and south-going zaxes simply compromised, both would have gotten where they were going instead of neither. And while the full implications of Foxes in Sockses to this day escapes me, I knew that the lesson of The Sneetches was that people were not to be judged by superficial things. Even as a tiny Lady Catherine, I understood that it was a story about discrimination and equality.
I am speaking of course of one Sylvester McMonkey McBean, opportunistic capitalist and self-proclaimed "fix-it-up chappie". McBean devised a way to put stars onto the plain-bellied sneetches for the low low price of just three dollars. When the original star-bellied sneetches complained, McBean told them that belly stars were no longer in style and devised a way to remove their stars for just ten dollars. Soon things got hectic with stars going on and coming off at a ridiculous pace. Once McBean had every last dollar of the sneetches' money, he simply left. It was then, when they had hit rock bottom economically, that the sneetches had their revelation that sneetches were sneetches, regardless of abdominal decorations.
Reading the story again as an adult, the implication was clear: Capitalist interests were playing the sneetches against each other for their own selfish financial gain. I understood the message, but I wasn't sure I believed it. Now I can be a real cynical motherfucker, but this seemed like a stretch. Maybe it was a moment of naivety on my part, but I thought surely the good doctor had overreacted in this case.
It seems to me that keeping people fighting about race/sex/whatever really does benefit moneyed interests. If they can keep the masses arguing about affirmative action and immigration, they can divert attention from the real reason that jobs are being lost. For the sake of corporate profits. Keep them fighting amongst themselves instead of banding together against the common enemy. It's not about black and white at all. It's all about green.
Then again, maybe I'm not understanding The Sneetches at all. Maybe it's really just a parable about fashion and keeping up with the Jonses. Maybe it's just a story of rich vs. poor.
What do you all think?