Friday, March 16, 2018

Writing About the Present Versus Writing About The Past

A book has been recommended in relation to the article I'm writing; one chapter, supposedly about gender and singing, concentrates wholly on Phallocentrism. By halfway through the chapter, it seemed that the author believes completely that all women want is a willy. I had the hilarious impression that he thought that when we conversed together out of male earshot, that one desire was the sole focus of our conversations.
There are two problems about writing about the present; one is my own experiences and the way they make me feel, and the other is that everyone is so convinced that the music industry, and society as a whole, have changed. All I can see is powerful people very cleverly covering up their prejudices, but still feeling exactly the same way underneath.

6 comments:

Wilky of St Albans said...

All women want a willy? Not at all. A known fact is that she wouldn't have a willy, or a sam. In fact, I'm her eighth old man called Henry etc

Helen McCookerybook said...

You honestly wouldn't believe the absolute bilge that I've had to read through this week. It's the application of Freudian psychology to pop music, and I can only compare it to dressing a cat up as a dog and trying to teach it to bark. There are pages and pages of this stuff, and I have been trying to avoid engaging with it at all. It's not just male writers; there are women writers who try to fight their way through it too. Instinctively, I feel that it's utter rubbish and I'm trying to make it invisible while I write, without being a 'lacking' researcher (fnurr, fnurr). Grrr.

Wilky of St Albans said...

Always remember - there are times when a cigar is just a cigar.

And yes, I would believe it. Its utter rubbish because you've got a lifetime of experience of reading this stuff. It is probably new and exciting to the author. Folly of youth and all that. I get it all the time my line of work and I just use it to hone my sarcasm

John Peel once made a relevant comment about pop music - along the lines of 'you don't stop liking pop music as you get old, you just learn to sort the wheat from the chaff a bit quicker'. Unfortuneately with the internet stuff that shouldn't see the light of day becomes available to all. You feel compelled to read it just in case there is a gem buried there, then you realise there isn't

Helen McCookerybook said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Helen McCookerybook said...

This isn't a young author; he is probably in his eighties and he is really famous and well-established which is why I have been told I have to include him in the article I'm writing. There are no gems buried, you're right there. I think he is probably too important for anyone to criticise. I felt like throwing the book across the room, but decided to think it was comedy instead, and that helped.

Wilky of St Albans said...

Ah, another bugbear of mine. When people become 'esteemed' and 'respected' because no one took the time to point out they were talking b***ocks when they were younger

It's a good job I've never said anything worth hearing in my entire life really!!!