Chicagoist: Dude Looks Like a Lady

thundercougarfalconbird

Sat, 12 May 2007 10:05:05 -0600

I was going to write some convoluted theory about how spook likes to imagine himself as some radical black panther party member taking the fight to the white people's turf. But then I realized he's really some fat white kid in Glencoe named "Caleb Ethan Forrestal" fucking with everyone. I even see the Che Guevara poster in my mind's eye.

spook

Fri, 11 May 2007 12:30:41 -0600

Vice Beer #77 I’ve read most of Brother Chekov’s work including Gooseberries. It’s a good read, but a bit too narrow, too truncated in scope for my grand purposes I was hoping that you would recommend some TC Boyle,who I have not read. I make it a policy to read serious suggestions about serious works of literature from others. Now as far as making “fun of me”, have at it, have at it! I'm no liberal, which means like that Run DMC song, my skin is “Tougher than Leather”. Tt’s crucial to be able to laugh at all things including one’s self. Isn’t this how all this began? Who as a society do we make fun of, how we do it, and why? I’m just adding a small Socratic note that is too often neglected, in these times. And speaking of Brother Socrates, your question about "how I want to live my life”, for me its all about learning how to die, like that close student of Socrates, Montaigne talked about. See I recognize that my body will “soon” be the culinary delight of terrestrial worms, and because I can't escape space and time alive,how I die is so very important too me. Yes I love living well and I am so lucky that I am able to do so. But I work hard at not being well adjusted into this society of easy slippery conformity, complacently, and cowardliness. Too many folks are walking around behind shinny masks acting like W to be like Z. Instead of asking how can they be great? How can they leave a legacy, and I aint talking about auto producing 2.4 kids to plug into consumer society like thier parents, just more flies around a human garbage dump, it’s deeper than this! And at starts with living life honestly with integrity by telling the truth about one’s self one’s community, and the world. Its Friday yall, Make sure to have a shot in the name of Socrates or any one who tries to think deeply about things

Amanda

Fri, 11 May 2007 10:02:28 -0600

Jeff and joe: Thanks. Glad some readers get it. Joc: You always say exactly what I'm thinking before I have the chance. And I appreciate that so very much.

vise77

Fri, 11 May 2007 08:48:30 -0600

Well, Spook, being the truth teller and seeker you are, I would suggest, if you haven't already, reading the Chekhov short story "Gooseberries." I think you would get a lot of out it. Yes, I am being serious, not trying to make fun of you. You seem to want to live your life, at least the online version of it, according to themes addressed in that story. I feel blessed, though, that I understood perhaps 45% of your ramblings on the previous post. My spook-understanding ratio keeps creeping higher with every post you do.

spook

Thu, 10 May 2007 21:00:52 -0600

Joece L You are not far from the truth! I know it’s just a lot easier and acceptable to make fun of some poor clearly mentally unbalanced sap who ruins his already pathetic life by jumping into the abyss then it is to make fun of the European in crowd. So please forgive me for making fun of the wealth, I know it’s a minority opinion. Hell have no fury like a “wronged” liberal  Vise Beer 77 Is my socialist revolution power-to-the-people act an online performance art? As some one acquainted with Chekhov and TC Boyle, the latter, (who I had to Google just know, so thanks for the intro I will follow up) I’m sure you are familiar with Oscar Wild who said something like “Life imitates art far more than art imitates life? Well that’s all I can say, I mean lets just say I art is imitating life in this case, then I would have to be some one covert wouldn’t I, least I wind up in some sort of personal dark abyss, like Mr. Holloman. And what an interesting name-Holloman- could be right out of a novel and speaking of books, I wasn’t making any comparisons between Chek. Aha Aha Ha Ha Amanda. I was just speaking in terms of the "tragicomic" element. Of course it wasn’t just Chekhov, I mean it’s also Richard Pryor and as of late, the genius Dave Chappelle. Long live The July 26 Movement and happy almost Friday!

vise77

Thu, 10 May 2007 19:34:11 -0600

Actually, Spook, I see very little in this tale that reminds me of anything I've read from Chekhov, whether stories or plays. Chekhov would have unlikely to have written a tale with such obvious melodrama or such blatant plot points. TC Boyle perhaps. By the way, your socialist revolution power-to-the-people act is online performance art, right? I'm not trying to make fun of you, only understand, dude.

joe m500

Thu, 10 May 2007 19:17:42 -0600

it was a well written and funny article about a news story, NOT a news story. Regardless WHY he did it, he did it and will be put away so he never fires guns wildly into the streets again!

jocelyn

Thu, 10 May 2007 18:03:59 -0600

i'm just never sure why it's okay to lambast someone for not reporting something fairly or accurately, or making a joke at the subject's expense, and then go directly on to make sweeping generalizations about the writer's socioeconomic background, class, race and intelligence, and top it off with lowbrow digs at their hometown/state. pot calling kettle, anyone?

Jeff

Thu, 10 May 2007 16:52:42 -0600

And I would have no problem if you balanced out a tale that perhaps asked the reader to reflect in issues of poverty, class, mental illness, desperation, crime, perhaps race with a “man in a dress! And a wig! With a gun!” This is Chicagoist, not a sociology journal with 20,000-word essays.

spook

Thu, 10 May 2007 14:03:00 -0600

Well I am some what embarrassed to reference Today’s Suntimes, which is The Nation( its a progressive magazine/paper) compared to the Stupid Eye. And I would have no problem if you balanced out a tale that perhaps asked the reader to reflect in issues of poverty, class, mental illness, desperation, crime, perhaps race with a “man in a dress! And a wig! With a gun!” This could very well be called Chekhovian Tragic comic, but of course I don’t expect that kinda profundity From a red stater residing in the Lincoln park area. But please I don’t expect you to get bent out of shape by this, by all means continue your family and cultural traditions of shooting fish in a barrel. Cheers, it’s almost Friday!

Amanda

Thu, 10 May 2007 13:06:20 -0600

The RedEye. Right. If you could please provide a source for the information on the other side of this story, I'd greatly appreciate it. It would give some padding to my existing post, but I'd still round it out nicely with the joke. A man in a dress! And a wig! With a gun! Hilarious!

spoke

Thu, 10 May 2007 12:41:04 -0600

p.s I'm not letting him off the hook, I'm just saying maybe you should report another side, but then that might ruin the joke. Salute

spook

Thu, 10 May 2007 12:39:45 -0600

"You don't know any more than I do what caused this guy to rob the bank. Maybe he was broke, maybe he was just bored. Who knows ... certainly not you" Guess thats what happends when your only news sourec is the Red Eye, keep up the good work! regards

Amanda

Thu, 10 May 2007 12:11:46 -0600

A few things, Spoke: 1. You have WAY too much time on your hands. 2. I'm far from rich, very far. 3. Do people named "Biff" really exist? 4. You won't find me in a "Lincoln Park drinkery" 5. You don't know any more than I do what caused this guy to rob the bank. Maybe he was broke, maybe he was just bored. Who knows ... certainly not you. 6. I know plenty of people that have been victims of "financial ruin" and bankruptcy and not one of them robbed a bank to get some money. 7. Regardless of his reasoning, he dressed up like a woman. To rob a bank. That's funny.

spoke

Thu, 10 May 2007 12:00:47 -0600

Hey ,Chirichwhitest! Its just peachy weachy to neglect the fact that this poor sucker just cracked mentally under the weight of going down for the third time in a sea of debt,hounded by creditors, wages garnished because of missed child support payments, while trying to declare bankruptcy, after your token Saint Barack O’bama,on the direction of his other “friends”, the credit card and banking industry, sponsored a bankruptcy bill making it exponential harder for poor and working class folk to get any place near a fresh start after financial ruin. Noooo, lets not mention the tearful pleas of his girl friend who convinced him not to kill himself as he cried about not being able to take care of his mother and children. Let’s not talk about his mother in tears speaking about her love for her son who’s life is now ruined with charges of Bank robbery, four charges of attempted murder against a police officer among other felony charges. I am so looking forward to helping him with a possible life sentence. And make sure not to mention these minor details in the final telling of your "joke" brought to you by this man’s tragedy, as you impress Biff with your wit tonight at some Lincoln Park drinkery. Perhaps Biff might recommend reinstating debtors' prisons if he is that clever. He he he And make sure you don’t think about Ms. Holloman-his mother, as you lunch with Mommze poo this Sunday at the Drake Hotel or the John Handcock Building, it might call into question the sunshine that you inherited from the womb. Salute!

Joey

Thu, 10 May 2007 10:45:51 -0600

He'll have plenty of friends in prison. heh.

joe m500

Thu, 10 May 2007 10:32:48 -0600

I wish Amanda wrote the news for NPR and CNN. She really speaks my language. IST>all others

Amanda

Thu, 10 May 2007 07:41:33 -0600

That's what I want to know!!

Amy :)

Wed, 09 May 2007 22:31:36 -0600

so he did all that in heels?