Enola's Dubious Gay Gifts

Posted by Matthew Crouch at 18:07

In a more perfect “Matt World” I would be the Canadian filmmaker John Greyson as an Appalachian with red hair. I wish I could be as accomplished and articulate as he – he is everything I want to be as he is everything I am not. His new film Proteus has me craving to read yet another online tidbit to tide me over until I can view this mysterious film here which looks sexy and thrilling. John Greyson that handsome, tall, dark haired, Canadian, filmmaker who makes me swoon (remember that film?). At least I got to drive him home a few times as a favor for our pal Bill in that crappy old brown Plymouth K car I used to drive. Those few times I did were with great pleasure and silent desire to be invited in to ride his (hopefully) hairy butt home. That was when Greyson was staying in some soulless modern brick Ohio State University vacant like “house”-ing on Neil Ave. during one cold Ohio winter a few years back, probably when he was doing post production work on Lilies at the Wexner Center for the Visual Arts. At least once after Lilies was realized and screened I profusely told him directly how Lilies really affected me. Me standing on High Street in front of some restaurant feeling like I could cry over the film and just wanting to tell him thanks man for making such beauty in light and projected images. I never got to tell Todd Haynes that about any of his films though I felt pretty much exactly the same after each one.

My friend Chris who inadvertently introduced me to Bart in some old brick Victorian on a street called Hunter on a magical old wooden twisting stair case… Anyway Chris now lives in a huge old literally tumbling down house south of German Village. The house should be condemned and that is exactly why I like it! As a matter of fact Chris is so shockingly anti-gay in his ability to maintain his personal space with a lawn strewn with old automotives you would never think this fellow also has some sugar in him as well. Chris just saw Michael Moore’s new movie – well good for Chris! Chris still can’t figure out how it is Junior Bush got into office – I swear hearing Chris write about this I can see him scratching his scruffy unwashed head over how that miscarriage of American voter action occurred. Good old Suburban Appalachian Ohio Hillbilly White Trash and proud of it, Christopher who I call X-offer.

Isn’t it funny how when the US announced terrorist alert levels for specific financial targets the crude oil prices hit an all time high? Like doesn’t anyone else see between the lines of the news these days? How f*cking lucky for the folks who run the nation who also just so happen to run the oil corporations, could they be any more blatant in their scheming? Could the Americans be any more stupid while sitting in their automobiles under smog browned skies on tarmac’d over once beautiful Native lands?

I like the news about the games in Greece how the athletes live in high security compounds and that the Israeli athletes then have an even higher security compound to be contained within – those Israeli’s sure like to live behind walls just like the white South Afrikaners do. The American’s were going to do a similar walling themselves in thing and then (for once, these days, admirably) didn’t. I am sorry but what is it with Israeli’s liking to be enclosed behind walls and fences in a modern day Berlin Ghetto? Is this some sort of manifestation of Mr. Hitler’s Ghost, like King Leopold’s Ghost rearing his moldering head over the land of the Congo? (Read the book for help with that one if you need to – written by Adam Hochschild). If I were an Israeli athlete I would refuse to stay in their special security compound within the regular athlete’s already high security compound as a matter of principle. Since no one who isn’t an Israeli is allowed to criticize their world then it is about time someone within their walled off seclusion should start being a voice of internal opposition and dissent.

The other news that interested me a lot today was Bobby Fischer the 1972 chess champion. I suppose you know all about this but it’s the first time I heard about the fellow and his Cold War chess game. I rather like his open minded mouthy Maverick take on life. Anyone as critical as he is of the states is of course my personal Hero in an age where there aren’t enough tough hero’s. Can you believe the states? The news of this story makes me think the states are Jail Happy and they are here's why: With only 5% of the worlds population the states can ad to it's fame the staggering figure of 25% of the global prison population. So my advice is don't travel to the USA, the Americans are Jail Happy willing to lock up anyone so long as there is money to be made in the trendy privatized Prison Inc. For Christ sakes Bobby Fischer deserves a medal not a prison sentence for playing actual board games back in the nineteen seventies with people who were once caught behind the Old Iron Curtain. Remember that old wall? Remember Churchill's forgotten words and ominous radioed voice: “…From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic an Iron Curtain has descended across the continent…” Certainly if more games of mutual interest were being played between “enemies” then perhaps there might be more Peace on the planet. But lets face it there is more money to be made (and land to be stolen) in making war than in making peace. You can’t sell guns-N-ammo in a peaceful world.

Bart’s birthday is on the anniversary of the day the Enola Gay dropped its dubious gifts for the residents of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. If I were a successful fellow in my writing and illustrating I would be taking Bart for his birthday present with the money from my successes on a first class plane trip on a non US airline to Japan to visit that place of history. While there I would want to show Bart some tourist places like a museum of a Japanese Pavilion house along their mythical rural landscapes. Bart has always wanted to see one of these meticulously raked Zen rock gardens because one year I gave him as a birthday present a kit to make your own desktop version. What kitschery but then why not? Certainly there is something magical to a Japanese landscape that we here in Northern Europe can appreciate with our sometimes similar persistent damp – I am not so certain though that I would enjoy their sci-fi like urban spaces as much as Bart would. I mean I would if there was a way to make that accessible – like on, say, a helicopter ride for the Blade Runner visual effect – Bart would really like that I am certain. Then I would like to take Bart some other year - because I refuse to set foot in the states while the Bush family is running that god forsaken land for the moment - for his birthday after the Bush II administration has been put on trial and sentenced, women and all, for their crimes against humanity – to see The Trinity Site in New Mexico. I like to dream this way if I had money for such extravagances. If I were a real person like John Greyson and not just a former Midwestern retail laborer now gainfully unemployed as a hausfrau in exile.

I like how on the news today the woman who runs the Body Shop was scolding the worlds wealthy elite by nearly saying (me paraphrasing here you see) “you know who you are” the Billionaires etc. for hoarding such money away at a crucial time in history where with less greedy people future tragedies might be avoided or at least lessened. What a brilliant woman for having the balls to make such statements – if I had money I would go purchase stocks and merchandise from her company. She can thank the greedy bastard American executives at Kmart who I slaved for once that I won’t even be paying a visit to one of her stores for my boyfriend’s 20 euro birthday present for this year. Those very exec’s that sent us the staff a memo about how poorly our stores were performing from our lack of hard work, the same day their financial executive profits were posted stating quarterly salary bonuses in the multi-millions – while we slaved over “products” at minimum wage sans benefits. That is why I am so very much proud to embrace my freedom of speech and be a Proud Appalachian American Dissident Ex-pat Maverick abroad.

The world is totally f*cked up and I just want off the god forsaken planet.

I like to fantasize about hanging the whole of the Bush I and II administration, first “ladies” included, from the old oak tree. You know the one, the one formerly used in Kentucky for lynching and I am against capital punishment but for this I make an exception. The reason is because rather than lead the Americans and the world back then in processing the inexplicable events and grief of the Nine Eleven tragedy the Bush II administration were busy being opportunistic by devising ways to manipulate history to cover their own unethical tracks and for their shameless greed. I don’t want to even have to vote for the idyllic last liberal Kerry, I want these rich bastards hung at dawn after they have been properly impeached for crimes against humanity. If it was good enough for Marie Antoinette then they can all go down in their own similar cruel Freedom Fries sort of American styled, greasy, oil based, history.

How much longer do we have to wait on that Marionette Vision film from the folks in South Park, Colorado? Sounds like my kind of entertainment! What’s it called? Something like, Team America. Would they please at least make a claymation animation scene of these RepugliKKKanz getting hung at dawn with a slouchy clay version of Michael Moore pulling the board out beneath their feet. I can already hear the sound effect of cracking chicken bones being used for the breaking necks of these appalling “heads of states”.

If by another rigged Floridian election trick up the Bush “family” sleeve they do all end up in office again then I am going to the nearest Mosque and declaring the Shahadah and converting to Islam.