A Smarter Yet Stupider Class Of Grafitti
The grafitti we came upon on our way to the Paris Métro was political -- and inexplicable. This guy they seem to be accusing of being responsible for the 9/11 attacks is some Freudian/Lacanian psychoanalyst. I do think that stuff is utter steaming bullshit, and bad for your psychological health to boot, but Mohammed Atta and the his crew of Islamist barbarians brought down the WTC, murdering thousands of people in the name of Islam. Renowned Frogs with velvet couches had nothing to do with it.
Hey, it's good you showed this.
I already disbelieved any opinions espoused by French psychologists, philosophers, and cultural critics. Now I can cross off graffiti artists as well.
Axman at December 6, 2008 6:59 AM
Note the color of the wall: Earlier messages have been painted over or sandblasted. This guy gets a lot of attention from graffiti guys
Crid [cridcridatgmail] at December 6, 2008 8:08 AM
"Renowned Frogs with velvet couches" has the same flow as the Monty Python line "Strange women lyin' in ponds" to my tin ear.
I daresay neither one is the basis for a system of government.
BlogDog at December 6, 2008 8:17 AM
I've been out of the loop -- does the Paris trip mean your book is finished?
Gog_Magog_Carpet_Reclaimers at December 6, 2008 2:31 PM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2008/12/06/a_smarter_yet_s.html#comment-1611100">comment from Gog_Magog_Carpet_ReclaimersIt does, and thanks for asking. Finished it before it finished me (first and last chapters were particularly hard). I am polishing the telemarketing chapter, but the writing is done. Quel relief!
Amy Alkon
at December 6, 2008 3:29 PM
Congtrats on your book and I hope that you indulge in a little foie gras and champagne to celebrate.
belle at December 6, 2008 4:33 PM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2008/12/06/a_smarter_yet_s.html#comment-1611234">comment from belleMerci, merci. And foie gras trois fois, but champagne, tristement, makes my red head hurt, so we've had some fantastic Sancerre. We did have a lesson last night, though. We ate dinner at home. Gregg cooked some fab veal and haricots verts (green beans) and carrots, and bought a nice Sancerre to go with -- which, whoops, turned out to be red. I think they only sell white Sancerre back home. Aucun idée, as they say. (No idea.)
Amy Alkon
at December 7, 2008 12:20 AM
I did a lengthy search of Klotz using French web browsers (I'm fluent in French), but couldn't find anything whatsoever that could explain that graffito. The Bordeaux address is real, so it's not some random choice of name used to be funny in a dadaist way. I'm betting he was on some talk show and made a comment about 9/11, which pissed off one of the 9/11 conspiracy theorists (FYI: a book, written in French, alleging that 9/11 was an inside job was a best seller in France for quite awhile. It was 11 Septembre 2001: L'effroyable imposture). But I can't find reference to comments by Klotz on that subject, either. So I don't want to start any rumors. But I have to wonder about the motivations of someone who'd put the guy's address right up there. Seems like an invitation to harrass Klotz.
Quizzical at December 7, 2008 1:01 PM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2008/12/06/a_smarter_yet_s.html#comment-1611501">comment from QuizzicalI looked, too, having a rather crappy command of French but a command nonetheless, and also found nothing. Agree with your assessment.
Amy Alkon
at December 7, 2008 1:36 PM
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