"Being a responsible adult doesn't necessarily mean speaking slowly about tomatoes. It can also include things like irony and cleverness, and even yelling into your cell phone about sitcoms."
From Sam Anderson's article about Garrison Keillor in Slate.
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11 comments:
Interesting, I just read the same article and thought back to our brief exchange about Keillor. I know Garrison Keillor is a little corny, but I'm still willing to defend him. And his review of Bernard Henri-Levy doesn't get fair representation in the Slate article. It was caustic and clever and, above all, correct (the 3Cs). Though I don't like everything about Prarie Home Companion, I do like parts of it--particularly the music and his jokes about English majors. Come on Assertively Unhip, doesn't Keillor in some way perfectly represent what being assertively unhip is all about?
I too like PHC, both the radio show and the movie. I get a kind of a kick out of GK, too, though not enough to make me tune in every weekend. In fact, I almost never deliberately tune in--but when I run into him doing his monologue at the end of his show, I often feel kind of mesmerized. I almost always like his writing, as well. It seems clear to me that GK on PHC is a persona, and I think it's pretty interesting that it has such staying power and, apparently, charisma in American culture.
I think there is something unhip about the midwest that GK represents perfectly. Also, he's bringing "fiction" to the airwaves every week.
Plus I do like his nerdy English major jokes. And I have to say I'm a fan of Guy Noir. I just am.
Keillor unhip? He's from the same town as Prince, dudes!
Again, theorris pulls the argument together. Touche.
what is this? all of this support for GK? my god, I'm going to have to get some new blog readers.
oh, but I will say that I like the English major jokes. And I do like most of the musicians he has on the show. although he should never, ever sing.
lis, you need to do your own radio show about Orem and Provo. Lis closes the show with her folksy voice, "And that's the news from {insert fictional name} where the lawns are green, the candy sweet, the movies clean, and the families large." What would the show be called?
I must must commment as I'm still reeling from AU's comment about Keillor's bad singing. It's not that I love his singing but doesn't criticizing his singing miss the point? I think of PHC and GK as a way to experiece nostalgia and wholesomeness ("the shock jock of wholesomeness as Anderson says") but without the conservative politics and with some wit. And how about GK's jabs at Bush, the war, etc? Why doesn't Anderson mention this? Maybe it's more paradox than he can handle.
well, GK may have good politics and a bit of wit, but he should definitely not sing--ever.
I like the idea for the radio show, MB. you've captured happy valley.
He does have a predeliction for singing, doesn't he? I actually think he is ubercool simply because he beat everyone to being completely unhip and writing about an unhip town with loads of unhip people in it and singing in an unhip fashion. He's kind of a reverse Sinclair Lewis in many ways.
That stupid Guy Noir shit, however, can go as quickly as possible.
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