OK, so, there’s this thing where if you write a bunch you hope you eventually build up some trust with your audience. You try to be generally reliable and trustworthy in hopes that they come to believe you are generally reasonable, that you wouldn’t try to trick them, and that you aren’t David French. If any of these three things aren’t true, they rightfully come to distrust you.
Hey guys: As always, I try to respond to everyone who comments. Also as always, I have a job, so it might take a bit. But I'm glad you are here and will respond, with the exception of people I'm responding to other places or if anyone was, like, the worst in some way I can't anticipate.
Note that I have been made aware that I mentally subbed in "Montreal" in several places I should have said "Toronto". I am sorry to both Montreal and Toronto people, who seem to be mutually uninterested in being associated with each other.
Apr 30, 2022·edited Apr 30, 2022Liked by Resident Contrarian
Great post . Great points. On a slight tangent - yesterday I saw " Mitchells against the machines". Its totally zeitgeist yet manages to be about family and human values. Uplifting, funny and with positive message.
Something sorely missing from a lot of modern culture
“they tread water wondering why they have to risk drowning while everyone else they see has yachts built out friendships and satisfying romantic relationships.”
I’m one of the relationship-impoverished.
I’m admittedly clueless about making strong relationships and am ostensibly smart enough to overcome my ‘disability’. It’s humbling to see the relationship-gifted and realize I can’t have what they have.
Crazy: A world where Nobel-prices were awarded to "Crock of gold" (J. Stephens) and "The princess bride" (the book is so good, the movie was lost on me, sorry) .
1938 a Nobel went to Pearl S. Buck ... the good earth ... big scandal, made them change rules
(I read that novel the other century, still thinking about it whenever I cook tea. Which is often.). Now Nobels go to writers like Elfriede Jelinek. It makes you cringe? See: it's ART! - Thanks for sharing!
As a couple others have suggested, all should check out Bois’s web hypersomething 17776, and look for his YouTube works, like the Secret Base and Chart Party channels.
Gonna be honest, I saw this was about a football novel and thought "this is gonna be 17776, isn't it." And I wasn't far off. Though, honestly, the biggest downside of the Tim Tebow CFL Chronicles is that it doesn't have a rant about a Broncos-Steelers game turning into a property dispute.
Don’t want to be the annoying person that makes requests, but just this once please please read and review 17776 + 20020. Would love to hear your thoughts on them
I can't tell if calling the Super Bowl the Superbowl is a) a typo; 2) an honest mistake since you don't follow the NFL and wouldn't know better; or d) an instance of 4D chess where you know how to write Super Bowl correctly but are trying to give the impression of 2.
I quite literally just got back from an office lunch which was primarily composed of a discussion about media that makes moves to appeal to the average consumer, generally by sanding off any edges that make it thoughtful or complex. I really like the takeaway from this article, because it presents another axis on the "media political compass". Normally we break it down into good/bad and fun/boring, so you can say "oh, I know that movie is bad, but I think it's a lot of fun" or whatever. Adding happy/sad covers any angle that we don't really talk about in critiquing media, or at least not outside of the entertainment factor. Lots of media is "entertaining" and therefore "makes me happy", but there's something to be said for an uplifting message that makes you feel good on its own, without any other serotonin generating jokes or action.
I started to read 17776, but the football kept ruining it. Jon Bois is a wonderful writer, and if he wrote about literally anything other than sports, I'd be a huge fan. But it's like a Michelin star chef who insists on making all of his dishes feature olives. I just do not like them. I wish I could, I'd like to experience this expertly crafted creation, but nope. Olives will always taste like someone tried to put out a fire at a sulfur mine by covering it in salt. So will football.
Hey guys: As always, I try to respond to everyone who comments. Also as always, I have a job, so it might take a bit. But I'm glad you are here and will respond, with the exception of people I'm responding to other places or if anyone was, like, the worst in some way I can't anticipate.
Note that I have been made aware that I mentally subbed in "Montreal" in several places I should have said "Toronto". I am sorry to both Montreal and Toronto people, who seem to be mutually uninterested in being associated with each other.
Great post . Great points. On a slight tangent - yesterday I saw " Mitchells against the machines". Its totally zeitgeist yet manages to be about family and human values. Uplifting, funny and with positive message.
Something sorely missing from a lot of modern culture
I thought this was going to be about 17776 and am now delighted to find out there are even more weird Jon Bois football novellas out there.
Wow! Your insight really struck me here. Genius!
“they tread water wondering why they have to risk drowning while everyone else they see has yachts built out friendships and satisfying romantic relationships.”
I’m one of the relationship-impoverished.
I’m admittedly clueless about making strong relationships and am ostensibly smart enough to overcome my ‘disability’. It’s humbling to see the relationship-gifted and realize I can’t have what they have.
What do you have against David French? Serious question.
Crazy: A world where Nobel-prices were awarded to "Crock of gold" (J. Stephens) and "The princess bride" (the book is so good, the movie was lost on me, sorry) .
1938 a Nobel went to Pearl S. Buck ... the good earth ... big scandal, made them change rules
(I read that novel the other century, still thinking about it whenever I cook tea. Which is often.). Now Nobels go to writers like Elfriede Jelinek. It makes you cringe? See: it's ART! - Thanks for sharing!
As a couple others have suggested, all should check out Bois’s web hypersomething 17776, and look for his YouTube works, like the Secret Base and Chart Party channels.
Gonna be honest, I saw this was about a football novel and thought "this is gonna be 17776, isn't it." And I wasn't far off. Though, honestly, the biggest downside of the Tim Tebow CFL Chronicles is that it doesn't have a rant about a Broncos-Steelers game turning into a property dispute.
Oh wow I loved 17776 and 20020 but didn't know this existed, will have to check it out.
Don’t want to be the annoying person that makes requests, but just this once please please read and review 17776 + 20020. Would love to hear your thoughts on them
In exchange I’ll read this book
I savored this one like a 10-course dinner.
Here is some more Jon Bois content, in video form: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAL5X3TRA2A.
I can't tell if calling the Super Bowl the Superbowl is a) a typo; 2) an honest mistake since you don't follow the NFL and wouldn't know better; or d) an instance of 4D chess where you know how to write Super Bowl correctly but are trying to give the impression of 2.
Or....something else.
Huh, shows how much I know about Football, I thought Tebow had done pretty well.
Book seems weird, but intriguing.
I quite literally just got back from an office lunch which was primarily composed of a discussion about media that makes moves to appeal to the average consumer, generally by sanding off any edges that make it thoughtful or complex. I really like the takeaway from this article, because it presents another axis on the "media political compass". Normally we break it down into good/bad and fun/boring, so you can say "oh, I know that movie is bad, but I think it's a lot of fun" or whatever. Adding happy/sad covers any angle that we don't really talk about in critiquing media, or at least not outside of the entertainment factor. Lots of media is "entertaining" and therefore "makes me happy", but there's something to be said for an uplifting message that makes you feel good on its own, without any other serotonin generating jokes or action.
I started to read 17776, but the football kept ruining it. Jon Bois is a wonderful writer, and if he wrote about literally anything other than sports, I'd be a huge fan. But it's like a Michelin star chef who insists on making all of his dishes feature olives. I just do not like them. I wish I could, I'd like to experience this expertly crafted creation, but nope. Olives will always taste like someone tried to put out a fire at a sulfur mine by covering it in salt. So will football.