Wednesday, February 25, 2009

New Historicism

New Historicism is when you use painstaking historical research to say that literature and authors don't exist, that society is sexist and racist, and that capitalism is bad. I think -isms are bad, but I still used 4 of them in this post. Can I have tenure now, please?


RATING: 15%

(Image from www.tcctheatre.org.)

30 comments:

Walter Benjamin and the Mechanical Reproductions (the band) said...

hey you guys i decidded that im only gonna b nice from now on to celebrate my time at woman camp so i apologize to everyone ive hurt in my battle 2 b #1 commenter on R3 ive let my ambitions get the best of me and i hope you can 4give me (remember: 1cross+3nailz=4given)

Walter Benjamin and the Mechanical Reproductions (the band) said...

hye intenet jon i think that you are a rly smart guy and this review wld be gr8 if i cld read it without being bored well talk to you l8er GOD IS LOVE YALL

DCP said...

My favorite -ism is New Criticism, because then I don't have to consider ten trillion other factors (from the authors favorite ice cream to the color of his father's pubes) in order to enjoy and analyze a piece of literature.

DCP said...

(Too bad it's the least accepted form of literary theory in academic circles.)

Chris said...

I prefer Illiteratism. It only hinders your ability to order food and drive anywhere outside of your own city.

I don't like Communism. But I'm glad my comrades are hanging in there because, hey, Idealism is important.

laurie said...

I have no idea what we are talking about.

John said...

New Criticism is especially unpopular right now, but it's no less full of shit and irrelevant than everything else everyone else is doing in English, history, philosophy, sociology and anthropology. Jesus Christ, I wish I knew how to count--I'd own my own Honda Accord by now.

BTW, has anyone heard from Viking Andrew? I've been trying to find out if he wants to come to Houston with us next weekend, but the other night I said that AIM and everyone who uses it is gay, and I haven't heard from him since.

Not that I have anything against gays on AIM. Love the sinner, hate the sin, that's what I always say...

Viking Andrew said...

I'm right here. What are the dates for this Houston R3 bash? Where would I stay? Can I listen to country music on the way there?
I'm interested in going, but anyone who knows me knows there's a high likelihood of flaking.

By the way, what's so wrong with Post-Structuralism?

John said...

I mistakenly deleted your second comment while trying to delete the multiples of your first one. Whoops.

John said...

Preview sucks. Just post and deal with the formatting afterward. Houston is the weekend after this coming one, and the only country album I'll allow in my car is Ween's 12 Golden Country Greats. I don't know where you'd stay, but I'm sure we can figure something out. It's the R3 (re)union, for God's sake.

What's wrong with poststructuralism? Since you asked...

-French Freud, which accounts for like 90% of poststructuralist "psychology," is a bunch of perverted nonsense foisted on a credulous public by Eurotrash megalomaniacs. Evolutionary psychology and cognitive science will have rid the world of its bullshit in under a decade, 2 at most.

-Derridian deconstruction: not only is it boring to read over and over again that the emperor has no clothes, but when one takes cosmology since the big bang and evolution by natural selection into account, the notion that progress is impossible starts to look quite false. The Platonic metaphysicist and the positivist have been straw men for 40 years. Change the fucking record.

-All Marxists are bitches, and Marxist "economics" don't work, bitch. A command economy is computationally inefficient to the point of impossibility, and you can't democratically replace a free market with an abstract, top-down notion of social justice. Don't believe me, ask your cousin Ivan.

In other words, poststructuralism is a giant, poisonous worm made up of a lot of other, little worms, and it's got its head sewn to its own asshole and it's going to die from starvation soon.

laurie said...

The big R3 bash is the weekend of the 6th sometime. I think we need loco to coordinate. Or Glenn since he doesn't have anything else to do. We should make a facebook event. Because we are just that cool.

McT's Girlfriend said...

If you guys are going to need some hookers while in Houston I know a great girl named Mandy. She's inexpensive and will do almost anything. Let me know if you're interested.

Viking Andrew said...

I'm going to cancel classes on the 6th and head to Houston.

Laurie, I like what you're saying. You're on the Facebook.

Glenn, you coordinate this shit. Make some t-shirts or coozies or something.

Me? I'm on getting drunk and watching the Smoke Monster on Lost.

John, no way. Fucking Ween? I'm going to drive myself (so I can leave when I'm tired of seeing all your ugly faces. [If you or anyone needs a ride, let me know]).

Will (N)BNL make an appearance? Can we get him on speakerphone?

Mark your datebooks; the 'king is heading to the H.*




*Unless he flakes.

John said...

We should so call BNL.

Walter Benjamin and the Mechanical Reproductions (the band) said...

hey guyz i cant rly leave the house for a while xcept to go to work (bcause of reactionery judges)

Walter Benjamin and the Mechanical Reproductions (the band) said...

also, intnetre jon that wall o text was tldr as all heck but i appreciate you as a person and as a contributor to thsi blog

John said...

NBNL I hope you get fucked in jail.

Chris said...

Anyone is welcome to stay at my place (Brent Newland can sleep outside if he comes down).

The couch flips into an incredibly uncomfortable bed, and then there's a floor (but an air mattress can go there).

laurie said...

Well I have dibs on L+G's spare room. They tell me there is a spare room. I assume it has a bed in it. That's what I'm hoping for anyway.

Chris said...

Great, Laurie.

Now the men can stay at my place and get drunk every night on some of that dirty bird and beer.

*insert joke about male orgy here*

Viking Andrew said...

@ Chris.

Thanks, bro. I'll take any sleeping arrangement I can get.

What's the plan, anyway? When is everybody getting to Houston?

Taqueria anyone?

Viking Andrew said...

Also, will McTavish be making an appearance?

Viking Andrew said...

I'm going to get John drunk on Sleeman and get him to call BNL. And record it. Ain't no party like a Viking party cos a Viking party don't stop til cirrhosis!

laurie said...

Ps - If there is a hot gay orgy, can I be invited?

John said...

Are you a male?

laurie said...

Are you implying that you have to be gay to appreciate hot gay sex?

Chris said...

Appreciate it? Certainly not.

Enjoy it? Yes, I think so.

McT's Girlfriend said...

@Viking Andrew

I'll be there but I'll be using my other name.

Chris said...

Taqueria? Yes.

LoCo said...

Taqueria! Andrew misses Houston, Andrew misses Houston. Don't tell Dallas.