/lit/ - Literature

Is it better to learn Latin or Classical Greek?

The trial

David Foster Wallace once wrote a piece about David Lynch. In the piece, he coined a new term: "Lynchian". Wallace described a Lynchian tone as "the unbelievably grotesque existing in a kind of union with the unbelievably banal."

He described a husband beating his 1950s housewife to death because she bought the wrong brand of peanut butter. "I told you to buy the JIF," he'd say as he's clobbering her to death. This, he said, would qualify as almost perfectly Lynchian.

I think "I Am Jazz" enters into Lynchian territory. The .webm above shows a simple domestic scene. The women look like average suburban moms. They're relaxing on the couch. One imagines they might be discussing casserole recipes when we cut to them. But it slowly dawns on us that in the living room, with placid expressions on their faces, they're talking about the woman's transvestite son's genitals.

Despite the obvious subtext and the producers' hope to normalize this horror, the average person is totally disgusted. Nevertheless, the viewer is fascinated. We're drawn further into this. The sheer naked horror of what they're saying, the blasé quality with which they're saying it, it creates this brutal paradox that almost rapes the viewer's basic sense of what is decent.

>>12730089
Latin if your are Catholic and Greek if you are Orthodox.

>>12730137
August Derleth once wrote a piece about H. P. Lovecraft. In the piece, he coined a new term: "Lovecraftian". Derleth described a Lovecraftian tone as "the indescribably horrific existing in a kind of refutation of the humanely rational." He described a husband beating his 1930s housewife to death because he was possessed by the Great Race of Yith in their astral wanderings. "Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn," he'd say as he's clobbering her to death. This, he said, would qualify as almost perfectly Lovecraftian.

I fear "I Am Jazz" enters into Lovecraftian territory. The .webm to the left shows a simple domestic scene. The women look like average Anglo-Saxon mothers. They're relaxing on the chesterfield. One fancies they might be discussing the superiority of foregone British custom when we cut to them. But it slowly dawns on us in mounting reels of dread that in the parlour, with spectral expressions on their haggish, twisted faces, they're talking about the woman's frail son's descent into ancestral madness.

Despite the odious implication and the producers' forlorn hope to desperately conceal this unspeakable horror, the average person is driven through gales of feverish delirium. Nevertheless, the viewer is entranced. We're drawn further into the cyclopean edifice of this ruinous domain. The ethereal arabesque abhorrence of the abominable blasphemy they're uttering, the cantillate quality with which they're coldly reciting the long dead words, it summons this starry malevolence that almost unnameably couples with the viewer's basic sense of what is euclidean.

>>12730137
Curb Your Enthusiasm music is perfect for Jazz

>>12730218
Curb is the definition of jewish filth

>>12730229
Fuck you, Larry David is a good Jew

>>12730284
>OY VEY I CAME ON A LITTLE GIRLS TEDDY BEAR
>THE CAKE WAS A COCK
>a cock cake
>YEAH A COCK CAKE

>>12730137
What the fuck.

>>12730137
DFW is such a good writer. Thanks for reminding. You are a good writer too. :)

>>12730137
pseudo-intellectual reactionary bullshit. kill yourself.

>>12730294
what the heck...

Is it better to learn Latin or Classical Greek?

>>12730368
Jazz is going to kill himself because of people like you xD

>>12730163
Chuckled.

>>12730368
>reactionary
cringe

>>12730137
Is it better to learn Latin or Classical Greek? (Kek)

>>12730368
stay mad commie boy

In The LOTR,Tolkien drew upon the language and themes found in the old Medieval hero-tales in order to construct a kind of new mythology. The brilliance of Tolkien was in his departure from the Pagan modes of conduct and morality of these old tales, his creation of a synergistic fusion between Christian thought and Pagan language, and so his work achieved a deep resonance with all who read it.

We find this passage at the conclusion of The Return of the King:

>The Dark Lord was suddenly aware of him, and his Eye piercing all shadows looked across the plain to the door that he had made; and the magnitude of his own folly was revealed to him in a blinding flash, and all the devices of his enemies were at last laid bare.

Adversaries in the stories that Tolkien drew upon, Grendel, Mordred and the like, often served as obstacles that the heroes could overcome through feats of strength and cunning. Sauron is not like them. When He is defeated, it is not because Aragon is stronger than him or because Gandalf is wiser. They are not. It is only that his hubris was so great that it never occured to him that anyone would want to destroy the thing he held so dear. It is not until the final few seconds of his existence that he realizes his mistake.

I think that I Am Jazz displays a similar moment. In the pictured scene, Jazz's journey to what he believes is womanhood is almost complete. He is resting after surgery, a triumphant smile on his face, his rotting groin held together by a labyrinthine patchwork of stitches and grafts. But as Eru Ilúvatar nudged Golum over the Crack of Doom into the fires beneath, so too does the God of our world intervene in this.

>Pop!

In a second, the follies of men are undone and Jazz's crotch explodes, a meaty froth of blood and pus pouring out of the hole where his penis used to be.

In that moment of blind panic and terror, Jazz is Sauron. All triumph and victory is gone. Only the Void remains.

>>12730521
A pale mimicry of the superior Lynchian pasta. Stop posting any time.

>>12730294
>CAME ON A LITTLE GIRLS TEDDY BEAR
don't remember that episode

>>12730083
When this abomination eventually kills himself how will they blame society rather than accept responsibility?

>>12730137
based

>>12730368
Piss off, dischord tranny. No one likes you.

>>12730163
OH MY GOODNESS you are a terrific writer anon, i don't know why nobody else reacted to this but holy moly this is so well-written. You use such a breadth of words and you use them so well, I can't imagine how long it must've taken you to write this out. How do you learn to use so many words so beautifully? Have you written other pastas for this site, that you could share here? No matter what, you are a terrific writer and I really hope you're working on a novel or literature project of some kind. You are way too talented to not succeed in this lane <3

>>12731343
It's obvious: blame the internet. When Jazz kills himself the producers at TLC will dig up a bunch of nasty instagram comments and will sourcelessly claim that these comments are what drove Jazz over the edge. Then the family will go on a media tour where they'll cry about how social media needs to be cleaned up to prevent this sort of thing from ever happening again. I can picture all of it.

>>12730294
whoa dude....that's so fucked up...can't believe I've been so blind to the JQ until now

>>12730488
latin

>>12730229
Examples?
>>12730294
Lmao, so Larry David is filth because he said a couple of mildly raunchy jokes? The average 4chan post is filthier than what you posted.

>>12730356
>>12731356
The duality of man

>>12731471
u don't make sex jokes about little children, though... :(

>>12731471
>>12731438
>*tells the same joke for 40 minutes in your path*

>>12730137
based

the face of a man who could have fucked irl futa in the ass but will have to stick into a sarlacc pit

>>12730488
If only Charlie Kirk was based enough to think "Black man bad". Leftists really have no idea what's going on with the right wing (it's only barely better than their lack of understanding of what's going on with the left).

>>12730163
Very nice.