A Tom Wolfe Fan

Tim Graham of the Corner mocks the WaPo's very own Tom Shales for his review of the HBO series "Deadwood", telling us that "Shales is even giddy at the oh-so-realistic constant profanity in the series" and excerpting this:

"Deadwood" is magnificently gritty in appearance and poetically obscene in language. No one ever says something as simple as "I'm hungry" without a notorious gerund between the first word and the third. But you get used to it, and it actually becomes kind of lyrical.

Uh huh.  Then I bet Tom Shales will effing love "I Am Charlotte Simmons".

Comments

[Jim Glass]

Well, Deadwood will never play on the Beeb unbeeped if this guy has anything to say about it...

Former Sex Pistols star Glen Matlock has called on British TV and radio bosses to stop broadcasting foul language - even though his band launched to notoriety in 1976 by swearing on an early evening live UK television show ... spark[ing] nationwide outrage when they unleashed a stream of obscenities in response to presenter Bill Grundy's daring challenge to "say something outrageous".

However, Matlock - now a father of two - is disgusted by contemporary television's use of offensive words, and is urging TV and radio watchdogs to raise their standards and impose some much-needed guidelines.

He says, "It's pathetic when people just swear for the sake of it. Something ought to be done about it."

Yes, even Sex Pistols go conservative and move to the right of Tom Shales when they become middle-aged with kids. Is it any wonder Democrats are having problems winning elections?

[TM]

Effin' right!

[pouncer]

I suppose Leonard Nimoy's memorable performance in Star Trek, IV also draws rave reviews?

[YetAnotherRick]

"No one ever says something as simple as "I'm hungry" without a notorious gerund between the first word and the third."

I'm *really* hungry?

[richard mcenroe]

Heck, even Keith Richards is a full-fledged Tory...

[Joe Mealyus]

Glen Matlock is the one who got kicked out of the Sex Pistols for liking Paul McCartney - replaced by Gary Oldman, I believe. Of course *he* wouldn't like profanity.

Let's hear what Cook, Jones, Lydon(/Rotten) and Ronald Biggs think about the issue. For that matter, Biggs might have an interesting take on the privatization of superannuation in Brazil and the UK - okay, maybe not....

[JorgXMcKie]

I'm pretty sure "really" isn't a gerund. ;->=

Also, if they wanted realism they'd probably have to use a different gerund, since that one doesn't appear to have been in wide use in the US at the time.