Thursday, October 26, 2006

Verhoevenfest 2006


The largely spiritless British public seems to need some kind of austere paternal authority to enforce the soul-cleansing cycle of sin, guilt and contrition that the fear of God once provided. This new authority is the institution of Health Terrorism; a continual media barrage of bewildering medical statistics, nutritional guidelines and fitness recommendations that leaves citizens in a twenty-four hour state of Lovecraftian lurking fear. Don't even THINK about enjoying life today unless you have eaten at least five portions of fruit and vegetables. What's that carefree fucker over there hiding? Must be hiding something. No-one can be fulfilled unless they obey a strict discipline of alternately mirthless, smug and anxiety-ridden lifestyle masochism. Health experts have a monopoly on the good life. Fitness is the only virtue. Live longer, or regret it later. Never mind lying awake at night terrified of cancer caused by leaving televisions on standby. Those oranges you bought aren't even the right kind. You think you are getting the nutrients you are told you need BUT YOU ARE NOT, AS IT TURNS OUT, YOU FOOL. Did you not read the latest reports? GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF THE SAND, MORON. And what are you so stressed about? Do you not know that stress will kill you? WRITE IT TWENTY FIVE TIMES ON YOUR FUCKING FOREHEAD: STRESS WILL KILL ME. Don't even THINK about going to sleep tonight until you have fully comprehended the fact that your are GOING TO DIE FROM STRESS. Oh, and women: you will always be fat and there is FUCK ALL you can do about it. And, as it turns out, your home is absolutely filthy, and your wardrobe is so HOPELESS IT ISN'T EVEN FUNNY. YOU ARE A FUCKING DISGRACE.

Last weekend some friends and I celebrated Verhoevenfest 2006. Robocop: The Directors cut; Total Recall, Starship Troopers, and Showgirls. Afterwards I lay down in the dark and listened to shortwave radio test transmissions. A series of soothing, meaningless tones and callsigns passed through me as I sank slowly into the floor, down through the shop below and deep into the earth, and then, when it all went a bit Lair of the White Worm, I thought: life is good.


religions don't deserve special treatment


5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I find myself either consuming media as ravenously as a wolf to a sheeps neck or shunning it entirely for fear of holistic mental collapse and erasure.

Last weeks spaceman tour confirmed to me that life is astonishing in the right company.

Nick Talbot said...

spaceman tour?

Anonymous said...

mr pierce and his divine spritualizing/ spacemen3zing gospel harmonies with full string quartet and choir. sorry for unintentional crypticism.

cover of daniel johnstons true love will find you superb.

leaking eyes all round at anything more/ladies and gentlemen/wise men say only fools rush in medley.

Anonymous said...

I love Total Recall (and the others, actually, not sure about Show Girls thoughy it is pretty funny in places), Laurence Sutin in his PKD biography is totally scathing about it.

Anonymous said...

I like reading your posts. They bring a certain kind of calmth to my thoughts. Nothing is real but reality, you know.