[meteorite-list] 'Rites & Wrong Cartoon
From: MARK BOSTICK <thebigcollector_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:32:56 2004 Message-ID: <BAY4-DAV87b6KZmcK8r00000736_at_hotmail.com> ------=_NextPart_001_0055_01C4159B.9663E5E0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Park Forest comic (copy protection removed) http://www.meteoritearticles.com/comic5.html Re: I have rarely seen such an openly racist piece of work as the cartoo= n entitled 'Rites & Wrongs. I have lived in Park Forest since 1971 and = have always felt safe in the community. It is one of the few communities= in the Chicagoland region that is racially integrated and has been since= the 1950s. It has one of the lowest crime rates in the 5-county region.= I do not know where you got your information. The people who collected= meteorites were able to sell them to dealers, if they so desired, or to = a consortium of museums. No one was held up or robbed as they gathered t= hem or sold them. It is such a shame that you would choose to promulgate= such an inaccurate image of the community. =20 Janet Muchnik Village Manager Thanks for your comments Janet, Since I have made reference to the Meteorite Central Mailing list I am fo= rwarding a copy of this to them as well. It is a comic and it is satire comic and it should be taken as such. If = satire humor brings undue stress to you or someone you know, I would not = watch Mad television or Saturday Night Live, you might have a heart attac= k. As far as it being racist I do not see that unless you consider Park = Forest or Chicago itself a race....and even then you would be stretching = things. =20 I have posted my thoughts of the comic on the meteorite central mailing l= ist and you can read about it in the archives the list has here, I will h= owever make a couple notes and if you have any questions or comments feel= free to e-mail me again. In fact, if you can continue a conversation in= a respectable manner, then I have no problem with doing something like a= dding a comment from you to the comic page. =20 Meteorite Central Archives, look around the current date, and it should n= ot be hard to find my postings. =20 http://www.meteoritecentral.com/archives.shtml I will note that seems clear that the page was referred to you by a Bill = Kieskowski, who's e-mails to me have been nothing but secondary e-motions= I am not his councilor and this is not a group session, plus I am not = sure how things work around Chicago, but I do not think you will find suc= h actions productive anywhere. It surely has not convinced me to take it= down or the like and if anything, I might make a postcard now and send i= t out for free to everyone in the meteorite community or whoever else wou= ld like one. =20 Personally if I had a problem with something, I would not continue to spo= tlight it. Please read the following: Laughter: An Essay on the Meaning of Comic by Henri Bergson. Henri Bergs= on was well known for his work in the philosophy of humor. I read his wo= rk in college, but you can view it here for free. http://www.authorama.com/laughter-4.html The following is from Bergson classic work, which is a not copyrighted. = His work is accepted one must say by the United States Government who has= published and promoted the work for several years now. =20 "Bergson notes that a person robbing another has been a common theme thro= ughout the history of comic drawling. Here is what he says, on this subje= ct, "Who are the actors in these scenes? With whom has the wit to deal? F= irst of all, with his interlocutors themselves, when his witticism is a d= irect retort to one of them. Often with an absent person whom he supposes= to have spoken and to whom he is replying. Still oftener, with the whole= world,--in the ordinary meaning of the term,--which he takes to task, tw= isting a current idea into a paradox, or making use of a hackneyed phrase= , or parodying some quotation or proverb. If we compare these scenes in m= iniature with one another, we find they are almost always variations of a= comic theme with which we are well acquainted, that of the "robber robbe= d." You take up a metaphor, phrase, an argument, and turn it against the = man who is, or might be, its author, so that he is made to say what he di= d not mean to say and lets himself be caught, to some extent, in the toil= s of language. But the theme of the "robber robbed" is not the only possi= ble one. We have gone over many varieties of the comic, and there is not = one of them that is incapable of being volatilized into a witticism." What Berger is trying to say here and in the paragraphs before it, is tha= t by nature, the witticism in the being robbed scene in a comic is someth= ing we can all relate to and that while it can be turned against the writ= er, that it is not a direct attack on a person or group, but more a refle= ction of part of our society. Berger ends with saying it is "witticism", = in others words, it is humor. If you would like I can give you references to many other writers of the = philosophic nature of comics. All seem to agree with 90% of the same thi= ng. Almost every dealer reported seeing gang activity in the region, and that= Chicago as a metropolitan as has always been known to have gang activity= Many movies and songs have been made about this since the 1950's. Eve= n the recently popular "Chicago" musical, had them wearing gangster hats = on the movie bills and carried much of the image in the film. In other w= ords, it is my opinion, that if the Chicago-area would like people to cha= nge their thoughts on it, then the first step would be to stop marketing = such. Gang activity is everywhere in the United States and even outside of Wich= ita, Kansas...where I live. I do not think anyone, in the meteorite comm= unity thinks Park Forest is a terrible place to live. Everyone I know en= joyed there hunts there and although, urban meteorite hunting did present= some new challenges, I think most would do it again. I would also like you to note the name of the comic, 'Rites & Wrongs. By= nature it is not a politically correct comic and the name I think reflec= ts that and the readership it is aimed at understands this I believe, in = fact, if any person on the Meteorite Central Mailing list, the only place= I have sent this comic, did not understand this was a comic and thinks t= hat this is an accurate "image" of life in Park Forest, feel free to e-ma= il both me and Janet and say such. Janet, you yourself looked at and lab= eled it a "cartoon" in your e-mail to me. =20 If we can not laugh at the world, we are doomed to cry with it. As I have been kind to answer you e-mail, perhaps you can answer me, If t= he meteorite fell in Los Angeles would you fell any different about the c= omic? Mark Bostick Creator and Owner of 'Rites & Wrongs ------=_NextPart_001_0055_01C4159B.9663E5E0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <HTML><BODY STYLE=3D"font:10pt verdana; border:none;"><DIV>Park Forest co= mic (copy protection removed)</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><A href=3D"htt= p://www.meteoritearticles.com/comic5.html">http://www.meteoritearticles.c= om/comic5.html</A></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Re:&nbs= p; I have rarely seen such an openly racist piece of work as the cartoon = entitled 'Rites & Wrongs. I have lived in Park Forest since 19= 71 and have always felt safe in the community. It is one of the few= communities in the Chicagoland region that is racially integrated and ha= s been since the 1950s. It has one of the lowest crime rates in the= 5-county region. I do not know where you got your information. &nb= sp;The people who collected meteorites were able to sell them to dealers,= if they so desired, or to a consortium of museums. No one was held= up or robbed as they gathered them or sold them. It is such a sham= e that you would choose to promulgate such an inaccurate image of the com= munity. </DIV> <DIV><BR>Janet Muchnik<BR>Village Manager</DIV> <DIV= > </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Thanks for your co= mments Janet,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Since I have made reference to= the Meteorite Central Mailing list I am forwarding a copy of this to the= m as well.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>It is a comic and it is satire co= mic and it should be taken as such. If satire humor brings undue st= ress to you or someone you know, I would not watch Mad television or Satu= rday Night Live, you might have a heart attack. As far as it being = racist I do not see that unless you consider Park Forest or Chicago itsel= f a race....and even then you would be stretching things. </D= IV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I have posted my thoughts of the comic on the = meteorite central mailing list and you can read about it in the archives = the list has here, I will however make a couple notes and if you have any= questions or comments feel free to e-mail me again. In fact, if yo= u can continue a conversation in a respectable manner, then I have no pro= blem with doing something like adding a comment from you to the comic pag= e. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Meteorite Central Archives, l= ook around the current date, and it should not be hard to find my posting= s. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><A href=3D"http://www.meteoritecen= tral.com/archives.shtml">http://www.meteoritecentral.com/archives.shtml</= A></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I will note that seems = clear that the page was referred to you by a Bill Kieskowski, who's e-mai= ls to me have been nothing but secondary e-motions. I am not his co= uncilor and this is not a group session, plus I am not sure how things wo= rk around Chicago, but I do not think you will find such actions producti= ve anywhere. It surely has not convinced me to take it down or the = like and if anything, I might make a postcard now and send it out for fre= e to everyone in the meteorite community or whoever else would like one.&= nbsp; </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Personally if I had a problem with so= mething, I would not continue to spotlight it.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <D= IV>Please read the following:</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Laughter: An E= ssay on the Meaning of Comic by Henri Bergson. Henri Bergson was we= ll known for his work in the philosophy of humor. I read his work i= n college, but you can view it here for free.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DI= V><U><FONT color=3D#800080><A href=3D"http://www.authorama.com/laughter-4= html">http://www.authorama.com/laughter-4.html</A></FONT></U><A href=3D"= http://www.gutenberg.net/browse/BIBREC/BR4352.HTM"></A></DIV> <DIV> = </DIV> <DIV>The following is from Bergson classic work, which is a n= ot copyrighted. His work is accepted one must say by the United Sta= tes Government who has published and promoted the work for several y= ears now. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>"Bergson notes that a perso= n robbing another has been a common theme throughout the history of comic= drawling. Here is what he says, on this subject, "Who are the actors in = these scenes? With whom has the wit to deal? First of all, with his inter= locutors themselves, when his witticism is a direct retort to one of them= Often with an absent person whom he supposes to have spoken and to whom= he is replying. Still oftener, with the whole world,--in the ordinary me= aning of the term,--which he takes to task, twisting a current idea into = a paradox, or making use of a hackneyed phrase, or parodying some quotati= on or proverb. If we compare these scenes in miniature with one another, = we find they are almost always variations of a comic theme with which we = are well acquainted, that of the "robber robbed." You take up a metaphor,= phrase, an argument, and turn it against the man who is, or might be, it= s author, so that he is made to say what he did not mean to say and lets = himself be caught, to some extent, in the toils of language. But the them= e of the "robber robbed" is not the only possible one. We have gone over = many varieties of the comic, and there is not one of them that is incapab= le of being volatilized into a witticism."</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>W= hat Berger is trying to say here and in the paragraphs before it, is that= by nature, the witticism in the being robbed scene in a comic is somethi= ng we can all relate to and that while it can be turned against the write= r, that it is not a direct attack on a person or group, but more a reflec= tion of part of our society. Berger ends with saying it is "witticism", i= n others words, it is humor.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> <DIV>If you wo= uld like I can give you references to many other writers of the philosoph= ic nature of comics. All seem to agree with 90% of the same thing.<= /DIV></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Almost every dealer reported seeing ga= ng activity in the region, and that Chicago as a metropolitan as has alwa= ys been known to have gang activity. Many movies and songs have bee= n made about this since the 1950's. Even the recently popular "Chic= ago" musical, had them wearing gangster hats on the movie bills and carri= ed much of the image in the film. In other words, it is my opinion,= that if the Chicago-area would like people to change their thoughts on i= t, then the first step would be to stop marketing such.</DIV> <DIV> = </DIV> <DIV>Gang activity is everywhere in the United States and even out= side of Wichita, Kansas...where I live. I do not think anyone, in t= he meteorite community thinks Park Forest is a terrible place to live.&nb= sp; Everyone I know enjoyed there hunts there and although, urban meteori= te hunting did present some new challenges, I think most would do it agai= n.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I would also like you to note the name of= the comic, 'Rites & Wrongs. By nature it is not a politically = correct comic and the name I think reflects that and the readership it is= aimed at understands this I believe, in fact, if any person on the Meteo= rite Central Mailing list, the only place I have sent this comic, did not= understand this was a comic and thinks that this is an accurate "image" = of life in Park Forest, feel free to e-mail both me and Janet and say suc= h. Janet, you yourself looked at and labeled it a "cartoon" in your= e-mail to me. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>If we can not laugh at= the world, we are doomed to cry with it.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>As= I have been kind to answer you e-mail, perhaps you can answer me, If the= meteorite fell in Los Angeles would you fell any different about the com= ic?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Mark Bostick</DIV> <DIV>Creator and= Owner of 'Rites & Wrongs</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV></= BODY></HTML> ------=_NextPart_001_0055_01C4159B.9663E5E0-- Received on Mon 29 Mar 2004 03:39:06 PM PST |
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