Shoot the Wall (A.K.A. The Rant Thread)

[Arcadia]

Rockwell's far from my favorite artist but I agree that some of his pieces are just brilliant.

 

I got taken on a tour of the President's Portrait Gallery a few years back, and there was a fabulous portrait of Nixon (boo Nixon!) ... by you guessed it, Rockwell. I think it was my favorite portrait in that gallery. He did a lovely one of Kennedy too, in an unusual pose.

[Carol the Dabbler]

... Rosie is my spirit animal. :D

 

BTW, I LOVE Rockwell. I was so damn lucky to stumble upon his exhibition as I was in D.C. The one and only one exhibition where people were walking around beaming with big smiles.

 

Now this is weird.  I read your post and thought "What does Rockwell have to do with it?"  Then I realized that WWII was certainly during his active era, but still didn't recall any specific illustrations he'd done of Rosie, so checked Wikipedia.  Here's what I found:

 

1942:  Song "Rosie the Riveter" released

1943:  "We Can Do It" poster (not meant to be "Rosie") displayed for a few weeks inside some Westinghouse factories

1943:  Norman Rockwell's painting of female factory worker named Rosie appeared on Saturday Evening Post cover

 

It's no wonder I was unaware of those events, having not been born yet.  During my childhood and teens I was familiar with the concept of Rosie, but not with the song or either of the illustrations.  I was of course quite familiar with (and fond of) Rockwell's later illustrations for the Post and elsewhere, but his Rosie doesn't look familiar to me.  Then:

 

1982:  "We Can Do It" poster reprinted in Washington Post Magazine and thereafter became well known

 

Since (apparently) 1982, whenever anyone has said "Rosie the Riveter," that's the image that has come to my mind, and apparently I'm not alone in that.  But before then, to me she was a more-or-less faceless blend of all the WWII female factory workers.

 

Well the rockabilly style is the reason I like her.  I realise she stands for a lot more than that but it's what nabs my attention. 

 

That too seems weird to me, since Rosie is clearly a 40's icon and rockabilly originated about ten years later.  But looking at photos of "rockabilly" clothing, I can see your point!

[J.P.]

I think, Rockwell was an amazing craftsman. He was producing those high quality paintings on a weekly basis!

And to me it was clear that he just loved people.

 

 

[Pseudonym]

I have loads of favourite artists, my collection of art books is a bit shocking. I like Rockwell, though don't have any books of his art (yet). I know there is one that has his reference photos next to the finished artwork, which is the type of thing that always fascinates me. This is one of my favourites of his. 

 

[J.P.]

Yes, I brought a book with me from the USA (it was 2000 and online shopping was not that flexible back then). I like that his portraits of people are actually caricatures, but in a good way. They are funny but never humiliating, something that is missing in the most caricatures nowadays.


[Pseudonym]

I agree - I would never have a caricature done, I think it would give me a complex. I can barely handle looking at photos of myself because I always look terrible and wonder how I can be allowed out in public. I think I look fine until the second someone produces a camera. 

[Carol the Dabbler]

I think I remember when that top painting was on the cover of the Post -- though at the time I believe I interpreted it as the first lady being shocked by the "new" gossip, not even recognizing it as something she had originally passed along.  Looking at it a bit more closely today, though, regardless of what kind of shape the gossip is in now, I do believe that's her husband confronting her with it!

 

That's another thing about Rockwell's work -- there's so much detail that you're never really done seeing them.

[Van Buren Supernova]

And to me it was clear that he just loved people.

I love this one, how true.

Most times I wonder why gossip is so fascinating to some? Don't they have their own lives?

I get that sometimes it could be interesting, but I never know how to respond to gossip.

I used to have a colleague who knew every secret others have, and she would willingly share it with me and others.

You know the point when you see sparkles in their eyes hoping that everyone help pouring more fuel to keep the stories interesting?

I tried. But Oh. Whoa. Really. Is all that I can manage beside awkward grin if I fail to escape.

 

 

Anyway  , I had two my eyes are up here moments.

Not from people on the street, but from those who should have known better. Hmph.

[T.o.b.y]

I can't explain why gossiping is fun but I must admit I enjoy it too occasionally. As long as it's not terribly malicious... For example, I like sitting down with my mother and talking about our family and extended family, swapping news that is strictly speaking neither of our businesses. It's just fun for some reason.

[Carol the Dabbler]

I think it makes one feel more a part of the family.

 

I remember explaining to two of my older cousins just how a particular mother and son fit into the family. (She was the widow of one of our great-uncles and he was her child by a subsequent marriage.) It made all those half-remembered people more relatable -- and it made me feel good that I knew something my cousins didn't for a change!

[Van Buren Supernova]

Wait.. I actually not sure where is the line between gossiping and not gossiping. Or catching up, like what you guys describe above.

Obviously since I'm only home once in the blue moon, I'd get all those updates also and get curious and all, but still having trouble remembering how many kids my cousins have etc. The last time I went back it was unavoidable and by coincidence that I met one of my uncles, the one who is actually closest to my mom, her youngest brother, who said that he had not seen me for fifteen years. My sister in law found that so unbelievable, her exact words.. what?? fifteen years? What are you, rare Siberian tiger? (I don't know how rare is Siberian tiger :P)

 

Examples..examples of what that Rockwell painting reminds me.

 

Like one day in office someone came and delivered our water cooler refill. After he left, my ex-colleague walked to my table and said,"he has two kids, a wife, but having affair with x from y department,"

Wh...who? What?

She was talking about the watercooler guy who was also a staff, that I don't even know, except he was a quiet guy and we only exchanged smiles. So she went on to tell me the story of that guy's private life. I'd say that this particular colleague was like Magnussen, she knew everyone's dirty laundry and she had connections like spider. She took pity on me who lived under the rock and updated me on daily basis, whether I wanted it or not. But since I mostly 'eh?' the stories didn't last long without fuel, and I always threw in wet blanket like trying to take the side of the despicable party by offering benefit of the doubt. Yah, it was daily hell to be honest, eventually she knew I wasn't into that and reduced the frequency to once a day or every two or thee days. There were so many juicy stories that probably could be made into 500 episodes soap.

Or another who broadcast to the group about who were axed from the job and the details of their assessment. Or this and that drama. I probably only know a quarter of the people in the story, don't really care but I feel bad about how the 'secrets' spread like wildfire. And yah, to their credit, most of the tales are true, although decorated heavily with opinions and most time amateur deductions. Good god.

 

Anyway, sometimes I have fun to see how easy it is to turn on the tap, and to certain people, it's damn easy. What I need to do was asking a couple of strategic subtle questions to 'important' people about sensitive stuffs, like company's finance, staff welfare, hidden dirty management secret tactics and they sing like a canary. One particular human resource would tell me every single person and strategies they used to cut cost and treated human like commodity (she forgot I'm a staff too, although maybe because she considered I was not directly affected and was on 'their' side).

 

Those kind of gossiping.

[T.o.b.y]

I would say catching up is exchanging information that is actually our business in some way. Like, uncle so-and-so has bought a house or cousin XYZ had a baby. Gossip, on the other hand, is stuff that shouldn't really concern us, like cousin XYZ is sueing her ex-husband or uncle so-and-so has started drinking again, plus commentary and speculation on the how, when and why.

 

Because I feel slightly dirty when I gossip, I am only comfortable doing it with close family and friends. I never get involved in any personal drama at work and turn a deaf ear to the rumor mill there because anything else is unprofessional and asking for trouble imo. I also couldn't care less about the private lives of celebrities or other people I don't personally know.

[Pseudonym]

I'm not a big one for gossip either, I'm often just not interested. I don't care all that much what some co-worker I've only said hello to once might be up to. 

[Arcadia]

Y'all are starting to remind me why I'm self-employed. :d

[Carol the Dabbler]

I would say catching up is exchanging information that is actually our business in some way. Like, uncle so-and-so has bought a house or cousin XYZ had a baby. Gossip, on the other hand, is stuff that shouldn't really concern us, like cousin XYZ is sueing her ex-husband or uncle so-and-so has started drinking again, plus commentary and speculation on the how, when and why.

 

That's kind of s hazy line, don't you think? For example, if Uncle Joe has been hitting the sauce again, that'd be helpful to know -- probably best not to offer him a beer.

[Pseudonym]

I have to go and get a filling this morning. Needles. *Gulp*

[Pseudonym]

He did it without anaesthetic. No needles = good. When he accidentally drilled into a fleshy part inside my tooth = bad. 

[Fantasy Lover]

I not found of needles either, poor Pseud.

[Arcadia]

There is no emoticon that describes how much that made me cringe. Urgh. Poor you.

[Pseudonym]

He's lucky I didn't bite him, I was pretty close to chomping down in retaliation. 

[Arcadia]

I think dentists keep their rabies shots up to date for that very contingency. :p

[Pseudonym]

Semi-interesting fact, we don't have rabies here. Doesn't exist. I think it was found in a bat that made it across the English channel once. 

[J.P.]

I always ask for leaving the anaesthetics if possible, the worst part about it is feeling like your face is a balloon.

As I was a kid, you*ve only got a shot before an extraction, so I'm kind of used to take the pain. But I remember people reporting root canal treatment and THAT wasn't fun at all.

 

As for biting - apparently human bites are among the most dangerous. Somehow the oral flora tends to get berserk when it gets under the skin.

[Pseudonym]

Oral flora? Eurgh.

[Arcadia]

Semi-interesting fact, we don't have rabies here. Doesn't exist. I think it was found in a bat that made it across the English channel once.

Really?!!?!?! That's actually quite interesting. You would think rats on ships would have carried it there by now, or something like that. Not that I'm wishing it on you. Good show, Britain!