Monday, November 08, 2004
An "F" in class today
By The Erudite Redneck
In light of:
1., fellow blogger friends’ recent discussion of poetry.
2., the fact that Dale Earnhardt Jr. was a good boy after winnin’ the race at Phoenix yesterday and not cussing (after his crew chief reminded him not to before he could get out of his car in Victory Lane).
And 3., the sheer joy I get from sharin’ some of what I’m learnin’ in my current history grad class, on the Reformation.
Oh, and 4., the sheer joy I get from shockin’ people plumb out of their socks.
I offer the following bit of early-modern English doggeral, from one of my textbooks:
Warning! Academic use of F-word dead ahead. Stop now and turn around if you need to. My feelings won’t be hurt a bit.
The discussion is about how people, below the ranks of the elite, got along with their neighbors in villages.
Another way of applying peer pressure was public ridicule. Thus, mocking rhymes might circulate the villages:
Woe to thee, Michael Robins,
That ever thou were born,
For Blancute makes thee cuckhold,
And thou must wear the horn.
He fetches the nurse
To give the child suck,
That he may have time,
Thy wife for to fuck.
(From Robert Bucholz and Newton Key, Early Modern England, 1485-1714: A Narrative History.)
"Ha," he said, adding, "Ha!"
END
In light of:
1., fellow blogger friends’ recent discussion of poetry.
2., the fact that Dale Earnhardt Jr. was a good boy after winnin’ the race at Phoenix yesterday and not cussing (after his crew chief reminded him not to before he could get out of his car in Victory Lane).
And 3., the sheer joy I get from sharin’ some of what I’m learnin’ in my current history grad class, on the Reformation.
Oh, and 4., the sheer joy I get from shockin’ people plumb out of their socks.
I offer the following bit of early-modern English doggeral, from one of my textbooks:
Warning! Academic use of F-word dead ahead. Stop now and turn around if you need to. My feelings won’t be hurt a bit.
The discussion is about how people, below the ranks of the elite, got along with their neighbors in villages.
Another way of applying peer pressure was public ridicule. Thus, mocking rhymes might circulate the villages:
Woe to thee, Michael Robins,
That ever thou were born,
For Blancute makes thee cuckhold,
And thou must wear the horn.
He fetches the nurse
To give the child suck,
That he may have time,
Thy wife for to fuck.
(From Robert Bucholz and Newton Key, Early Modern England, 1485-1714: A Narrative History.)
"Ha," he said, adding, "Ha!"
END
Comments:
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Interesting poem, but I'm not sure what you meant by shocking people. What, exactly, was I supposed to be shocked by?
Some readers of this blog wear their religion, or more importantly, their mores on their sleeves. The notion that a textbook devoted to such a crucial and Christian event as the Reformation would have such a base word as "fuck," or would depict adultery as something laughable, in it in such bawdy humor, would be shocking, especially to someone whose sense of right and wrong is shallow in the first place. Others, too. In fact, it sort of sent my own eyeballs reeling.
what are we supposed to be shocked by? Fuck? Fuck is the shocking word? Let's say it all together now: FUCK, FUCK, FUCK, FUCK, FUCK, FUCK, FUCK. Shocked anyone? You're going to have to try harder than that. Lets try a goddamn and a mother fucking next. Maybe you'lll get signs of life out of your supposed audience that way.
Stick to your newspaper column. It's boring, but at least it's not embarrassing.
Stick to your newspaper column. It's boring, but at least it's not embarrassing.
# posted by 
: 9:25 PM
: 9:25 PM
Bawdy behavior has been around since, well, if not Day 1, then maybe Day 2 or 3. Even in the Victorian era, when the concept of naughtiness was at its height, there were still plenty of people with hot pants. Heck, look back at David and Bathsheba and the lengths he went to to cover up his randiness.
Ya know, my friends want me to delete stuff like the anonymous post above, and I suppose I will sometimes. But my tendency is to leave them as a reminder of what even the baldly moronic are capable of with a keyboard. The fact is I have offended here in the past. Some sensitive souls do read this blog, and I respect them; I show that respect with the italicised warning whenever that specific word is coming up. That word is especially offensive to some people. I respect that. I can't imagine why any show of respect would be embarrassing. And, Anonymous, my ego is sound, so fire away. I know boring when I see it, and it's not my column. It's this: "Fuck? Fuck is the shocking word? Let's say it all together now: FUCK, FUCK, FUCK, FUCK, FUCK, FUCK, FUCK. Shocked anyone? You're going to have to try harder than that. Lets try a goddamn and a mother fucking next. Maybe you'lll get signs of life out of your supposed audience that way." How lame. You make me tired.
I've always wanted to read a book by Benjamin Franklin called "Fart Proudly." It's supposed to be a compilation of his bawdy tales. I don't know is he titled it himself or someone else compiled it and gave it the name. Anybody read it.
In this same vein, one of my favorite cassettes, which I've never replaced with a CD, has a bunch of old roadhouse blues and is called "Copulatin' Blues." Good tunes, and an excellent pop cultural-historical artifact.
--ER
In this same vein, one of my favorite cassettes, which I've never replaced with a CD, has a bunch of old roadhouse blues and is called "Copulatin' Blues." Good tunes, and an excellent pop cultural-historical artifact.
--ER
I don't approve of bad language in any context since I find it childish, immature and lacking in creativity rather than shocking, but I do take exception with the attack on ER's writing. I find his newspaper column interesting and quirky. He takes a dry subject and brings needed life to it. I have never found it boring. And that's saying a lot since I have the interest span of a gnat!
# posted by : 9:53 AM
: 9:53 AM
Well ER, your anonymous friend obviously is your complete opposite -- has no guts, no will and no class. I think you're doing right by leaving his ignorant comments on the board. That way the people who WANT to read your comments can see how special they are.
And note to anonymous: If you don't like this blog, tune out. If you don't like ER's column, don't read. If you're just a bored little person, find something to do. But understand there are quite a few of us who like to read and post on ER's blog, so piss off.
And note to anonymous: If you don't like this blog, tune out. If you don't like ER's column, don't read. If you're just a bored little person, find something to do. But understand there are quite a few of us who like to read and post on ER's blog, so piss off.
I appreciate the warning, but I did read it anyway. Maybe I was a bit dense when I first read this post, but I'd rather think it was just because I was physically and mentally worn from dealing with the canning and the people that come with it. I just didn't get the meaning of an "F" in class. I thought the world must be ending because ER got an "F" grade in a class! =:o
Of course, I know better, cuz he's soooooo smart! ;)
Now that I've gone back and read it after a couple of good nights' sleep, I get it now--duh. Interesting that the more things change the more they stay the same. Seems I've heard the equivalent mocking recently, just more modern language.
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Of course, I know better, cuz he's soooooo smart! ;)
Now that I've gone back and read it after a couple of good nights' sleep, I get it now--duh. Interesting that the more things change the more they stay the same. Seems I've heard the equivalent mocking recently, just more modern language.
# posted by : 12:36 PM
: 12:36 PM << Home
