Singing the Song of a Trickster

Singing The Song of a Trickster



A ‘trickster’, by a simple definition, speaks a double message with their words and/or actions. The general audience is oblivious to these messages that are hidden ‘between the lines.’ Only certain ones are privy to this information.


Tricksterism, is nothing new, it goes way back to the antebellum era when the slaves had to be tricky in what they were saying, in fear of a beating or even death. But tricksterism did not end there. In fact, it is still among us today.


Mark Twain, Herman Melville, and Joel Chandler were a few of the earlier ‘tricksters.’ Richard Pryor, Bob Dylan, Muhammad Ali and even Eminem are a few that make the list of modern day tricksters. There is one, however, that I feel should be put at the top of this modern day list.

He was the 42nd President of the Untied States. For those of you who haven’t kept track of our presidents or who really couldn’t give a shit, his name is none other than William Jefferson Clinton, otherwise know as ‘Bill’

Yes, I am talking about the ‘beloved’ sax-playing, non-inhaling, whitewater ‘rafting’ lover, very ‘faithful’, Hillary- whipped, President Bill Clinton. A modern day trickster.

So why would I consider this fundraising, hostage negotiating, humanitarian to be a modern trickster, when he has done such wonderful things post-office?

Well lets take a trip down memory lane for a few moments…… during office.

Does a little black dress, red tie, and “I didn’t have sexual relations…” ring a bell for you?

Yes, I am really going there.

In true trickster form, ‘Mr. President’ had double meanings in his speeches, and his attire. He made sure that certain words or phrases were put into his speeches, and he wore his red tie as a message to the one I will not name (ML)

The general public, wife included, were completely oblivious to the ‘hidden meaning’ in these actions. Then, the time of reckoning came when the ‘can of worms’ were opened, due to a little black, stained, dress.

A trickster works in the grey areas of the moral certainties; no explanation needed here. Celebrates chaos; wow did this have a lot of coverage! He uses ingenuity to win; apparently it worked because Hillary is still with him and ‘we‘ still like him. Crosses boundaries while undermining them; oral sex is apparently not having sex, so therefore it’s OK.

This is probably not ‘politically correct’ in calling Bill Clinton a trickster, but the truth is the truth in my eyes. He just happened to be the one caught in being a trickster.

Perfection of Imperfection

The Perfection of Imperfection



Leland calls the qualities of the Beat generation artists an “aesthetic of imperfection” and a “license of living in the present” In essence, a symbiotic relationship.

The earlier Beat generation viewed their past as something never to be revisited or to conform to the so called perfection of the past. However, the future was just as useless to them as was the past. It was “trivial and exhausting”. You don’t know what it holds, so don’t waste your time.

The present is the only place to exist. The only place that has the ‘no holds bar’ mentality. The present was “unreasonable, and celebrated as the jagged moment of experience until reason catches up.” (Leland)

This Beat generation wanted to experience life at the same time as there peers, not from the rose colored glasses of the past, or the blindness of the future. Their audience is what mattered; their feelings and beliefs at that particular time is what drove them.

As Kerouac put it, “wild, undisciplined, pure, coming in from under, crazier the better, releasing unspeakable visions of the individual.” Unfortunately, living in this generation, these artists did not fair well, and met early deaths.

The next generation of the Beat artists, also lived in the present. However, they viewed their past as over and done with, it can’t change so move on and who cares about the future because its not here yet, they’ll deal with it when it becomes their present.

Being ‘hip’ is being ‘imperfect, uncombed and unpolished.” (Leland) For this generation, mistakes were OK and viewed as totally expected and acceptable. Everyone makes mistakes, they are forgiven. Tomorrow is a day in the future, so don’t worry about it.

Both of these generations lived in the present, they never looked in the past and didn’t care about the future. They may have had different reasons, but if it wasn’t for the first Beat group, the second would not have existed as did.

Yes, there would have been change, but it would not have been the same. Then again, maybe it would have been better. Maybe, instead of living only in the present and striving to stand out and be whomever you feel like being, no matter at what cost, some artists would still be alive. Maybe we would not have the infamous and dreaded ‘27 Club’ or the child stars that have met an early demise.

Being ‘hip’ does not make one stupid or unaccountable for their actions. If we do not look toward the future, then the present can be wasted.

Californication

Californication of Pulp Fiction

Bright lights, big city, nothing is as it seems. Why wouldn’t people think that California is the ‘hip’ place to be, for is it not just that?

High fashions, big money, and the perfect ‘image’ of fake boobs and collagen.

It is were a person can go to be ‘made’ into whatever they desire. The everlasting dream of Los Angeles; the American dream of fame and fortune, to see and to be seen.

They can pretend to be whomever they want, and no one will care because they, too, wear a mask of deception. It’s where a person can go to ‘reinvent’ themselves.

This reinvention is driven by what some people would call the dark power of fame, fortune, and greed.

California is the driver, the monster of ‘look at who I am, not at what I am. I will chew you up and spit you out” if I so desire.

People from all over the world has vied to go to California for over a hundred years. They have desired to change the life they have been given into something bigger, better, and what they perceive, to be brighter. But is this dream just an ideological falsehood?

You get what you pay for. No wonder pulp fiction and film noire thrive in Los Angeles! Unless you have a lineage connected to L.A. or you are ‘the one in a million’ this place is cheap and dark!

It is filled with poverty, knock-offs, and broken dreams. When you walk down the street, you don’t see what California calls what is ‘hip’! You see the ones that it has chewed up and spit out!

This is not hip! This is pretentious, false, and quite frankly, bullshit! Hip is not shouting to the world “Look at me and what I have!” It is not the Paris Hiltons or Kim Kardashians fame for being famous!

Hip is being real, and not caring what others think. You go with the flow! It does not start in California, it ends in California!