This was so fun to read- absolute joy! I think it’s pretty hilarious and unfortunate that the editors wanted a more serious look at a book about frivolity. I imagine being an editor takes all the fun out of reading.
One of my frivolous pursuits is gardening, and it’s made me notice all the things that need doing in any given garden. Editing might be like that. It’s definitely less fun.
In any case, thank you for kicking off my Wednesday! I’m off to see how silly I can be.
I’ve always loved this by Russell Baker: “Being solemn has almost nothing to do with being serious, but on the other hand, you can't go on being adolescent forever, unless you are in the performing arts, and anyhow most people can't tell the difference. In fact, though Americans talk a great deal about the virtue of being serious, they generally prefer people who are solemn over people who are serious. In politics, the rare candidate who is serious is easily overwhelmed by one who is solemn. This is probably because it is hard for most people to recognize seriousness, which is rare, especially in politics, but comfortable to endorse solemnity, which is as commonplace as jogging. Jogging is solemn. Poker is serious. Once you grasp that distinction, you are on your way to enlightenment.”
― Russell Baker, So This Is Depravity and Other Observations
It is unfortunate how the Care and Feeding of the Self gets top priority, when often what is needed is a break from the self and even from the idea that there is such a thing.
What precisely was her definition of frivolity? It's a cultural concept and I wonder how it would be defined in other cultures. It is a slippery term even in our culture. The puritanical streak would consider putting on make-up frivolous at the very least, while an actor would consider it serious business in creating his/her character. We probably each of us have what we consider to be frivolous and thank goodness for our frivolousness in helping to keep us sane.
So much depends upon Chicken Little’s sky having been sconeless
This was so fun to read- absolute joy! I think it’s pretty hilarious and unfortunate that the editors wanted a more serious look at a book about frivolity. I imagine being an editor takes all the fun out of reading.
One of my frivolous pursuits is gardening, and it’s made me notice all the things that need doing in any given garden. Editing might be like that. It’s definitely less fun.
In any case, thank you for kicking off my Wednesday! I’m off to see how silly I can be.
I’ve always loved this by Russell Baker: “Being solemn has almost nothing to do with being serious, but on the other hand, you can't go on being adolescent forever, unless you are in the performing arts, and anyhow most people can't tell the difference. In fact, though Americans talk a great deal about the virtue of being serious, they generally prefer people who are solemn over people who are serious. In politics, the rare candidate who is serious is easily overwhelmed by one who is solemn. This is probably because it is hard for most people to recognize seriousness, which is rare, especially in politics, but comfortable to endorse solemnity, which is as commonplace as jogging. Jogging is solemn. Poker is serious. Once you grasp that distinction, you are on your way to enlightenment.”
― Russell Baker, So This Is Depravity and Other Observations
It is unfortunate how the Care and Feeding of the Self gets top priority, when often what is needed is a break from the self and even from the idea that there is such a thing.
Great piece, and great poem (and great scones!).
I’m off to frivol. (love that verb!)
What precisely was her definition of frivolity? It's a cultural concept and I wonder how it would be defined in other cultures. It is a slippery term even in our culture. The puritanical streak would consider putting on make-up frivolous at the very least, while an actor would consider it serious business in creating his/her character. We probably each of us have what we consider to be frivolous and thank goodness for our frivolousness in helping to keep us sane.
she doesn’t exactly offer a formal definition. she definitely agrees that frivolity helps keep us sane!
I think the entire profession of acting is often thought of as frivolous…
Yes, but let's be serious for a moment...