Stupid Thought of the Day

by Scott H. Payne on January 22, 2010

Could one, if one were so inclined, successfully cobble together a coherent and somewhat distinct ideological perspective (or at least inflection) based solely upon Walter Sobchak quotes? Call it an exercise in Sobchakism — and say what you will, at least it’s an ethos. /banality

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Scott is a sometimes blogger and social media consultant/principal at East Side Media. In addition to writing at the League of Ordinary Gentlemen, Scott is also a founding member of Beams and Struts and a fellow at the Canadian Council for Democracy's blog the Commons. You can reach Scott via email and follow him on Twiter.

{ 11 comments }

1 Mark Thompson January 22, 2010 at 4:07 pm

“For your information, the Supreme Court has roundly rejected prior restraints!”
“Forget it Donny, you’re out of your element!”

In response to your question: no. Well, at least about the coherent part. The distinctive part would definitely work though.

2 Scott H. Payne January 22, 2010 at 4:09 pm: What if you could extrapolate from his quotations?

3 sidereal January 22, 2010 at 4:37 pm

“What the fuck are you talking about? The chinaman is not the issue here, Dude. I’m talking about drawing a line in the sand, Dude. Across this line, you DO NOT… Also, Dude, chinaman is not the preferred nomenclature. Asian-American, please.”

I can only assume that the recent blogospheric attention to The Big Lebowski was triggered by the revelation of Two Gentlemen of Lebowski, which is fantastic and which ought be performed live posthaste.

Nay! I do protest, and draw my sword;
It shall teach thee to disobey my word.
Mark none but none into that bowler’s frame,
Else thou shalt enter into a world of pain.
A world of pain, think upon’t; unhappy world!
A lake of fire, rich with damnèd souls,
Gulfs of anguish ‘twixt vales of agonies.
Mark me; we stand at twisted, jealous gates
Of cast-iron, above which, in vulgar tongue, reads
“Here is a world of pain, thou enterest thus.”
My steel before thee, ‘tis the last of keys
That might could lock these doors, and keep thee
From this world of pain, or with one flick
Ope its mashing maw, and summon winds
To cast thee down within; an excellent key!
Farewell to earthly delights, farewell to friends,
To fellowships and follies and amends.
The choice to spare thy passage through these trials
Is thine alone; take heed, I entreat thee,
And turn thy back upon this world of pain!

4 sidereal January 22, 2010 at 4:39 pm: And to answer the question, I consider Walter to be a much funnier version of Michael Douglas’ character in Falling Down, so to the extent that character has an ideological perspective (and I think he does, though it’s not a pretty one), yes you could.

5 Pat January 22, 2010 at 4:41 pm

1. All Donnys shall henceforth shut the fuck up.
2. Chinamen are not an issue.
3. Any ethos is better than none.
4. Nothing is fucked.

6 Scott H. Payne January 22, 2010 at 4:43 pm: 5. Everyone may stay and finish their coffee

7 Jaybird January 22, 2010 at 4:45 pm

His response to the nihilists saying “that’s not fair” is, perhaps, the greatest response in the history of film.

8 Jaybird January 22, 2010 at 4:46 pm

(Additionally, I have read an essay, I can’t remember where, explaining that Walter was the first mainstream Neocon in American Pop Culture.)

9 Sonny Bunch January 22, 2010 at 6:27 pm: Yeah, it was Slate that argued a while back that Walter is a textbook neocon. I’m pretty sure it was just rampant anti-semitism, though.

http://www.slate.com/id/2199811/

10 Rufus January 24, 2010 at 3:01 pm