(no subject)
We watched a documentary from PBS in mythology today interviewing the late Joseph Campbell, a mythology scholar. I think George Lucas was in charge of everything; it took place on the Skywalker Ranch and both Campbell and the interviewer referred to their favorite scenes from Star Wars a lot. I think Campbell was senile by the time of the interview, or else he planned to tell about 5 stories from worldwide mythology and plugged them in, whether they fit the subject at hand or not. I got a mental image from the video that went something like this:
"Grampa, what is the meaning of life?"
"That is a wonderful question, Billy. Come sit next to me and I'll tell you a story. Once there was this village and in it there lived a very amazing young man. He was brave and strong and very intelligent. And anytime a villager had a problem, they would come to him to solve it. He could end feuds and settle disputes, and even slay monsters. After a while, the village was at total peace because of this young man. Everyone was happy and there were no more monsters and dragons. But there was one thing that this young man could not do."
"What's that, Grampa?"
"He couldn't tie his shoes."
"He couldn't?"
"Nope. They didn't wear shoes with laces back then, Billy."
....
Not only was I quite confused by the ordeal, but the interviewer frightened me. I swear to God he was an evangelist. No, he didn't reference Jesus out of context or preach. But he looked like one. And that was enough for me. There were the glass frames that were unnecessarily large, the creepy "I'm not going bald but I still have a comb-over" hairstyle, the thinnly veiled Southern accent, and the strangely intense facial expressions. He looked like a combination of Jim Bakker and Billy Graham. It was a tedious interview; he'd ask something like "What is the conscious self?" And Campbell would respond with something like "Once there was this young girl and she was the most beautiful girl in her town. One day, she followed a snake into the woods. She fell into a hole and died." The two men would stare each other down - Campbell smiling, Moyers with an expression of either/both enlightenment and confusion.
"Grampa, what is the meaning of life?"
"That is a wonderful question, Billy. Come sit next to me and I'll tell you a story. Once there was this village and in it there lived a very amazing young man. He was brave and strong and very intelligent. And anytime a villager had a problem, they would come to him to solve it. He could end feuds and settle disputes, and even slay monsters. After a while, the village was at total peace because of this young man. Everyone was happy and there were no more monsters and dragons. But there was one thing that this young man could not do."
"What's that, Grampa?"
"He couldn't tie his shoes."
"He couldn't?"
"Nope. They didn't wear shoes with laces back then, Billy."
....
Not only was I quite confused by the ordeal, but the interviewer frightened me. I swear to God he was an evangelist. No, he didn't reference Jesus out of context or preach. But he looked like one. And that was enough for me. There were the glass frames that were unnecessarily large, the creepy "I'm not going bald but I still have a comb-over" hairstyle, the thinnly veiled Southern accent, and the strangely intense facial expressions. He looked like a combination of Jim Bakker and Billy Graham. It was a tedious interview; he'd ask something like "What is the conscious self?" And Campbell would respond with something like "Once there was this young girl and she was the most beautiful girl in her town. One day, she followed a snake into the woods. She fell into a hole and died." The two men would stare each other down - Campbell smiling, Moyers with an expression of either/both enlightenment and confusion.