Food for Thought

[whiskerslily]

So, I've been lately thinking about our favorite boys in 1965-1974 (pre-Roche case)...  this was the nostalgic point in the graphic novel, when Dan was fit/handsome and Rorschach was sane/articulate. And a lot of interesting questions came to mind ...I'm curious as to what you guys think.

1. When Nite Owl and Rorschach team up-- why would they team

Comments

[scarlet_carsons]

1. Remember school? Remember how sometimes the weird kid and the nerdy kid would band together for mutual safety? It just seems to happen, like an unspoken arrangement. Yeah. That's what Rorschach and Nite Owl make me think of. They might've walked the same patrol routes for a while, and somehow Rorschach ended up hanging out in Daniel's basement

[mostepotente]

The class question interests me too (Not British, just a rabid devourer of BBCAmerica), and it's probably how Rorschach justifies the pilfering. Daniel's got more than enough money to throw around, he can stand to lose a few sugar cubes... and pounds (another justification for sugar cube theft).

Now, I realize that in my marathon reading session I missed a lot of the political context in the book. I know Rorschach reads "The New Frontiersman" which publishes some anti-Semetic material, but just because you read a paper doesn't mean you agree with everything published. Were there any other incidences?

[foxypope]

Incidences of what, exactly?

Seeing as how he reveres the New Frontiersman rather than just simply **reading it**, I think it's safe to assume he agrees with every single thing that's said in that rag. He does, after all, trust his journal to the editors at the end of the book.

[mostepotente]

Mmm, alternately they're the only rag that we see that comes out in support of the masks, bonus for being aligned with Rorschach's political beliefs. In some ways it makes sense to give it to them.

[foxypope]

But that being said, I don't think Dan being upper-class, liberal, Jewish or fat detracts any respect he has for him. I think he makes special exceptions for Dan because he's a suit, and he's also his only friend. It's just like how he lets the Comedian be the sick rapist he is--just "moral lapses" in Rorschach's eyes.

Makes you wonder how he would see having any type of homosexual feelings toward Dan. Does he allow himself moral lapses?

[mostepotente]

I could see either. One makes him more of Ozymandias in that "I'm special therefore the rules do not apply".

If we believe that Rorschach is Walter's idealized male figure (to compensate for Walter's percieved faults), then anything that doesn't fit in with Rorschach's ideal is Walter's fault. Because Walter is flesh and weak.

I wouldn't be surprised if there was self-flagellation invovled, to try and punish Walter for his weakness.

[mostepotente]

So, which I've inarticulately blathered bakes down to:

1) Rorschach holds himself above the law so therefore his desires are not 'abnormal'.

2) Rorschach holds himself to higher expectations than he does on others (the more likely of the two in my opinion) and any imperfections become Walter "Whoreson" Kovac's fault.

I wonder how dead Walter really is...

[scarlet_carsons]

'But that being said, I don't think Dan being upper-class, liberal, Jewish or fat detracts any respect he has for him.'

Yeah - Rorschach and Nite Owl probably had a whole slew of issues with each other, but they must've tolerated them because that's how long-term marriage works the positive stuff outweighed the negative.

Until Rorschach went crazy and Daniel quit, anyway.

[suckmyglock]

I bet that in Rorschach's crazybrain being a wealthy Jewish banker and committing rape are about the same. Maybe the former is actually worse to him. After all being Jewish makes you part of the evil Zionist Conspiracy New World Order(!!!), but Sally was probably just a whore who got what was coming to her. He doesn't say that in front of Laurie but he'd think she was just a fool in denial of the truth.

[scarlet_carsons]

If I recall correctly, Rorschach never actually says anything antisemitic. But he's such a dyed-in-the-wool right-wing nutcase AND a paranoiac that antisemitism seems weirdly in-character for him. (And wealthy jewish bankers are, like, a right-wing conspiracy theorist's wet dream.)

[mostepotente]

Yeah, I suppose. This may be a case of geographical location effecting ones perception... I was born in the state that brought you Sarah Palin. So for me there are shades of "right wing". I'd have to see more of Rorschach to make a call on whether he's tomato or burgundy.

but just because you read a paper doesn't mean you agree with everything published

[hohaiyee]

YES

This is what gets me about extreme democrat party mediums, and their audience

...and the extreme republican party mediums, and their audience

I dunno which came first but I would like to stab both, in the gut.

What was so funny about the forgot Poland? I can see how one might laugh about it while high, but otherwise...it's just as cheap as laughing at Obama's middle name.

I think it's always a good sign when you find disagreement with your regular newspaper.