Existencilism

Here is an article from the latest New Yorker about the now famous graffiti artist Banksy.  I have mixed feelings about Banksy because as much as he holds on to his anonymity, he obviously wants to be famous. There's a line in the article that talks about how Banksy's agent invited Brad Pitt to a showing and how the "irony" was lost on Pitt that he was, in a way, being exploited and his very presence lampooned. And  remember how Banksy worked with Dangermouse to sabotage last year's Paris Hilton album? Seems to me that, at certain point, if you are getting famous off of other people people's need for fame doesn't that mean you've caught the disease you're making fun of???

My 2 cents.

Also, here's a piece about a new car called the Fortwo by a writer I've serendipitously started following, Dan Neil (regular readers of SOG know that he writes the 800 word column for westmagazine.)  The car is named Fortwo because it is so small it can only fit literally, two people. For Two.  Its meant to be environmentally conscious but knowing the culture in America, it will really only be big among car enthusiasts and collectors. And you'll see them at car shows, but for our excessive tastes, there's just no. way. But good for whoever it is that keeps on trying to get us to change our ways. The car is made by Mercedes and Swatch. You know, of Swatch watches fame? Have you ever owned a Swatch watch. They were flimsy. I don't know if I'd trust them with my life.

Comments

[maltese parakeet]

you know how green i'm gettin', but there's no way in h-e-double-hockeysticks i'm drivin' around l.a. in that tin can what with all the expeditions, excursions, navigators, suburbans, armadas, etc. being plowed around our streets by distracted, on-the-phone soccer moms. maybe in europe, where the cars are small and the streets are smaller. but no way could this car do battle on the 405 during rush hour. i see that little thing and two words come to mind: pre-paid coffin!

[stopokaygo]

agree. rush hour is scary even in a regular sized car.

the other downside is that it still runs on gas.