General Discussion

WilliamPitt

(58,179 posts)

44. Of course it was.

Wed Feb 6, 2013, 01:25 PM

Feb 2013

And there was an unavoidable racial angle. And it was a fantasy about a life that is being driven out of existence by massive agribusinesses. And those trucks are pollutive as hell. And Paul Harvey was a right-wing mouthpiece.

See, I can know all that - every last inch of it - and still enjoy the artistry and photography of the ad, and feel as well a nostalgic twinge when I remember the sound of Harvey's voice filling the sun-soaked kitchen of my childhood as his little five-minute vignettes came from the radio tuned to WBZ in Boston.

That's the fragment of joy I mean. I can hold both in my mind and heart at the same time.

...and it isn't just that ad I'm talking about. It's far more than that. The ad was only one example. I could name a dozen more.

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

102 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

A DU Lament... [View all] WilliamPitt Feb 2013 OP

Hear hear DainBramaged Feb 2013 #1

I second this solara Feb 2013 #23

Damn right, my dear Will... CaliforniaPeggy Feb 2013 #2

I'm a rebel bluestateguy Feb 2013 #3

Absolutely. Joy is an absolute necessity. Else why bother. nolabear Feb 2013 #4

Some People Didn't Care for the Farmer Ad LarryNM Feb 2013 #5

If all you take from this is "the Farmer ad," WilliamPitt Feb 2013 #7

Look! There's a "Woooooshhh" at 50,000 feet!! LOL!! nt. OldDem2012 Feb 2013 #36

Hehehe freshwest Feb 2013 #99

"Squirrel!" GoneOffShore Feb 2013 #64

Don't forget: tblue37 Feb 2013 #67

understood, and there are a lot of duers who focus on the negative quinnox Feb 2013 #6

A wise man once gave me some good advice..."Fuck 'em if they can't take a joke" Rowdyboy Feb 2013 #8

Same, here DollarBillHines Feb 2013 #12

Judgment seems to be the currency here... RudynJack Feb 2013 #9

LOL DURHAM D Feb 2013 #15

Honestly, I think all discourse, online and off, is going in this direction VWolf Feb 2013 #87

You are a righteous dude. Beartracks Feb 2013 #10

I think we understand each other in this, Will Hekate Feb 2013 #11

Sad sacking gets old. I come here daily with a glad heart and expect the worst now. freshwest Feb 2013 #13

Happiness is truly a *choice* we make. pacalo Feb 2013 #19

Awesome message, freshwest OneGrassRoot Feb 2013 #24

Will Pitt, I have loved you for years. mykpart Feb 2013 #14

Glad to K&R -- I agree 100%! pacalo Feb 2013 #16

Thank you, Will P and Walt W. JohnnyLib2 Feb 2013 #17

if manipulative commercial propaganda makes you joyous, feel free. others take their joy elsewhere. HiPointDem Feb 2013 #18

Oh, Hannah... SidDithers Feb 2013 #20

Double... Chorophyll Feb 2013 #33

It was a shit commercial. Hissyspit Feb 2013 #42

You are correct in that shit is a by-product of all farms, large or small.... OldDem2012 Feb 2013 #48

So can I. Hissyspit Feb 2013 #51

"Telling people off"?? Really? Wow. nt. OldDem2012 Feb 2013 #58

Did I miss something? Hissyspit Feb 2013 #59

No doubt. WilliamPitt Feb 2013 #62

+1 for sun-lit kitchens, listening to WBZ... or WERS...or WBRS FailureToCommunicate Feb 2013 #81

does it really turn into a "long avalanche" hfojvt Feb 2013 #101

Guffaw!! Codeine Feb 2013 #89

Own any purple suits...? LanternWaste Feb 2013 #73

the poster felt it necessary to piss on people who didn't like his little commercial by calling them HiPointDem Feb 2013 #76

If the axe grinders, complaint mongers & perpetual outrage farmers ever really start to get to me, Warren DeMontague Feb 2013 #21

Well put Warren. Thank you. GoneOffShore Feb 2013 #65

Dig It. Warren DeMontague Feb 2013 #88

well said as always. lumberjack_jeff Feb 2013 #96

A few advantages of age: Le Taz Hot Feb 2013 #22

Great post LTH. nt Mojorabbit Feb 2013 #31

I'm going to print this out. AngryOldDem Feb 2013 #69

Fatalists at DU JNelson6563 Feb 2013 #25

I found out long ago that I can withstand only short dips into DU anymore. FredStembottom Feb 2013 #26

In my Favorites 4Q2u2 Feb 2013 #27

"Dont stand in the way of our joy" - Doris "Granny D" Haddock DinahMoeHum Feb 2013 #28

The pleasure of criticizing takes away from us the pleasure of being moved by some very fine things. LisaLynne Feb 2013 #29

Yes. DU's cranky civil libertarians and anti-war activists are very similar to 2nd wave feminists... Luminous Animal Feb 2013 #30

I really enjoyed reading this. Chorophyll Feb 2013 #32

"and in the end....." RagAss Feb 2013 #34

One of your best posts, and very sound advice.... OldDem2012 Feb 2013 #35

You expect 1000s of members to all agree with each other? Why are you here? n-t Logical Feb 2013 #37

Is that what I said? WilliamPitt Feb 2013 #38

"Far too many of those who populate this and other forums seem to function in an absolute void" Logical Feb 2013 #43

Observations are two wholly separate concepts and words... LanternWaste Feb 2013 #75

LOL, hit a nerve I see. Funny. n-t Logical Feb 2013 #83

Thank you. GoCubsGo Feb 2013 #39

I won't judge, I admire your resolve to your postion... Earth_First Feb 2013 #40

Of course it was. WilliamPitt Feb 2013 #44

Well shit yeah, then... Earth_First Feb 2013 #45

:-) WilliamPitt Feb 2013 #49

I used to enjoy Paul Harvey too. Blanks Feb 2013 #61

K & R and seconded! rustydog Feb 2013 #41

I have to ask (I think this is great, btw) Butterbean Feb 2013 #46

The lady has not arrived yet. WilliamPitt Feb 2013 #50

D'OH! My bad. Butterbean Feb 2013 #52

I agree with all of this. erinlough Feb 2013 #47

I call your Whitman and raise you an Emerson ... eppur_se_muova Feb 2013 #53

Don't worry, be happy whatchamacallit Feb 2013 #54

If that's what you took from this, WilliamPitt Feb 2013 #55

Sometimes after reading DU for awhile, I feel like everything sucks The Velveteen Ocelot Feb 2013 #56

Because according to some here, everything does. AngryOldDem Feb 2013 #74

I am a hypocrite. ananda Feb 2013 #57

Simply Devine 4Q2u2 Feb 2013 #60

You are living in a world populated by humans. Humans aren't perfect. Life virgogal Feb 2013 #63

Will, as always you cut to the chase. GoneOffShore Feb 2013 #66

K&R n/t AngryOldDem Feb 2013 #68

Remember, it's all a cosmic joke. HA HA HA HA WHEN CRABS ROAR Feb 2013 #70

I hear ya Will. redwitch Feb 2013 #71

When they get you down, check the pets group. Curmudgeoness Feb 2013 #72

You're a great writer, William. defacto7 Feb 2013 #77

There are many who are not happy mac56 Feb 2013 #78

Their is no joy in Mudville. Martin Eden Feb 2013 #79

Hey, Will---ya know what? radiclib Feb 2013 #80

People and lamenting go hand in hand Shankapotomus Feb 2013 #82

An old friend of mine said something to me jazzimov Feb 2013 #84

I was almost going to reply with... Mister Ed Feb 2013 #85

This thread deserves a doobi dooo A HERETIC I AM Feb 2013 #86

I liked the farmer commercial, too. cry baby Feb 2013 #90

Hear Hear! Left2Tackle Feb 2013 #91

very good essay and thanks for putting into words BlancheSplanchnik Feb 2013 #92

To farm/garden is joy EndlessMaze Feb 2013 #93

Ah, Will, calimary Feb 2013 #94

Loved the Farmer Ad. Love the Banker take-off even more. JDPriestly Feb 2013 #95

So So True. donheld Feb 2013 #97

The greatest poets, like Walt Whitman, understood a great deal about the perfection of imperfection. patrice Feb 2013 #98

the dissenters give me joy Enrique Feb 2013 #100

So true... dkf Feb 2013 #102