indexed

Wouldn't it be better if all three circles overlapped and girls gone wild was in the center and snack time was just where commercial and low self esteem overlap?

Hi jemaleddin

Sorry about this - I am going to sound like a bastard, and I'd rather not. It's just that your question is one I've often seen asked of, for example, art works (and artists) - "Wouldn't it be better if ...?"

The problem is that the venn diagram (or artwork) is the way it is.

Your question is actually a statement, as in "I think it would be better if..." (yes, YOU think it would be better that way, but clearly the 'artist' or maker did not!)

YOUR idea is best resolved by going out to make up some venn diagrams for yourself.

Sorry to bring the good lovin feel of 'indexed' down, but I guess I feel strongly about the creative works being allowed to exist as they are, and to be experienced in that way ...

:(

Wow, that's a long post to say:
Go expletive yourself
;-)
P

Hey Simon, maybe you could go leave some comments on my blog too!

I can write short comments too.

(Send url and am happy to uber-comment your site).

Haha, well, it would be nice if you could work your magic on the last commenter on this post: http://jeffthefish.com/2008/01/04/i-took-a-video-inside-my-aquarium/

Incorrect, boobs are excellent regardless of self esteem or context.

girls gone wild is symptomatic of low self esteem? i think not. you would need a lot of confidence to go expose yourself to the world.

opiated: No, you'd need a lot of beer. Which they have. :-)

Simon: Thanks for telling me what I meant. Except that I didn't mean that. Oops.

Also, thanks for telling me how I *ought* to respond to art, which may be one of the dumbest things ever (the idea of telling someone how to respond to art, not your actual advice).

What it seems that you're suggesting is that one should never question art because art exists apart from the audience and is entirely within the mind of the creator. Which could certainly be true of some kinds of art (and some kinds of artists), but not ALL art. Participatory culture is based on refuting your notions. And I would guess that Jessica does as well, seeing as how she has comments open on this blog. See?

And in that sense, it doesn't matter if what I was saying was a question (which it was, see below) or a statement, because a comment is a statement, right? And this is a comments form, right? (Although but making a contradictory statement, isn't that "questioning" the work? Did I just blow your mind? I did, a little, right?)

I really wondered if it would be better or not. I wondered if there was a reason that Jessica chose not to go that route. And the reason I asked is because she is obviously more of an expert on both Venn diagrams and the art-form that she's created from them than I am.

I mean, I'm certainly not clever enough to have thought of any of the works here. Heck, one of them was just about the most important thing I read when my wife died in November. (Check out the third post down at jemaleddin.com if you don't believe me.) I feel like I owe Jessica a great deal for that one simple little diagram, and I would never "question" her art in the sense you mean.

So thank you for your internet busy-bodying, but you a) didn't address my concerns at all, and b) actually are acting like a bastard. Please stop. And to you and the people who supported you: I hope you learn something about art before you criticize the next person who asks an honest question.

Regardless, I accept your apology.

Thanks.

Mom says settle down, and enjoy the freaking comic.

Why are we fighting about something we should be enjoying?

Oh, I'm not fighting. I'm just a) asking a question, and b) helping simon understand that questioning art is perfectly reasonable. I'm certainly not agry with him, especially since he started his message with "Sorry". It sorta takes the sting out of it.

My problem with this one is that it correlates "snack time" with "low self-esteem". Sometimes a snack is just a snack.

But that's a minor quibble on a blog that's full of win.

I feel so stupid - here I was just enjoying the venn diagram, then I started reading the comments and I realize I'm clearly some kind of art idiot.

I will look at this blog no more, at least until I am worthy of it.

(This last part is a lie - I will probably come back in a few minutes.)