"Bildungsromans?" Oh, come on.

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Wu-Tang were among the first emcees to capitalize on New York's mythological qualities, inflating mundane street narratives to epic bildungsromans by couching them in the tropes of their beloved Kung Fu movies and Kurosawa's Wuxia interpretations. By reincarnating the philosophical allegories of ancient Asian drama in 20th century Staten Island (a.k.a. Shaolin), they created a rare music that could touch both thugs and suburban fantasy buffs, each on their own terms.

Well, yeah...but: Barf.

― skowly (skowly), Monday, 15 November 2004 23:36 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah. Writers who use big words suck.

― noodle vague (noodle vague), Monday, 15 November 2004 23:38 (twenty-one years ago)

Boo. It's not about using big words. It's about "Bildungsroman." It's about sounding like a blowhard even if you aren't. I haven't even finished the review yet (yeah yeah, I know...), but I've got 5:1 odds on "leitmotif" dropping before the second half.

I like big words and academic explorations of popular music as much as the next guy but, still, barf. Right? Can we at least agree that that is a natural and valid reaction?

― skowly (skowly), Monday, 15 November 2004 23:46 (twenty-one years ago)

Bildungsroman is a straightforward technical term. You got a neater way of phrasing it in English?

― noodle vague (noodle vague), Monday, 15 November 2004 23:55 (twenty-one years ago)

It's actually Kurosawa's Wuxia interpretations that bother me much more than the "bildungsroman." Wuxia is, from what I recall, the "magical" substratum of the kung fu movies. Did Kurosawa ever do one?! Actually, even if he did, he still wouldn't be the genre's defining practicioner by far (that would be the Shaw Bros or something), so it's still what it is: a really stupid namedrop.

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Monday, 15 November 2004 23:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Sure: "coming of age tale." Although, to be honest, "epic Bildungsromans" sounds a lot better...what with the "epic" and all. I guess my main beef is--to dovetail from cotten (sort of)--is that much of the review consists of flabby adverbing and name-checking.

I just thought it was sort of funny. If you spent a lot of time on it: sorry, dude.

― skowly (skowly), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 00:05 (twenty-one years ago)

To clarify: it's not a bad review. It's a fine review. It's just that...

"Bildungsromans" + Wu-Tang = funny

(extra Unintentional Comedy points for the reviewer not really acknowledging the inherent humor of the juxtaposition)

― skowly (skowly), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 00:09 (twenty-one years ago)

I see what you're saying. I think joseph had a fair point. But I like Bildungsroman in a Wu Tang review, for the sheer incongruity.

I'm still suffering from ODB-loss sensitivity.

― noodle vague (noodle vague), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 00:12 (twenty-one years ago)

But I like Bildungsroman in a Wu Tang review, for the sheer incongruity.

I'm still suffering from ODB-loss sensitivity.

Fair play. I, too, like the incongruity: it's funny!

...and we'll get through this together.

― skowly (skowly), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 00:16 (twenty-one years ago)

...and we'll get through this together.

Thanks. 'Pologies for drunken over-reaction. Bildungsroman possibly better placed in Herman Hesse reviews. Wu Tang weirdly Hesse-ish sometimes. Peace.

― noodle vague (noodle vague), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 00:26 (twenty-one years ago)

I often think it's funny when I barf.

― Magic City (ano ano), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 00:40 (twenty-one years ago)

And we're both drunk! Hooray!

Bildungsroman extra-super appropriate in Steppenwolf reviews. Probably.

Barfing=always funny. Always and forever. What was inside is now outside!! Isn't that weird/?!!!

― skowly (skowly), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 01:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Kurosawa ref strikes me as the, er, "more" wrong element as well. To my knowledge they never sampled or referenced Kurosawa (wrong country, wrong genre).

― Shakey Mo Collier, Tuesday, 16 November 2004 01:19 (twenty-one years ago)

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