so it's really over my head

What Aimless did there was reference the 1920's cabaret singer Jocelyn Adam McCytoplasm, whose act (and I don't think I need to explain this, but I suppose one must keep in with the spirit of the thread!) was very much the talk of Parisian salons. Indeed, Hemingway was moved to right in his diary of August, 1927

"Got pissed. Fell on a tart."

McCytoplasm was renowned for conducting a string of affaires with the atristic demi-monde of the time. Several of Ezra Pounds cantos bear the stamp of her influence, generally the ones which are about Ezra himself. William Carlos Williams was moved to write:

The
toppling world of Jocelyn is
not as intersting
as me.

Aren't
I interesting?

McCytoplasm would conclude her baffling stage shows with a hearty cry of Bada-bing! This, when set against its modern day theatre of reference (Television's popular Sopranos) is a delicious incongruity which Aimless, with his keen eye for an absurdity has highlighted. Priceless.

It appears that it falls to me dissect Matts excellent (if overblown) deconstruction of Aimless's classic modern day Mafia / Twenties cabaret dichotomy.

It's obvious to the reader that Matts early reference to fabled chanteuse Ms. McCytoplasm and Illinois born literary juggernaut Ernest "Glen" Miller Hemingway is a delightful stab at French jazz pioneers "Batteur De Panneau" who's much reviled "Trapeze" was both JAMs piece de la resistance and the birthplace of EMHs writings, it being the name of Hemmingways high school news publication.

Matts intentional misuse of the word "right" is in actual fact a breathtaking crack at Hemmingways early attempts to copy popular US satirist Ring Lardner who famously once said of McCytoplasm, "I wouldn't touch her with T. S. Elliots"

Matts sideways move from Hemingway to his contemporaries is an interesting if not unexpected move here. His intentional avoidance of the over used W. B. Yeats and James Joyce adds a delightful layer of complexity for the more informed reader, I'm sure Marianne Moore would have approved..., actually probably not.

Over all an excellent joke, traversing as it does the luminaries of early twentieth century writing, I'm confident it would have had Hilda Doolittle in stitches.

i thought he was just talking about that bird up there who keeps crapping on us. the one with the cheap turquoise espadrilles and the vestigial sweater tied round her fat(ish) neck.

Oh yeah, you're right, sorry about that.

Would this be the correct thread in which to ask Matt to tell his lengthy bargain booze hooch anecdote?

It would. But I'm not going to.

How about when you come back from the pub?

How about CJ explaining the broccoli stains on the wall in the hallway?

I still awake in a cold sweat thinking about Rex's tale about walking around half the day with a fork stuck to his face from falling asleep (passing out) while eatingChristmas dinner.