Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Counterintuitive

All right, ladies and gentlemen – buckle up.

Actually “sit tight” is probably the better idiom for this review, because it’s going to be a strange one; apologies in advance for the sincerity, but after, what, 30 some-odd reviews of cackling glibness, I think I can take a break from my comically malicious milieu for this one.

Now, stay with me here, folks: Tourette’s Cat is written by someone talking through two theoretically-distinctive voices, the idea being to avoid getting pigeonholed whilst debating; this sounds as though it would be cloying and gimmicky, but it’s not overdone, almost reading like the blog-equivalent to Adaptation sans the Kaufmanesque writing. That’s not a shot at Cat’s writing so much as an acknowledgment of Charlie Kaufman as the king... and, as you all know, nobody fucks with the king.

I say almost, though – further exploration reveals a depressive, pseudo-psychopathic earnestness that can either be read as film noir on a white background or an expansion on what was in those journals they found at Kevin Spacey’s house in Se7en. He deals with isolation, with loneliness and frustration... his craving to live in a time other than his own is palpable and just short of desperate. This, better than anything I’ve read, perfectly captures the illusory nature of insomnia, and it’s the type of writing that elevates the medium as a whole – eschewing the minutiae in an attempt to transcend the socially-disreputable blog form.

Obviously, the response I had to this blog was unequivocally visceral, a reaction, perhaps, that’s explicitly singular: he plumbs the depths of the dark places I’ve only danced through on my way to the part of my brain where hilarity reigns, and I actively fight against being this guy because, if not for a few lucky breaks, I am this guy. Take away my girlfriend, my inexplicable confidence and my genetic predisposition towards conflict, and I’m right there; I caught a lucky draw from birth, and Cat’s writing reflects that back at me. He excavates the primeval thoughts I’ve dismissed and sinks himself into a self-flagellating examination, and I find the whole experience to be fascinating, if not, in a strange way, uplifting; after all, once one has hit their nadir, the only way out is optimism, no matter how small the door.

Of course, he knows what he’s doing; this is an outlet, after all, and he’s self-possessed enough to vacillate between solemnity and silly, giving the entirety of the blog a solid flow. This isn’t to say that I’d recommend reading it back to front, however – like with diving, there are very specific points where one just needs to come up for air, and, as a whole, it’s just too much all at once. In fact, for a staggering percentage of the people here at Ask, I don’t recommend Tourette’s Cat at all - it should be evident, at this point, that whatever objectivity I may possess is completely out the window on this one.



Next week: back to our regularly-scheduled malevolent merriment.

54 comments:

  1. Jobber, tell the truth: your thesaurus has cum stains on it, doesn't it?
    Very well written, my beardless friend.

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  2. Yeah - I think I broke it.

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  3. Also, I've been to some of those places and I can appreciate his writing. I'm too medicated to stay over at TC's for more than fifteen minutes at a time.

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  4. I like this guy, too. He's intellectual and writes in a way that makes me wish I could sit down with him and talk for hours. His writing really reminds me of Dickens - I have to read something a few times before the whole meaning really sinks in, and thoughts are linked in complicated ways.
    I'm not sure yet that I'll add him to my blogroll, only because he's almost too deep for my daily brain-numbing. I think he'd be good for me, though. Wake me up in the morning.

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  5. Fucking love this blog. Beautiful, amazing, transcendent, brilliant.

    THIS is what I live for when we do these reviews. THIS.

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  6. He reminds me of those guys who read dick books, like those I-pretend-I-have-no-feelings-but-the-jokes-on-you-cuz-I-feel-shit-harder Miller/Bukowski/Burroughs cult-slipping into mainstream birthing pissed-off-hipster fiction bullshit.

    Whatever, I like it. Short enough entries, really good writing, he makes me feel uncomfortable in a good way. Yup.

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  7. Thanks for your kindnesses, all.

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  8. Do you actually watch Chic-a-go-go? Because that rat puppet is ridiculous.

    I watch it.

    Whatever. Shut up.

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  9. No but I like Azita Youssefi. She's on her own now.

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  10. Oh sure there is a love fest over here, meanwhile in my camp we have bleeding organs and spite reviews.

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  11. It really should be flipped, shouldn't it, Booms?

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  12. Well that was really on the top of my worries list today, let me tell you.

    NJ - Yeah, it seems a little off kilter.

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  13. Indeed... I helped to dispell the rumour by confirming it. Though, like I said, it was non-blog-related; worry not, ladies.

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  14. I just told GoK that I was going to make his cock bleed tomorrow so I can look at it and see what all the fuss is about.

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  15. I don't have time to read all of this, but with the short amount of time he's been writing I should be able to soon.

    He does not suck. Not at all. Definitely a quality find.

    However, I worry that repeated viewings would make me feel like I was reading an Ethan Hawke novel, so I might make "Tourette's Cat" a 'sometimes food.'

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  16. I'd leave a comment on ole Nate's blog, except they are right, I am an asshole, so I've got nuthin' to say.
    I do wonder if they understand sarcasm? Because it seems to me that it's about 99% of our comments. At least from my point of view.

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  17. Sarcasm is the lowest form of humor unless you count the Corn King.

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  18. I'm all about lower forms of humor. I'm thinking of seeing if the corn king would like to hook up for a weekend of lame jokes and bad sex. I'm hitting 30 next week, I deserve a reward.

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  19. I turn 30 next year, and I'm getting my retard early.

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  20. Christ, I am becoming my dad. I turn 30 this year.

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  21. Your dad turns 30 this year?

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  22. Ah retard/reward what's the diff? Both make great birthday gifts. At least your retard is good in bed.

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  23. I should have said it like this:

    I turn 30 THIS year, not next year. My dad is much older than 30, however.

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  24. Come on - how often do I get to catch you doing that?

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  25. Yes, well I owe you a good hat-tipping. Well played, sir, well played.

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  26. You're lucky, GoK, because thirty is the new awesome.

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  27. I thought thirty was the new tartar sauce?

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  28. You realize that FTW is also an acronym for "for the win"?

    FTW pwns joo, noobz.

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  29. I bet FTW has matted leg fur. Like my yorkiepoo.

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  30. I just hope that as Faux Teen Wolf is fucking the world, he doesn't get any tartar sauce or chutney on me.

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  31. Watch out for his wolf nuggets. He has a way of throwing them around.

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  32. BOOYAH, Faux Teen Wolf.

    PWNED.

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  33. I am a douchebag

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  34. Thank you, Captain Obvious of the Teen Wolf Mounted Brigade.

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  35. Wow, good stuff FTW.

    Just remember, as Coach Finstock would say:

    It doesn't matter how you play the game, it's whether you win or lose. And even that doesn't make all that much difference.

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  36. Where's the rant about his bland design, his posting of youtube vids, his posting of random internet meme pics?

    A review inconsistent with Ask's policy for a blog inconsistent with it's own purpose.

    Trash from start to finish.

    ~ Driz

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  37. That Drizitche is angry.

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  38. I think he's jealous of this cat.

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  39. We rant about bland designes? Only if they're bland. I like white, for one thing. It's not distracting from his writing, for another. Frankly, I prefer black text on a white backgroud.

    Beyond that, I have no problem with an occasional youtube video if that isn't the entirety of the blog. Or, posting a photo if that isn't all there is.

    Driz has spoken, though. This blog is trash. So let it be written.

    ^.^

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  40. Welcome back, oh cranky god of the pen.

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  41. I think Driz might have matted leg fur too.

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  42. Maybe Driz needs a biscotti.

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  43. Anyone enamored with 19th century Americana -- as TC seems to be; loving the profile pic, btw -- is predisposed to write terse, captivating prose.

    Call it the Cormac McCarthy simplex. Good for him/us.

    Holy shit, and I just saw he lists The Third Policeman as a favorite book on his profile. And now my hard-on is happening.

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  44. We think drizitche does have a point. It probably would be better without youtube videos and old meme-jpgs from the 4chan, and have attempted to moderate that. The ones picked seemed to "go" with the verbiage and are wholly voluntary to click, but that is one of the things that bothers us about blogs as well.

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  45. Wonderful writing, TC. Bravo.

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  46. I happen to know that it's actually written by a 16-year old girl in Yonkers.

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  47. Hey, look, its Avitable. Long time no see, calendarboy.

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  48. Avi, you can't comment here if you don't post naked photos of yourself.

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  49. I thought you couldn't review here if you didn't post naked pics.

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  50. We already did. Did you miss them? I know that I, for one, have seen your biscotti.

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  51. I've been busy preparing for the 365 Avitanude A Day Calendar.

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Grow a pair.