NICE NEW RATTLE

LRB Love HNT

Love might be blind, queridos, but not dull. Or at least that is what people who hunt for love in The London Review of Books might think. In the times of massive online dating sites, there are others who decide to advertise their charms in a more, say, target oriented way. Somehow hidden in the last pages of some literary and scholarly journals, one can find interesting perlitas del flirting. They read as follows:

"Frau Emmy Colchester (38) seeks non-talking cure for evening of nachträglichkeit..." or "Well paid scientist (m.43) I know I'm always right because I know how to prove it step by step. Those who beg to differ (and believe me, you're wrong) may do so at box n.22/16"

It is clear that intellectual-wannabes, as anybody else, have their corazoncito. But in the end, and judging by the content of the adds, I'm affraid Marx was not very far from the truth when he claimed that "Philosophy stands in the same relation to the study of the actual world as masturbation to sexual love"*

*(The German Ideology, International Publishers, ed. Chris Arthur, p. 103)

Comments

written on 17-Oct-2008
chickerino says:
pah! pretentious wannabe artist twats taking up precious newspaper lonely-heart-ad-space with their pseudo-intellectual mock-in-jokes! fuck off!

but to be fair, alberto and i were having the exact same discussion last week about how it would be really amusing to put some kind of witty joke on a lonely hearts ad...

ahem.
written on 17-Oct-2008
roicinho [http://www.pormisfogones.eu] says:
Do you mean that Marx meant that Philosophy is basically an egocentric activity? (remember Annie Hall? ;-) )
written on 17-Oct-2008
Lupa says:
I think I´ll publish something too... loool
written on 17-Oct-2008
patencia says:
chickerino: yes, in Spain we'll call that pseudo-artist a "PETARDA"... and, as for publishing an add (LUPA, this is for you as well!) : I've just email the LRB to know the prices I'll let you know... but I warn you: I have a friend that did that as a joke and... well, someone answered and now they're still together (it's a funny story... )
Roi: Yes, philosophers are egocentric. VERY. Marx meant that, and also that their accounts of the world were frequently very far from reality... But, fortunatelly, frequently is not always Annie Hall, claro! de hecho pensé en citar a Woody Allen en vez de a Marx
written on 18-Oct-2008
paulsari says:
Marx is a funny one. Sometimes / often he leaves me thoroughly unconvinced, and then, on the other hand, he surprises me with something as lucid as that.

Anyway ...

Somewhere out there, there's a book dedicated to quirky lonely hearts ads. One of my favourites went something like "Looking for an outgoing, funny, intelligent and lateral thinking girl with good taste in music. Forward thinking man looking to boost his CD collection when it comes to breaking up"
written on 18-Oct-2008
albertob says:
Philosophy > Politics > Action > 20 million deaths per idea put in practise.
Sometimes I think it was better to keep philosophy as an onanists activity.

Fantasies should remain within boundaries, the book and the bed.
written on 18-Oct-2008
patencia says:
Paualsari: I agree, Marx has his ups and downs. I've never been a Marxist/Marxian myself (probably a bit Martian, sometimes, but that's about it). I recognise his contributions, but I don't understand those who follow him as a kind of oracle (and there are many).

BUT, and this is also in response to albertob, although it is truth that the instantiation of a branch/interpretation of Marxism led to a disastrous system, it is not something we can generalise to all philosophy-put-into-practice. Take the ideas of Stuart Mill & others, for instance, which (together with their action) did a great deal to promote the use of contraception methods and women's rights to vote... I think part of the problem of some philosophy/philosophers is precisely that they live in their fantasies and end up thinking that the world is just part of them. Well.. I guess that happens to some people with sex as well: they turn all sexual intercourses into an extended masturbation
written on 18-Oct-2008
albertob says:
I know Paloma, I was just trying to make a witty comment.
I guess the problem both in philosophy and the bed is the bottom-up versus top-bottom approach to things.
written on 18-Oct-2008
patencia says:
So.. what do you like better bottom-up or top-down. (In philosophy, of course )
written on 18-Oct-2008
albertob says:
I like to see things bottom-up, in philosophy of course. You get a better perspective, and the solutions are indeed more satisfactory.
written on 18-Oct-2008
paulsari says:
I think it's that photo that's the problem, Alberto. As marvellous as you look, you do look like Dr. Serious.

Still, the third sentence of your penultimate post does prove that you're a rather silver-tongued devil!
written on 18-Oct-2008
paulsari says:
p.s. and yep, aside from Marx's philosophy, Marx was a sandwich short a picnic with his economics, es decir, se le fue la olla.
written on 18-Oct-2008
albertob says:
Hi Paul,
I can always use this picture:

But I am not sure it's appropiate for such profound conversations.
written on 18-Oct-2008
patencia says:
The good thing about going bottom-up is that if you're sufficiently in the bottom, you're always profound. EVEN with that picture.
BTW, I like the house (?) that's just behind you in your "Dr.Serious" pic (I liked that one Paul)
written on 18-Oct-2008
paulsari says:
It's a tricky one to call.

I think I would keep the current photo. Maybe we now need to ask an expert on (Kant's) aesthetics. (Don't look at me!)
written on 18-Oct-2008
albertob says:
The house behind Dr. Serious is the lifeguards house at Foxos beach, a really cool place near my hometown where I go surfing.
The fact I looked so serious is because I was having very profound thoughts caused by the awe inspiring sunset.
Paloma you have no right to comment on our pictures until you have a proper photo instead of that headless pink chicken.

Writing Desk » THE PURSUIT OF LOVE

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