Usually I read a fairly diverse collection of materials. I may be reading a novel, a non-fiction book concerning some element of psychology, theology, philosophy, etc. Often these texts are never related to each other in any meaningful sense. I suppose my current reading has been somewhat influenced by my reading of Steinbeck’s ‘The Grapes of Wrath’ and wanting more exposure to farming/agrarian concerns. So I decided to buy a book by Wendell Berry entitled ‘What are People For?’

‘What are People For?’ is a collection of essays commenting on biographies and former teachers, along with popular literary works. In a particularly moving essay, he compares the ’styles’ of two eloquent works centered around rivers: Hemingway’s ‘Big Two-hearted River’ and Maclean’s ‘A River Runs Through It.’ last night as I read the beginning of the essay as Berry comments on’Big Two-hearted River’ that I would love to read his thoughts about ‘A River Runs Through It.’ A commentary on this work began in the next paragraph. I though it was a striking coincidence.

My next move was to pick up my copy of ’A River Runs Through It,’ the 25th anniversary edition. I noticed upon reading the cover that the introduction to the 25th anniversary edition was written by Pulitzer Prize-winner E. Anne Proulx. Interesting, because before a couple of days ago I didn’t know who she was, even though I have read the introduction several times before. I learned who she was because two days ago I rented a film adaptation of her novel ’The Shipping News.’ Of course the coincidences could stop there, but upon reading Proulx’s introduction, I noticed that she referenced Wallace Stegner in her introduction with relation to his contributions to Western regional story-telling.

What made Proulx’s mention of Stegner interesting is that Wendell Berry has an essay about him in the book ‘What Are People For?’ that I read last night as well. It seems that Berry even spent an entire year with Stegner as part of a fellowship at Stanford University. So now my books are connected in explicit content; however it was theme that compelled me to write this post.

Berry comments on a poem by Hayden Carruth entitled ‘On Being Asked to Write a Poem Against the War in Vietnam.’ This work appears to state that writing a poem against the war is pointless, except paradoxically, this is stated by means of a poem. We are reminded by Berry of the difference between despair and hope, in that complete despair does not even attempt to speak at all. Soft hopefullness uses communication, and especially art, to mantain the potential for change. It is person, not societal, change that is most relevant to this discussion of hope.

In reading this poem criticism by Berry I was reminded of two important issues I had previously read about. The first was from ‘Grapes of Wrath’ when Steinbeck speaks about fear and wrath, and their relation. We should not fear the time when men are angery, or when the bombs fall. We should be fearful of the time the bombers live but do not bomb, because there is no hope left. Despair has overtaken hope. I will post that passage in full after finishing this post.

The second point is the role of art in technological change. I read Tyler Veak’s introduction to ’Democratizing Technology: Andrew Feenberg’s Critical Theory of Technology,’ a work in which he serves as editor. I honestly did not understand half or maybe even three-fourths of what I read. I did however see the possibility and importance of using art as a means by which technological structures might be altered. This may mean a lot of things, and i hope to understand it better in the days to come. In addition, I checked the book out of the Liberty University library. As I walked into the stacks, I noticed an empty desk to my left in the front of the room. On my way out with ‘Democratizing Technology,’ Dr. Veak was sitting at the desk.  

I could not help but be reminded of the relationship of art and technology upon reading Proulx’s introduction to ‘A River Runs Through It’ and ‘What Are People For?’ Proulx uses art as a means by which the essential truths of human experience can be encapsulated and given to those searching for answers and personally relating to that common experience. We can attempt to make shape of what was previously shapeless. In relation, Berry states in a essay entitled ‘Style and Grace’ (on Hemingway and Maclean) that “works of art participate in our lives; we are not just distant servers of their lives. They are in conversation among themselves and with us.”

Applying this web of topics and information to something concrete should be attempted. I can think of no better subject than my previous post subject: Hulk Hogan. The first observation is that I attempted to state in my previous post the irrelevance of even speaking about the problems and absurd situations created by what the Hulk does, what he embodies, and what he produces. My silence on the subject, I would like to think, would be less useful than verbally acknowledging the fact that what is said may in reality have little meaning. Is this similar to the paradox spoken about by Berry in regard to the Vietnam poem? I would like to think so. 

Secondly, Hogan lacks any semblanceto a producer of what has been discussed by the authors above as art, in any way, shape, or form. The difficulty lies in a career filled with fakery, with a rise to fame through the entertainment business of professional wrestling. Long known for staged fighting and outcomes, the world of professional wrestling can almost assuredly be characterized as wholly devoid of art. Art itself can be used in variety of ways, but I like to include such ideas as beauty, production, relevance, and significance. It could be argued that a scripted reality show (such as ‘Hogan Knows Best’) does not meet the criteria for art, either. 

The tragedy of a life publicly producing what might be called the antithesis of art is that it is a life totally lacking substance. The faux front is all that is there; when life crumbles there is no support, nothing to hold fast, nothing to prevent the fall. This statement has theological considerations as well; luckily for us, art maintains a prominent place in theological study. As for Hogan and his family, art will not solve all of their problems. Of course not. All I am saying is that life lived well will naturally be attracted to art, and will desire to produce art. it will desire to produce what is beautiful, what is significant. Between persons and between persons and God, we are blessed to experience each other through art. 

Speaking of the future, Hogan’s new shows might be a step in the right direction:
Hulk Hogan’s Celebrity Championship Wrestling - American Gladiators      

I got sucked into watching most of the Hulk Hogan interview on ‘Larry King Live’ last night. His problems seem to be multiplying with each new day; divorce, son in car accident that leaves friend severely brain-damaged, supposedly cheating on wife with friend of daughter, son going to jail, release of jailhouse tapes that further define his views on theodicy (God laid some ‘heavy sh–’ on him) and that his son somehow fell through the cracks of the penal system. To think that his son has been treated unfairly may take some stretching of the truth, but then again, perhaps if he had just been a normal 17-year-old kid he would not have had to serve any jail time. The point though is that he is not a normal kid.

I used to watch the hit reality TV show ‘Hogan Knows Best’ for reasons I cannot define at the moment. I did begin to see some interesting developments during my time as a viewer of this program, with the most interesting one being how seriously Hogan takes himself. I think he must believe he is truly a big star, with important contributions to society. I will offer into evidence exhibit a, exhibit b, exhibit c, exhibit d, exhibit e as proof of the contrary. However, it is not difficult to tear down the man’s film and television career; this can be done to just about anyone who works in the film and television industry. I just wonder about his perception that any of this controversy really matters to anyone. What does that then say about someone who writes a blog post about it?

It seems like a ‘chicken versus egg’ controversy: does a reality show turn your life into ruin or was your life already this way, with the reality show bringing it to light? There are unfortunately now countless examples of reality shows leading to break-up of marriages, ruination of familial and friendship relations, among other things such as going to jail and having the world know about your private conversations within said jail. What does it all mean? Absolutely nothing at all. It is a non-story, much like 99% of what passes for news these days. The people that write about it? They could not be more lost or out of touch with the difference between having information and having knowledge. 

I can think of at least one good thing about the economy and society as we know it being dumped over the gates of oblivion: we won’t have reality TV anymore.  

Hulk Hogan appeared on Larry King last night.

In case you have been living under a rock, you should know the following before watching the video: (1) Hulk and his family starred in a popular VH1 reality series, “Hogan Knows Best;” (2) he is now embroiled in a bitter divorce with recent requests from his wife’s attorneys to put Hulk in jail for an alleged failure to turn over funds related to a sale of a Vegas condo; (3) Hulk’s son, Nick, is serving an eight-month jail sentence after pleading no contest to felony reckless driving, arising out of a crash that landed Nick’s friend incapacitated; and (4) Hulk faces a lawsuit from the victim’s family, blaming Hulk for Nick’s actions.

So, would you put your family on a reality tv series? Is it a recipe for disaster? Like a good lawyer, Popsquire presents you with evidence of both types out outcomes. Discuss…

Pieces of this transcript have been “borrowed” from cnn.com. Here is the link to the full transcript.

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0805/27/ng.01.html

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
LINDA, MOTHER: She`s not sad, she`s just acting angry like she just wants the money. John never meant anything to her or Ed. It`s just sad because I really appreciated you kids, and I just miss John and I miss you, too. And it`s, like, she`s not suffering. I am! I have the loss. She could give two (DELETED)
NICK BOLLEA: I`m going to ask them, at least, because I`m in — I`m in maximum, I`m going to ask them to at least put me in a cell with, you know, like, maybe something with, you know, some bars where I could see some people or something.
HULK HOGAN: OK. All right. Don`t freak out.
NICK BOLLEA: I don`t know. Like, if you could — if she could call the judge or something, just please ask them to put me on house arrest just so I can get out of here because this is the only place I can be in is here.
HULK HOGAN: OK, Bubba. I`m trying, all right? I`m trying.
NICK BOLLEA: I know. I know. I know. Will you work on that reality deal for me and get that thing lined up so the minute I walk out of wherever I walk out of, it`s there, boom?
HULK HOGAN: Can you do it while you`re on probation?
NICK BOLLEA: Yes. Of course.
HULK HOGAN: Yes. OK. You want to do it with Pink Sneakers or you want to do it with someone else?
NICK BOLLEA: I want to do it where I`ll make the most money.
HULK HOGAN: Well, then, you need to do it with me, Jason and Eric.
NICK BOLLEA: OK.
(END AUDIO CLIP)

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
HULK HOGAN: I don`t know what type of person John was or what he did to get himself in the situation. I know he was pretty aggressive and used to yell at people and used to do stuff. For some reason, man, God laid some heavy (DELETED) on that kid, man. I don`t know what he was into.
NICK BOLLEA: John was a negative person.
HULK HOGAN: He was what?
NICK BOLLEA: He was a negative person.
(END AUDIO CLIP)

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
LINDA: She`s not sad, she`s just acting angry like she just wants the money. John never meant anything to her or Ed. It`s just sad because I really appreciated you kids and I just miss John and I miss you, too. And it`s, like, she`s not suffering. I am! I have the loss. She could give two (DELETED)
(END AUDIO CLIP)

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
NICK BOLLEA: I`m going to ask them, at least, because I`m in — I`m in maximum, I`m going to ask them to at least put me in a cell with, you know, like, maybe something with, you know, some bars where I see some people or something.
HULK HOGAN: OK. All right. Don`t freak out.
NICK BOLLEA: I don`t know. If you could — if she could call the judge or something, just please ask them to put me on house arrest just so I can get out of here because this is the only place I can be in is here.
HULK HOGAN: OK, Bubba. I`m trying, all right? I`m trying.
NICK BOLLEA: I know. I know. I know. I know.
(END AUDIO CLIP)

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
NICK BOLLEA: Will you work on that reality deal for me and get that thing lined up so the minute I walk out of wherever I walk out of, it`s there, boom?
HULK HOGAN: Can you do it while you`re on probation?
NICK BOLLEA: Yes. Of course.
HULK HOGAN: Yes. OK. You want to do it with Pink Sneakers or someone else?
NICK BOLLEA: I want to do it where I`ll make the most money.
HULK HOGAN: Well, then, you need to do it with me, Jason and Eric.
NICK BOLLEA: OK.
(END AUDIO CLIP)

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
HULK HOGAN: You know, if I`m producing the show, I won`t screw you. You know that?
NICK BOLLEA: Yes. Of course.
HULK HOGAN: I`ll get you everything. I`ll make you an owner.
NICK BOLLEA: Yes.
HULK HOGAN: You`d own the show.
NICK BOLLEA: Yes.
HULK HOGAN: So let me get to work on that with Eric. It`s a lot easier, too.
NICK BOLLEA: OK. Cool.
HULK HOGAN: So dude, we can get that pulled off, dude.
NICK BOLLEA: Reality.
HULK HOGAN: “The New Nick.” We`ll call it “The New Nick” or something.
NICK BOLLEA: “New Nick.”
HULK HOGAN: Or something. We`ll have to come up with a good name. Think of a good name.
NICK BOLLEA: I`ll be thinking of a good name. It would be reality — How I`m getting back on my feet, and how I`m recovering after this. Celebrity out of jail.
(END AUDIO CLIP)

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
NICK BOLLEA: They put me in a room, like, all the way down at the end of this long hall with no guard at the end. And the room, when it closes, it`s really dark inside and there`s no lights in it.
HULK HOGAN: Yes.
NICK BOLLEA: When the door closes, there`s no windows at all. I can`t see out or anything. So if I knock on the door, I don`t know if anyone can hear me or anything. I`m, like, I`m really freaking out.
(END AUDIO CLIP)

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
NICK BOLLEA: I`m just sitting there, counting the minutes on my hand — fingers — just trying to…
LINDA: I just feel so bad you`re there because, truthfully, Nicky, you don`t deserve to be there. And ultimately, John doesn`t need to be where he is. But you know what? You guys were best friends. I knew you (ph) better than his own mother knew him. Would you agree on that?
NICK BOLLEA: Yes.
LINDA: I mean, and anybody would agree. And she has no other recourse other than to be nasty and vindictive now, you know, because if she really knew you, if she really knew the relationship between you and John and Danny, she`d be sad right now. She wouldn`t be mad, you know, she`d just be devastated, like I am.
(END AUDIO CLIP)

ABC Action News obtained exclusive footage of Hulk and Linda Hogan/Bollea visiting their son Nick during the first week of his jail eight-month jail sentence. Click here to watch.