LENNY BRUCE - CENSORED AGAIN (Am I About to Be Offed?)

titsass.jpgMy photo show goes up tonight (see post below). Included in the show is the work discussed below. Originally, this post was entitled “Happy Birthday, Lenny! You’ve Been CENSORED Again”. Curiously, the entire post was deleted within the past few days. Everything else on this site remained intact, aside from this post and the accompanying image. Could it be that attacking PR Web is creating problems? Do they have that kind of reach? By reposting, am I inviting Guido the Hitman? (apologies to my Italian fans . . . I’m not stereotyping, I simply know a man named Guido who happens to be a hitman.)

The image above depicts a poster-sized giclee print of a Polaroid collage entitled “For Kitty Bruce”. This work is a tribute to the genius of great Mr. Bruce, one of the greatest social satirists and comedians we’ll ever see. One of his bits was called “Tits & Ass” and it went something like this: “Why can’t you put tits and ass on the marquee?…Why not?… Because it’s dirty and vulgar, that’s why not!… Titties are dirty and vulgar?…Okay, we’ll compromise. How about Latin? Gluteus maximus, pectoralis majors nightly…That’s alright, that’s clean, class with ass, I’ll buy it…Clean to you, schmuck, but dirty to the Latins!”

In short, Bruce was asking why we, in the United States, censor the truth. After all, to advertise tits and ass on a strip club marqee is nothing but truthful. Very poignant today is Bruce’s observation, especially when one considers the legal limitations placed on, say war photos, reporting & discussion. The truth? What truth? The truth is what’s left over after the censors and lawyers get done molesting the facts.

Lest we think that these censorship issues affect only military issues, consider this: Just three days ago I received a call from PRWeb.com, a wire service that distributes press releases to thousands of news reporters. They informed me that the attached image of “For Kitty Bruce” was being censored! PRWeb, sanctimonious gatekeeper that it is, decided that the content is too “adult” and therefore needs to be kept far away from the eyes of the media. Excuse me? This release targeted adult members of the professional news media, not prepubescent editors of grade school papers.

HOLY CHRIST (blessed be his name) PEOPLE! Forty years after Bruce asks why we can’t say “tits and ass” in public, we still don’t have an answer. Our tongues are still bound. Freedom of speech, my ass.

“Take away the right to say fuck and you take away the right to say fuck the government.” – Lenny Bruce

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This entry was posted on Friday, October 20th, 2006 at 3:58 pm and is filed under Fame. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

4 Responses to “LENNY BRUCE - CENSORED AGAIN (Am I About to Be Offed?)”

  1. Tawnie says on October 20th, 2006 at 5:19 pm :

    I agree with the arguement. What we have forgotten in society is to treat tits and ass with respect and that’s why in many womens minds we have made those words negative. Instead of appreciating art for what it is.. many choose to analyze the work.. and from it create a negative judgment. In my experience you are reaching out to an open crowd.. an open crowd with respect and appreciation for your Art. Always remember that those who choose to analyze ones work.. take away from the depth of art.. Those who step past a negative word (that we have defined as negative)… those people really experience life!
    Great work.. I am anxious to see the opening.

  2. Tod Brilliant says on October 21st, 2006 at 9:30 am :

    Tawnie -

    Nice assessment. I agree that to overthink a piece leads to the dissolution of its values. The biggest victim of this crime, in my eyes, is literature. Creativity often comes in a flash, and no amount of close examination is going to resurrect that moment for clear exploration. Hope you get to see the show - would love to hear what you think.

    Tod

  3. Anne Faith Nicholls says on October 23rd, 2006 at 10:34 pm :

    Tod, your show at the Flying Goat rocked! You are an inspiring polarpod whiz!

  4. Tawnie says on October 24th, 2006 at 4:01 pm :

    I really enjoyed the show. Unlike many art events.. you really showed the crowd who you were. You’ve created an awesome style.. with the little blurbs on each photo and the confidence to speak your mind and be honest.. I really appreciated the blurbs (I am responding mainly to the puppy in the hot car.. the photo caught my eye.. but with the story of the photo I was able to relate and appreciate the work so much more. Photographers capture moments that everyone can see with their bare eye.. however, no one will ever capture your moments… but as humans we can relate to eachothers moments and create memories. Your moments created conversation.. those conversations.. created memories. Thanks for the experience!

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