Poet Laureate of Douchebags?

[mjp]

Second to last paragraph:

Bukowski was the poet of douchebags, producing hundreds of indifferent lines a day about how much women like it when you puke on their floor.

 

[slimedog]

It's true because Buk occasionly wrote poems about douchbags like the writer.

I consider myself the poster of douchebags.

 

[marina del rey]

Strange. I've always kind of considered Esquire to be the magazine of douchebags.

 

[ROC]

I'm grateful for the gift of Bukowski's words.
I'm very comfortable with my minority tastes.
I'm happy that shmucks like that don't get it.

It's for us... and screw him.

 

[Bruno Dante]

Seems like he's just trying to be controversial because he knows Buk has a lot of loyal fans. I can't see any other need for the author of the piece to mention him. Yawn tbh.

 

[bospress.net]

poorly written article. I would expect a little better from Esquire.

But then, they are esquire...

This article could have been written by a High School Senior.

Bill

 

[tstaples]

Yeah, this is just one of those typical pieces that attempts to elevate itself by plugging names and quoting untouchable figures like Walter Benjamin... and he fails miserably. My first impulse is to go through this thing play by play and rip it apart, but I think that'd be giving it more credence than it warrants.

Seidel isn't that good. And as for his comment on poets now trying to be "nice guys" just to get a grant, that's bullshit too. If a poet is whoring the literati for money, (s)he won't last. That's the beauty of the genre, the bullshitters and parasites just fade in accord with their own nature... and in reference to Marche's article, I think Ayn Rand would agree with me :D.

 

[Hosh]

Well, he got that 100% wrong... I mean, I haven't read every poem, but did Buk EVER write a single line (much less an entire poem) about "how much women like it when you puke on their floor?" I'm serious--I can't even think of 1 line where he says "my woman loves it when I vomit on the floor" or "I was vomiting on the floor & my woman said, 'that's fantastic!'"

Now, assuming DC is ousting douchebags in favor of tough SOBs...perhaps Esquire will follow suit...& we won't have to suffer more of this dude's ill-conceived word-doodles, & send him back to his freshly-muddled mojito...

 

[homeless mind]

Talk about taking a lifetime of work and shitting on it in just a few meager lines. Geesh. May we all be thankful BUK didn't scribe, write like this:

We follow blindly, clad in coats of pink/A beast whose nature is to run and stink/I am civilized in my pink...

This is the macho voice? "The poet of the tough son of a bitch?" Hardy har har...

 

[james]

Strange. I've always kind of considered Esquire to be the magazine of douchebags.

HA!!! very nice...

 

[roni]

Bukowski was the poet of douchebags, producing hundreds of indifferent lines a day about how much women like it when you puke on their floor.

This guy has obviously read his Bukowski very careful. Several times. He know what he's talking about.

 

[Bukfan]

Absolutely! He would never say we were douchebags without having studied Bukowski's books. I'm sure he's read all the bio's too, and maybe even written a dissertation on Buk. Thank God for true scholars...

 

[strangegirl]

Well you know that's true, he's writing for the Enquirer.... I mean Esquire, you know esquiring minds want to know.:D

 

[digitalgeoff]

What do women like ?

What is a douchebag ?

 

[scribbler]

Theres no pertinence in the word "douchebag". Thats all.

 

[Johannes]

Stupid and boring writing. Not much there.

 

[james]

What is a douchebag ?

 

[Gerard K H Love]

I think my niece is married to that guy. Lol!

 

[Ambreen]

Why so serious ?

Though expressed in a caricatural and quite provocative way, it's JUST this man's opinion about Bukowski. He has the right not to appreciate him as well as you have the right to adore him. I don't think that any of us has any legitimacy to declare that the guy understands nothing to Buk's work. No writer can fit to everybody

; that also applies to our beloved Hank. Take it easy ;)

What do women like ?

Men who do not puke on their floor.

What is a douchebag ?

A son of a bitch who keeps puking on women's floor.

 

[homeless mind]

Has anyone contacted this person? Or is it irrelevant? I'd be happy to, and voice my voice.

Funny, my neighbor just gave my a copy of the NYer relative to LAX. Lacrosse, for those who may think it's an airport. And Sumbitch, the illustration was done by Ralph Steadman. And a damn fine one. Haven't read the article yet, but it was exciting to see the art. He still fuckin kicks. Here's the article, not sure if the illustration shows up...but if you like LAX, it's a good article anyway, with historic implications, etc.

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/03/23/090323fa_fact_mcphee

Pax

 

[hoochmonkey9]

Ambreen, I don't think people here are upset with the writer's opinion of Bukowski, just that his opinion is based on a false premise. Buk never wrote about how much women liked it when he puked on their floors.

it's a erroneous generalization based on the writer's preconceived notion of Bukowski without reading much of the work. something a writer for one of the largest U.S. periodicals shouldn't be doing, no matter who he's talking about. if he wrote "Barrack Obama is a douche because he thinks all white people pick their noses and eat it," people would take issue. because Obama does not think all white people eat what comes out of their nose. and Bukowski didn't think that the ladies love Buk puke.

whether they are douchebags or not is a matter of opinion, not made up facts.

 

[hank solo]

Why so serious ?

You're quite right Ambreen. We must look like a bunch of sycophantic fanboys/fangirls sometimes. That's surely the product of our passion.

If anything, I'd say the comment in the article is likely based on a second-hand point of view; how much reading (of Bukowski) do you imagine the journalist has done? We've all seen Bukowski's work dismissed just as easily countless times, and will continue to do so. I don't think such throw away criticism ever bothered him when he was alive, so should it really bother us today?

What do women like ?

Men who do not puke on their floor.

What is a douchebag ?

A son of a bitch who keeps puking on women's floor.

Perfect. :D

 

[scribbler]

http://celebgalz.com/jay-louis-hot-chicks-with-douchebags/

Anyone heard of this book.

 

[bospress.net]

http://www.hotchickswithdouchebags.com/

 

[scribbler]

heres a music vid on the subject.von douche

 

[homeless mind]

Ambreen, I don't think people here are upset with the writer's opinion of Bukowski, just that his opinion is based on a false premise.

Esquire writer: But Bukowski was the poet of douchebags, producing hundreds of indifferent lines a day about how much women like it when you puke on their floor.

Well, for one, I am upset and offended by someone who writes journalistic shit, claims another poet was far better (in what the writer claims was BUK's category), who certainly wasn't even in BUK's league, and pisses on BUK. Call me crazy. Call me a frat boy. But never tell me BUK produced hundreds of indifferent lines a day that had no meaning. Sorry. But. Fuck him. And his editor, too. They can both kiss my ass.

No pax,

Munch

 

[Ambreen]

If anything, I'd say the comment in the article is likely based on a second-hand point of view; how much reading (of Bukowski) do you imagine the journalist has done?

I don't know and wonder if it is only possible to determine his whole bukowskian antecedents by relying on a mere line thrown in an article.

Of course his assertion is an exaggerated one. He assuredly could have expressed his disinterest for Buk more tactfully (or not expressed it at all) but he deliberately quoted Hank and reduced him to such kind of writers for reasons that some of you have mentioned ( mediocre journalism + desire to hit Buk's fans, a goal he has actually reached with success).

By denigrating him in turn, you're paying too much attention to somebody you think doesn't deserve any. Quite a paradoxical reaction, isn't it ? ;)

I don't think such throw away criticism ever bothered him when he was alive, so should it really bother us today?

You've got it ! One of the greatest lessons Hank taught and carry on teaching through his work.

You're quite right Ambreen. We must look like a bunch of sycophantic fanboys/fangirls sometimes.

Sure ! And not only sometimes ! I considered myself as a fanatic till I came on this forum and realized that I couldn't compete with any of you :D

 

[bospress.net]

Hi Ambreen;
I have no problem with actual criticism, but to criticize Bukowski for writing hundreds of poems about how women like having puke on their floor is both lazy and unfair.

I would not have a problem if someone said that they did not like Bukowski because they did not like his style, etc. I WOULD have a problem if they said that they did not like him because he was a NAZI, as that is not true.

It is easy to make a throw away line and label someone. Most people don't read any further. Most people that would have read that article and had not read Bukowski would believe that he wrote poems like this. Fiction becomes fact.

Bill

 

[Ambreen]

Hi Bill

,

I don't care about what people who don't know Buk would think of him after reading the line. If they're stupid enough not to go further and content themselves with trusting the first so-called journalist, there's nothing I can do for them. I rather think this kind of people will forget about it very soon.
Fiction becomes facts everyday, it's up to everybody to beware of what they read, hear or see.

Feeling detached is really the most positive thing my bukowskian readings brought to me. You should try this, it will spare your energy :D

Amb

 

[bospress.net]

Hi,
The problem is that the general population really is that gullible and easily swayed. In America, 18% of the population still thinks that our President is a Muslim based on an e-mail rumor started by his opposition. Not that there is a problem with being Muslin, but he is not. The point is that people read and believe what they are told. Thankfully not that many people read Esquire!

Bill