Steve Aylett's Lint the Movie Part 2 of 9

Summary

The speaker reflects on the influence of a literary idol on their writing, highlighting the idol's unique ability to provoke and unsettle with minimal effort. They recount anecdotes that showcase the idol's penchant for unexpected and often infuriating behavior, such as smearing bacon on his hand before shaking hands or affecting accents mid-conversation. The discussion also touches on the idol's writing style, described as 'pointillist,' which challenges readers and leaves a lasting impact. The speaker admires the idol's commitment to unfiltered honesty and offense, even when it's unwelcome, and likens the idol to a 'clown' in the truest sense, using humor and satire to confront societal norms.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker idolized the individual since early girlhood and feels their work has influenced their writing.
• 🐯 The speaker describes a scene involving 'Tigers' and a sense of fear, possibly metaphorical.
• 🗣️ The individual was known for their ability to infuriate people with minimal effort, using language and behavior as weapons.
• 🤝 They had a peculiar habit of smearing bacon on their hands before shaking hands, and would affect accents during conversations.
• ❄️ A personal anecdote is shared about choosing to stay indoors due to cold weather, which led to an unexpected reaction from others.
• 🤔 The speaker discusses the individual's technique of being deliberately ambiguous in responses to provoke thought.
• 📚 The individual's work is characterized by a pointillist style, where every sentence is a direct attack on the reader's senses.
• 🤡 The individual is likened to a clown in the sense of challenging societal norms and expectations.
• 👽 There's a recurring theme of squid and aliens in the individual's work, often used to reflect on human nature and society.
• 🎨 The speaker mentions the individual's success with a novel featuring a cat and a zombie, indicating a penchant for the bizarre and grotesque.

Q & A

Who is the speaker's idol mentioned in the script?

The speaker's idol is not explicitly named in the script, but it is clear that they have been influenced by his work since early girlhood and that the idol's writing has impacted the speaker's own writing.

What is the speaker's opinion on the idol's technique of incitement?

The speaker admires the idol's effortless incitement technique, where he could annoy people virtually without effort, which the speaker finds impressive and a quality they wish to emulate in their own writing.

What is an example of the idol's behavior that the speaker finds intriguing?

The idol would engage in behaviors such as smearing bacon on his hand before shaking hands with people, affecting a Scottish accent for parts of a conversation, and using ambiguous responses to provoke reactions, which the speaker finds both annoying and fascinating.

How does the idol's work reflect his personality?

The idol's work reflects his personality through the use of characters who are deliberately honest at inopportune moments, similar to his real-life behavior of being provocative and intentionally offensive.

What is the significance of the 'clown' analogy used by the speaker?

The 'clown' analogy is used to describe the idol's ability to defy expectations and norms, similar to how a clown in Native American rituals would behave contrary to societal norms to challenge and shame the community.

What does the term 'pointillist' mean in the context of the idol's writing?

In the context of the idol's writing, 'pointillist' refers to the idea that every sentence is a direct assault on the reader, making them feel under attack and forcing them to engage with the text actively, rather than passively.

What does the speaker think about the idol's approach to science fiction?

The speaker appreciates the idol's unique approach to science fiction, where he incorporates elements like squid aliens and creates scenarios that are both absurd and thought-provoking, challenging the reader's understanding of the genre.

How does the idol's writing style differ from what the speaker perceives as mainstream?

The idol's writing style is described as 'mega anti-meta-narratives,' which suggests a self-aware and complex narrative structure that goes beyond traditional storytelling, often leaving the reader in a state of confusion and contemplation.

What is the speaker's view on the idol's use of ambiguity in his work?

The speaker finds the idol's use of ambiguity intriguing, as it forces the reader to question and interpret the text, rather than providing clear and straightforward meanings.

What is the connection between the idol's writing and the speaker's own work?

The speaker's own work is influenced by the idol's provocative and challenging writing style, leading the speaker to adopt a similar approach that aims to engage and unsettle the reader.