These are my two favorite memos of all time, from two great comedy institutions. Both of them concern film censorship, and both are filthy. How else do you address censorship?
You’ve been warned.
The first is a 1974 memo from the Monty Python group listing censor-requested cuts to Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
This is a 1999 memo from Matt Stone of South Park detailing cuts to South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut.
Remember the Imagen I.T. digital art contest we told you about? The website is up. Submit your entries for a shot at the P20K grand prize and other prizes. They’re accepting entries until 19 November.
For years and I mean years I’ve been after Danton Remoto to write an official essential dictionary of gayspeak. “Oh yes,” he always says, “the GayDic. We’re working on it.”
“You’ve been working on it for years,” I point out.
“But my co-author wants it to have the proper research, citations, bibliography. . .”
“Tigilan ako ng academic ek,” I say. “The thing is to put it out as quickly as possible because gayspeak is so dynamic, it changes constantly, by the time your book is in stores its contents will be dated.”
“I know, I know. . .” Then he runs for public office. Still no official dictionary of gayspeak.
And now the straight guys have beaten him to it.
True, the subject is technically showbiz lingo and not gayspeak, but who do you think invents the stuff? It’s like jazz, all riffs.
And it’s not a dictionary, but a collection of ruminations on contemporary language (riffs on riffs).
And the author is Jose F. Lacaba a.k.a Ka Pete of Days of Disquiet, Nights of Rage, Mga Kagila-gilalas na Pakikipagsapalaran, the screenplays of Bayan Ko: Kapit Sa Patalim, Sister Stella L and others, and the Showbiz Lengua column in Yes! magazine.
Ka Pete ponders the etymology and usage of taray, kikay, krung-krung, carry-carry, kaposh, and other “words that usually have no dictionary existence” that have crept into everyday Filipino speech anyway.
You need this book to explain why we sound like this today.
Showbiz Lengua: Chika & Chismax about Chuvachuchu is available at National Bookstores, P295. Or you could win a copy in this week’s LitWit Challenge. Category: Best story written in gayspeak.
One minute it’s a common PVC toolbox you can get for P144 at supermarkets and hardware stores
the next minute it’s the perfect earring box!
My earring (and ring) storage problem: Solved. Now to get 5 or 6 more.
There are snazzier jewelry boxes available at Make Room and other places, but they’re expensive. And the earring containers are too short for dangling earrings.
turmukoy for the split-screen tale.
The source of that piece of music is A bout de souffle (usually translated as Breathless) by Jean-Luc Godard. The score is by Martial Solal.
Belmondo, Seberg, Paris
In the movie the guy steals a car, is chased by a cop, shoots the cop. So he has to get out of Paris but first he has to collect some money owed him. And convince the American girl to go to Italy with him. “Deguelasse.” If you haven’t seen it, watch it.
Your entries to this challenge did not have to refer to the Godard, but I liked the split-screen. If you’d thrown in a jump cut the prize would’ve been two books.
turmukoy, you can pick up your prize at the Customer Service counter at National Bookstore in Power Plant Mall, Rockwell, Makati. It’s filed under your full name. Their number is (02)8974562.
The Weekly LitWit Challenge is brought to you by our friends at National Bookstore.
LitWit Challenge 3.9 is coming up. The Yucch-meter has returned from a well-deserved rest. Let’s have some vitriol.
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This week’s Jock With A Book is Jake Letts of the Philippine Volcanoes, the national men’s rugby team. He has the most caps on the team, having played in nine international test matches.
Jake is into rugby, golf, boxing, cricket, softball, swimming, surfing, running and fishing. And reading books. Yes, you read that right. One of his favorites is the Peaceful Warrior series by Dan Millman. When he sat on the couch he picked up the book that was sitting there and started reading it.
Unbeknownst to Jake, the book was there for a very specific design-related issue: Its cover matched the upholstery. This is a picture of Jake realizing that he is reading a pop-up book about fairies. (The ones with wings, spreading pixie dust.)
Here is Jake looking for something else to read.
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