I Just Read About That…

SOUNDTRACK: RYAN ADAMS-“Like a Fool” from Score! 20 Years of Merge Records: The Covers (2009).

I don’t particularly like Ryan Adams’ songs, so I was surprised how much I liked this cover of a Superchunk song.  The cover has an interesting vibe, a kind of Pearl Jam (in the guitars) meets Radiohead (in the vocals) sound.  It’s not too different from the original, although, as with many of these covers, I like the recording quality better.  I know I love my lo-fi world, and I love Superchunk but these newer versions just sound better.

Adams has a good voice, and he adds just enough orchestration to make the song a wee bit more interesting than the original.

[READ: March 15, 2012] “Department of Deportment: Stances and Dances Made the Eighteenth-Century Man–and Woman”

This article was intriguing but wasn’t quite about what I wanted it to be about.  Also, what was weird about this article–not so much with the others in the magazine so far, is that the photographs look simply too modern.  Usually for period pieces there is a hint of aging done to the film.  Obviously for the magazine they want the best possible quality photo, but it just looks really…fake?  Obviously modern people in old homes and dress.

The other thing that is odd to me about this article is that it begins with the idea that the reader doesn’t know what deportment means, or  that we misunderstand its meaning.  The true meaning–upright behavior and moral uprightness–doesn’t seem that hard to grasp.

However, despite these criticisms the article has some interesting history to impart.  The idea was that Gentlemen and Ladies were educated and would act with honor.  And part of that honor was the way one stood and acted.  Thus, Gentlemen had to maintain deportment.  Etiquette books also taught how to treat people of equal–and lower–standing.  Some people tried to appear gentlemanly by quickly learning deportment–but rules were complex and fakers were easily caught.  And those who were caught were punished by being thrown out of  a party or by public ridicule.

The article cites examples from the 18th century about deportment and how children were taught such things at a very early age (I cannot imagine how they got children to act like this back then, I can’t get my kids to sit still for a Monte).  Perhaps the most interesting aspect was that “The physical training required to attain grace and balance often fell to dance instructors [who] taught how to stand, sit , walk, hand objects to others as well as dance.”

The article ends with the statement that such rules are still in place today, somewhat.  For instance, one dresses to impress and acts more formally in a job interview.  This is all true.

But I must admit I was hoping for some more details of the way to walk and stand.  The photo shows some young kids learning the proper way to sit and stand and I would have liked a few more examples.  The only one provided in any detail was quite a treat: “Gentlemen…generally stood with feet in fourth position, back leg straight and weight on this leg, front leg bent.  There were several acceptable position for his arms, among them sticking one hand in his unbuttoned waistcoat.”  I know the article’s point was not to teach us deportment, but I would have liked more examples!  And pictures!