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From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Date: July 7, 2008 10:05:19 AM PDT
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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Subject: Ahead of the Curve: A "Monty Python" Interpretation of
Bush's "War on Terror"
Book Review:
Terry Jones's War on the War on Terror
Written by Tim Gebhart
Published June 24, 2005
http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/06/24/201200.php
There probably isn't a middle ground on Terry Jones's views of the
"war on terror." You either agree with him or you don't. Yet even if
you do, Terry Jones's War on the War on Terror comes off more as
toss-off than lasting political commentary.
Jones, whose biggest but not sole claim to fame is as a founding
member of Monty Python, leaves no doubt where he stands. He does so
using satire to tell the truth as he sees it. Jones riffs on the
grammar of the war on terror, insisting that terrorism is an
"abstract noun" and that you can't wage war on a noun or know when a
noun has surrendered.
He is insistent that what is transpiring in Afghanistan and Iraq was
foreshadowed by the Project for New American Century, that George
Bush's policies have done more to inspire terrorism than suppress
it, and that Tony Blair is little more than Bush's lap dog.
Like a Python, he is ready to assume various roles to make his points.
For example, writing as the head of "The Humane Society for Putting
Bags over Suspects' Heads," he analyzes how such a practice makes us
feel better and avoids the morning newspaper spoiling our breakfast.
His analysis of Bush's 2002 State of the Union address through the
eyes of a Hollywood script writer evaluating it for a blockbuster
film on good guys vs. bad guys is also excellent.
Yet the latter displays some of the work's inherent problem. Each of
the 33 essays was initially published in the period from late 2001
through July 2004. Undoubtedly, part of the original power of these
pieces was their topicality. Inevitably, a spoof on the 2002 State
of the Union address loses some of its sting when read three years
later. Moreover, as a collection of pieces written over several
years, even the language can be repetitious.
Don't get me wrong. Jones can make a page drip with pointed sarcasm
and his style is such that his condemnation is more than mere ad
hominem attacks. I also largely share his viewpoint. Yet when satire
is repetitious and somewhat outdated, it loses its punch.
Undoubtedly, each piece stood well by itself when initially
published. Publishing them as a collection when they a minimum of 12
months old makes them a casualty of Jones's war on the war on terror.
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