“They [Americans] want to believe that Good and Evil can be defined in precise categories, that Good is already, or will be easily achieved. ... if this optimism appears too superficial, they will try to create a kind of anti-God: the U.S.S.R. That is Evil, and it only needs to be annihilated to re-establish the reign of Good.” IfsWantNeedsTryingBelieveKindEvilUnited StatesOptimismDefinedGood And EvilCategoriesReignSuperficialPreciseAnti God Author:Simone de Beauvoir
“In the United States, many people said you can't have folk music in the United States because you don't have any peasant class. But the funny thing was, there were literally thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of people who loved old time fiddling, ballads, banjo tunes, blues played on the guitar, spirituals and gospel hymns. These songs and music didn't fit into any neat category of art music nor popular music nor jazz. So gradually they said well let's call it folk music.” PeopleWellsArtSaidStatesSongUnitedClassUnited StatesFitJazzGuitarFolksTunesCategoriesThey SaidFunny ThingsPeasantsNeatHymnsFolk MusicBalladsOld TimePopular MusicArt MusicBanjos Author:Pete Seeger
“Everything that everyone is afraid of has already happened: The fragility of capitalism, which we don't want to admit; the loss of the empire of the United States; and American exceptionalism. In fact, American exceptionalism is that we are exceptionally backward in about fifteen different categories, from education to infrastructure.” WantDifferentStatesFactsLossUnitedUnited StatesHappenedCapitalismEmpiresCategoriesFifteenBackwardsInfrastructureFragilityExceptionalismAmerican Exceptionalism Author:James Hillman
“The terms "idiot" and "lunatic" were acceptable diagnostic terms in England up until 1959. "Imbecile" and "feeble-minded person" were, likewise, listed as official categories in the 1913 Mental Deficiency Act. England has always lagged a bit behind in discarding outdated terms for the disadvantaged. When I was there in 1980, it was still possible to shop for used clothing at the local Spastic Shop. That is, compared to the United States, where it takes, oh, about twenty-five minutes for a diagnostic euphemism to become a conversational faux pas.” PersonsStillsStatesUsedBitsTermUnitedBehindsUnited StatesFiveMinutesEnglandTwentiesLocalsIdiotOfficialsShopsCategoriesClothingsAcceptableFive MinutesLunaticTwenty FiveDeficiencyOutdatedImbecilesEuphemismDisadvantagedFauxFaux Pas Book:Six Feet Over: Adventures in the Afterlife Source: Six Feet Over: Adventures in the Afterlife
“I'm pretty optimistic that in the future these kind of films will also be part of the main categories, perhaps not in a foreign language, but certainly more socially and politically engaged films, or films that will happen where the story takes place outside the United States.” KindStatesStoriesHappensFilmLanguageUnitedUnited StatesOptimisticEngagedCategoriesForeign Language Author:Philippe Falardeau