Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Anyone for Maria Callas?



It was chilling... When Agent Hotchner asked the Ripper-copycat why kill? He said in a very calm voice: It seems a normal thing to do... it's like eating.


Your face could twist in dismay on such insanity yet such evil exists in our midst. You then remembered that scene in Hostel 2 which was presented by Quentin Tarantino where a lunatic was offered an "unfinished" victim yet he declined for he was able to consume just one leg of that victim who was screaming and squirming while strapped on a table. He was having an enjoying meal complete with silver cutlery and napkins while Maria Callas sang her arias on the background.


You are not going to linger on the criminal mind again since your friends would always get revolted when you do so. What you'd like to ponder on is this: Is there a relationship with insanity and classical music? You see, you would always have that urge to bang your head and cover your ears when the likes of Sarah Brightman and Pavarotti would start with their, excuse us cultured people, caterwauling.


It is always mentioned in urban legends that dogs could sense something at night, that's the reason why they give that ear-splitting and goosebump-stimulating yowls. That's a similar feeling that would grip you when something from La Traviata would be delivered from any source.


You were so polite when your cousin Mario exposed you to the world of classical theater. You were even showing an expression of interest when he told you how those dignitaries and famous people dress up for things like
Le nozze di Figaro with music from Mozart. Then, he played Maria Callas via Beethoven's Fidelio. You literally cried and your cousin gesticulated: How intelligent are you my cousin, really! You were able to internalize her pathos!

You remembered how desperately you wanted to flee. He failed to realize you cried because it was so intense in your head you wanted to smash something on the wall!! It was a feeling so intense you could not point something to it - anger? Your anguish would be triggered by an aria? You still don't know.

Until now, you would shy away from such genre and would keep quiet when some of your friends who are trained classically (since it is a requirement when you come from a rich family) would volunteer to deliver a cantata of sorts in front of you and your friends as the audience. You would then try to find something solid to hold and try to think about Brazil and half-naked beachcombers.


When Tom Hanks did his soliloquy in "Philadelphia", the taint of the background on the flick turned red and a sound track filled with classical notes and vocals, you turned red and insane. It was too much for you that you could not give a sensible comment when he grabbed an Oscar for Best Actor for that. Probably, the judges turned insane also? Just a thought...


For now, you have Brightman's album dubbed "Classics". It was a gift from, of course, your cousin Mario. But you fear to play that album although your friends say Sarah Brightman has an ethereal voice.


Angelic or demonic, you still have to find out the outcome when someone would grab the mic and air an aria next time when you will be with Batman's friends from the Arkham Asylum.


(photo: patriciasilva.wordpress.com)

Thursday, August 19, 2010

That Green-Eyed Monster



You looked hungry. The people around seemed to be nourished and sated. Yet, your stomach was complaining and your soul needed something to quench a certain thirst. Was it because of the betrayal a loved one has done? Or was it something else?

A flash of memory fleetingly visited your conscious mind: Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ". When Jim Caviezel mimicked Jesus in saying: I thirst! Also, that androgynous character of evil carrying a baby on his/her arms while the pain escalated on Jesus...

But you digressed. You needed to devour something. A certain longing was created you wondered if you were still capable of existential angst. You knew that this was caused by something but you were not able to point it out. This might be stress-related but you were able to immerse yourself in more strenuous activities before...

Then it dawned on you when you realized that you were denying on the issue of your loneliness. You feared that you would be left behind by the person you were investing a lot of time, treasure and talent. She's leaving you! She found someone who could be considered as better than you.

You got afraid since you have a history of violence. You were sent to a shrink when you mother got alarmed when she saw your room filled with decapitated parts of dolls you stole from your sisters and your neighbors.You liked the idea of sawing them to pieces using that small yet effective iron saw.

Now, you need to cry some without the presence of others. You must create a facade of strength but you must transfer this pain to the culprit or her subject of affection. The guy should be punished for him to realize he is bumping into something more powerful than him. After all the clothes, phones, food, perfume and money you gifted her, another would benefit her love and affection?

Someone must pay.


Machismo: Exaggerated pride in masculinity, perceived as power, often coupled with a minimal sense of responsibility and disregard of consequences. Caudillos (military dictators), prominent in the history of Latin America, have typified machismo with their bold and authoritarian approach to government and their willingness to employ violence to achieve their ends. -Britannica.com