Does anyone understand why this is supposed to be funny? Because if you do... please explain it to me. The guy who sent it to me was hoping I would know. I tried my best... I failed.
I get that there's a cat in the carrier. I get that he's dressed as a convict. I don't get the joke. It puzzles me, and I don't like that. I'm usually the first one laughing in the movie theater. I'm the first one laughing at my mind's twisted version of someone's innocently made comment. It makes me feel stupid to not understand something so seemingly simple (look! I'm alliterate!).
And yet, this one eludes me.
On all the agent blogs I keep reading about e-books... will they take over the publishing industry... are they good or bad... what does it mean to authors... the questions go on. So what does it mean to me, as a reader?
I don't know how I feel about e-Readers. I like books. I love their feel and I love their smell. I like holding on to them and turning the pages -- not just sliding my finger across a screen and pretending to turn the page. I don't know that I like the idea of a virtual book. I don't know if I like the ability to cram 1,000 books into one device, it makes them expendable, anonymous, unimportant. It's too overwhelming.
Too many things have changed, traditions are fading, everything is becoming air... my money is air... my music is digital... more air... In a way, I like that, because I don't have to find a place to store my CD's. Songs are an average of 3 minutes of my time, I can shuffle them and miss nothing, I get a broader spectrum of music than if I just listened to one album by one artist. Songs are audible, I think that's a key difference.
A book is an investment of my time... a commitment. The average book takes me about 8-10 hours to read, if it's Dostoyeksvky it may take longer, chick lit takes significantly less. I read every night as I take my bath, and I just don't see that happening with a digital book. One wet hand, a slip, and bloop! into the water... book over. A real book can be dried out, I'm not sure a virtual one can... Also, a book doesn't require batteries... if the power goes out, I can read a book as long as there is light, and I never have to recharge it. I can read it as many times as I want. I can lend it out if I want. I can give it away if it sucks ass. I don't want a book made of air that runs on batteries. If I wanted a book that had to be plugged in I would rent a foreign film and mute it!
I may change my mind, but for now, I'm holding out. This is one technology I hope I don't have to succumb to... I hope I get to make that choice. I'm afraid that real books will eventually become a thing of the past, phased out and obsolete, and (all but the online) bookstores with them. That would be a sad day for me. Books are so much a part of my life... they always have been.
As I type this I'm watching The Ultimate Gift on The Hallmark Channel. I DVR'd it last night but didn't get the chance to watch it. I didn't realize James Garner was in it. I really like him. Used to watch Maverick all the time, and have found that he's never let me down since... seriously... can't think of a single movie with him in it that I didn't enjoy. Anyway, it's a good movie so far... not silly... not smarmy... a good movie that's probably going to make me cry... but is also making me laugh... and think a little. Can't ask for much more in a movie (except someone to watch it with... oh yeah... 'tis the season, I'm gonna start whining about being single soon... waah!).
I know what you mean about everything is air. The digital age can be really convenient and all I like some things to stay old skool. I prefer reading an actual book to Kindle. I like the feel of the pages and the smell of the print. I also still journal with a pen and paper. Again, I like the sound the pen tip makes as I write. The ink on my hand. Sublime. We still have a turntable and I love playing records. Music just feels different on a record player. So yeah I like not having to carry cash and I love my PC and Wii and all the little techy gadgets I have, but there are some things I just won't "upgrade"
ReplyDeleteAs for the cartoon- WTF? have no clue. I suppose I am just not clever enough to decipher this one
I don't know what happened here, but you seemed to have taken all of my thoughts on e-books and put them on your blog. This post actually really affected me in a way I didn't think reading about e-books and real books would. Reading the words 'books' and 'obsolete' did something to the inside of my chest that did not feel nice.
ReplyDeleteSo, thank you for being a (real) bookworm! We are a dying breed.
I enjoy e-books, but there's something beautiful about print. I would hope e-books don't destroy the market for print. I don't know that it will though, considering that I know a lot of people who have tried the e-readers and didn't enjoy it because it was a strain on the eyes.
ReplyDeleteI didn't get the cartoon myself, but I showed it to my brother, and he informed me that that would be Heatcliff's Uncle in the carrier. Evidently his Uncle was always in and out of jail in the comics, so it would require having followed it for a while to get it. That said, Heathcliff still isn't funny.
I too love the feel and smell of books. I like having them on my bookshelf just sitting there like my pet awaiting my attention....E-books are a good way for me to check out something I might not be all that interested in. I sure hope they don't overtake the real book. I am thinking there are more of us(real book lovers ) than them so for now we are safe, but it was that way with vinyl and cassettes too wasn't it?
ReplyDeleteThat movie was a bit sad for me in the end. My mom made me watch it with her and I was a bit unsettled at the ending :(
I'm thinking the cartoon was just .....well dumb...lol.. I didn't get any humor out of it. If they were going for funny they sorta failed on that one.
So at least I'm not the only one who didn't get it then... sigh... it will haunt me forever, this cartoon...
ReplyDeleteI don't know, the agents sounded pretty pessimistic about e-Readers earlier in the year, but their blogs are starting to become more optimistic about the market. It scares me. And they're really prevalent in the holiday sales, so... I dunno.
I'd like to think the tradition of books will continue, but I think greed makes it likely that publishers will eventually eschew paper for air. I could be wrong, but logic tells me it's probably cheaper, and cheap always seems to win out when there's a profit to be made.