In my last blog post I asked you all to share some of the "no-go" elements that put you off a book or a movie. As turnabout is fair play, and since Ellen Brickley discussed her issues with particular use of offensive language, I thought I'd share one of my biggest bugbears in fiction: Double standards.
Now to clarify, I'm not talking about characters who apply double-standards to their outlook on life. I have no problem reading about a male chauvanist or a woman who believes that men only think with their genitals.
When it becomes a problem is when I feel that I'm not expected to see these as negative character traits.
Now, double standards exist in many different forms. Not all of them inherently bother me, depending on how they're used. The ones that will turn me off a movie or book, almost immediately and without fail, are the ones where one form of behaviour is clearly acceptable and rewarded in one case, but punished and reviled in another. The most common form this takes in fiction, is related to gender. Whether a character is male or female can have a huge bearing on what actions seem to be permissable.
To give an example:*
Chris and Alex are married. Chris has a good, but demanding job and works long hours. Alex is resentful of this, while Chris doesn't appreciate Alex's lack of support. Chris also doesn't like Alex's friends and objects to them coming over to their house all the time, especially when coming home from work to find them there chatting.
One day, Alex meets George. George is exciting, sexy, and seems to care about Alex's interests. The two become close and start an affair. When the affair is finally revealed, Chris is outraged, but Alex decides to stay with George, leaving Chris.
Who is in the right?
In most cases, it largely depends on whether Chris is a man or a woman. If Alex is a neglected wife whose husband spends all his time working and complaining about her girlfriends, then Chris is the bad guy. If Chris is a hard-working career woman whose husband wants her to spend more time at home, then Alex is the bad guy.
Movies such as It's Complicated or The Devil Wears Prada portray women who are shown as being within their rights to engage in behaviour which, were it a man going the same, would be criticised. Situations where the woman's choices are automatically right seeimingly because she is a woman completely put me off the story and the characters.
Of course, the double standard applies both ways. While it's considered right for a man, especially a younger one or a teenage boy, to bed many women, when a woman behaves similarly, she is often criticised or outright insulted for it.
While I'm not saying that promiscuous behaviour, cheating on a partner, or neglecting other committments for your job should always be treated as good or bad, I would rather see some consistency and logic in the consequences of these actions.
The one double standard, however, that literally sickens me every single time I see it, is the one applied to sexual assault and rape.
In the majority of books and movies, the rape and sexual assault of a woman is treated as the most vile and reprehensible thing a man can do. Rightly so. I personally feel that the subject of sexual assault is sometimes treated too lightly and applied too readily by an author as a method of quickly creating shock, revulsion, or sympathy. In some cases it's almost become the new "they killed my parents" motivator for a character.
However, then the victim is a man, there are three general ways the matter is treated:
1: It's not an issue. Movies such as Swordfish and The Rookie have instances where a man is forced into sexual acts without his consent, but the men in question don't seem bothered by it.
2: It's the man's fault. As seen in 40 Days and 40 Nights and Ricochet, if the victim is in a relationship, or trying to start one, and is raped by another woman, the act is often revealed to or witnessed by the love interest. However, even if the man is drugged or physically restrained, he will have to apologise and try to make amends, while the perpetrator typically receives no punishment.
3: It's comedy. The Wedding Crashers, Taxi 3 and even The Nutty Professor 2 both feature scenes where this is played to uncomfortable comic effect, with the victim in The Wedding Crashers eventually marrying the woman and ending his womanising ways, almost portraying her behaviour as a cure for his own flaws.
It tends only to be the darker, often less-commercial, films that try to show a man being raped as something devestating and traumatic. Even in Disclosure, whose plot is entirely based around the issue of female-on-male sexual harrassment, the protagonist's struggle is not against any feelings of violation or trauma, but the fact that he has been wrongfully accused of harrassing his co-worker.
To varying degrees, seeing these double standards crop up can put me off not only the book or movie in question, but further titles by the same author or director. It's just something I really cannot stand experiencing when I want to be entertained.
* I can't take credit for this example, I originally found it on TV Tropes.org, but it seems to have vanished, so I've retold it here, likely with some changes.
Edit to add: George's gender in the story is dependent on Chris and Alex. If Alex is a man, George is a woman (Georgina) and vice versa.
What about you? Do these kinds of double standards ever bother you? Have you noticed them before? Or do you think I'm taking some it a bit too seriously?
Friday, August 26, 2011
08.26 Fri
F R I D A Y
August 26, 2011
James Sajdak
Y'all on the East Coast ready for a hurricane? PuzzleHusband is in Texas and PuzzleKids are in Canada, so I'm hunkering down for this one solo. If the power stays on, this might be a great weekend. I have a ton of stuff to do around the house and with the bad weather I won't feel guilty for staying inside. If the power goes out though? Whole different story. Crossing my fingers!
Today we're looking at a simple sound substitution theme. It's a cute idea, but I can't help thinking a bunch of Zs would make the grid more interesting, so it's kind of shame they're being taken out. What I'm really looking for in a theme like this is a theme answer where both the original and resulting phrases are interesting and colorful. Two of the five fit the bill today: COOL BREEDS and BLADES OF GLORY. But look at the others. PEZ DISPENSER is cool, but PEDS DISPENSER? Besides the fact that I don't even think it makes sense (PEDS = socks??),
I've gotta believe that if "sock drawer organizer" is the best clue you can come up with for a theme answer, I'd say it's time to look for a better theme answer. QUEEN SIDES is an interesting phrase (and it has a great clue), but it started out as QUEEN-SIZE which is … a type of mattress. TOP PRIDES has the distinction of being a boring answer and based on a boring phrase. Ta-da!
Bullets:
Everything — 1A: Henri's here (ICI); 4A: Sci-fi psychic (EMPATH); 10A: Druid's sacred hill (TARA); 14A: What Lin's D.C. wall commemorates (NAM); 15A: Craps table tactic (PARLAY); 16A: Like some terrible reviews (ACID); 17A: Wee (SMA); 18A: Bandit feature? (ONE ARM); 19A: Watch lights, briefly (LCD'S); 20A: Easy-to-use sock drawer organizer? (PEDS DISPENSER); 23A: Emphatic words (I REPEAT); 24A: Run-of-the-mill (USUAL); 27A: Track position (RAIL); 28A: Dog show eye-catchers? (COOL BREEDS); 32A: Cornerstone abbr. (ESTAB.); 34A: Just outside of (NEAR); 35A: Rolls in the grass? (SOD); 36A: Feline alpha groups? (TOP PRIDES); 40A: Palm Sunday carrier (ASS); 43A: German battleship Graf __ (SPEE); 44A: 1945 "Big Three" conference site (YALTA); 48A: "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "We Are the Champions"? (QUEEN SIDES); 52A: Slangy negatives (NAHS); 53A: 14th-century Russian prince (IVAN I); 54A: Retro tees (TIE-DYES); 56A: Winter Olympics winner's wall hanging? (BLADES OF GLORY); 60A: Prussian pair (ZWEI); 62A: Stimulate (INCITE); 63A: 36 for nine, often (PAR); 64A: Votes for (AYES); 65A: Semi-sheer fabrics (VOILES); 66A: Owner of Abbey Road Studios (EMI); 67A: Orkin target (PEST); 68A: Speak with conviction (ASSERT); 69A: Decoding org. (NSA); 1D: Fire up (INSPIRE); 2D: Set pieces? (CAMERAS); 3D: Cry from one reaching the top (I MADE IT); 4D: Lyrical poetic form (EPODE); 5D: Zealot-plus (MANIAC); 6D: Appearance announcement (PRESTO); 7D: Gain __: get further ahead in the race (A LAP); 8D: Empty weight (TARE); 9D: Mass music (HYMN); 10D: "Honor Thy Father" author (TALESE); 11D: Grows (ACCRUES); 12D: Purged (RID); 13D: Spots with slogans (ADS); 21D: Egg toss miss indicator (SPLAT); 22D: Light carriage (SURREY); 25D: Flap (ADO); 26D: Dr. Leary's turn-on (LSD); 29D: No right __ (ON RED); 30D: Jasmine neckwear, perhaps (LEI); 31D: Wicked (BAD); 33D: Sarajevo's region (BOSNIA); 37D: Forgetful writer's letters? (P.P.S.); 38D: Louvre Pyramid designer (PEI); 39D: Subj. of an '80s-'90s financial crisis (S AND L); 40D: EPA concern (AQI); 41D: Toyota RAV4, e.g. (SUV); 42D: Navy builders (SEABEES); 45D: Expose (LAY OPEN); 46D: St. Louis team, familiarly (THE RAMS); 47D: Ancient kingdom on the Tigris (ASSYRIA); 49D: Sign on (ENLIST); 50D: Star of France (ÉTOILE); 51D: Bakery utensil (SIFTER); 55D: Discharge (EGEST); 57D: Price or Battle (DIVA); 58D: Genesis grandson (ENOS); 59D: H.S. courses (SCIS); 60D: Cook quickly, in a way (ZAP); 61D: Three-switch railroad track section (WYE).
August 26, 2011
James Sajdak
Theme: Sound Substitution — The Z sound is changed to a DS sound in familiar phrases.
Theme answers:
- 20A: Easy-to-use sock drawer organizer? (PEDS DISPENSER).
- 28A: Dog show eye-catchers? (COOL BREEDS).
- 36A: Feline alpha groups? (TOP PRIDES).
- 48A: "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "We Are the Champions"? (QUEEN SIDES).
- 56A: Winter Olympics winner's wall hanging? (BLADES OF GLORY).
Y'all on the East Coast ready for a hurricane? PuzzleHusband is in Texas and PuzzleKids are in Canada, so I'm hunkering down for this one solo. If the power stays on, this might be a great weekend. I have a ton of stuff to do around the house and with the bad weather I won't feel guilty for staying inside. If the power goes out though? Whole different story. Crossing my fingers!Today we're looking at a simple sound substitution theme. It's a cute idea, but I can't help thinking a bunch of Zs would make the grid more interesting, so it's kind of shame they're being taken out. What I'm really looking for in a theme like this is a theme answer where both the original and resulting phrases are interesting and colorful. Two of the five fit the bill today: COOL BREEDS and BLADES OF GLORY. But look at the others. PEZ DISPENSER is cool, but PEDS DISPENSER? Besides the fact that I don't even think it makes sense (PEDS = socks??),
I've gotta believe that if "sock drawer organizer" is the best clue you can come up with for a theme answer, I'd say it's time to look for a better theme answer. QUEEN SIDES is an interesting phrase (and it has a great clue), but it started out as QUEEN-SIZE which is … a type of mattress. TOP PRIDES has the distinction of being a boring answer and based on a boring phrase. Ta-da!Bullets:
- 1A: Henri's here (ICI). Starting right off at 1-Across with … French!
- 10A: Druid's sacred hill (TARA). There were Druids in "Gone With the Wind"?
- 18A: Bandit feature? (ONE ARM). Cute clue! This is a reference to a slot machine. But you knew that.
- 63A: 36 for nine, often (PAR). Golf.
- 64A: Votes for (AYES). Tricky. "Votes" in the clue is actually a noun, not a verb. E.g., "We've got three votes for and two against."
- 66A: Owner of Abbey Road Studios (EMI). Anyone else try ONO here first?
- 2D: Set pieces? (CAMERAS). Movie set.
- 6D: Appearance announcement (PRESTO). I couldn't tell what this clue was going for, but this is a great entry.
- 29D: No right __ (ON RED). This is embarrassing to admit, but I actually entered OF WAY first. Yes, I realize that's a terrible answer.
- 39D: Subj. of an '80s-'90s financial crisis (S AND L). I had a hard time parsing this. It's Savings & Loan.
- 40D: EPA concern (AQI). Air Quality Index. I think.
- 46D: St. Louis team, familiarly (THE RAMS). I know it's only been, what? fifteen years or so? I just can't think of the RAMS as being in St. Louis.
- 57D: Price or Battle (DIVA). I knew these were both last names of opera singers, but.
- 66A: Owner of Abbey Road Studios (EMI).
- 8D: Empty weight (TARE).
- 30D: Jasmine neckwear, perhaps (LEI).
- 58D: Genesis grandson (ENOS).
Everything — 1A: Henri's here (ICI); 4A: Sci-fi psychic (EMPATH); 10A: Druid's sacred hill (TARA); 14A: What Lin's D.C. wall commemorates (NAM); 15A: Craps table tactic (PARLAY); 16A: Like some terrible reviews (ACID); 17A: Wee (SMA); 18A: Bandit feature? (ONE ARM); 19A: Watch lights, briefly (LCD'S); 20A: Easy-to-use sock drawer organizer? (PEDS DISPENSER); 23A: Emphatic words (I REPEAT); 24A: Run-of-the-mill (USUAL); 27A: Track position (RAIL); 28A: Dog show eye-catchers? (COOL BREEDS); 32A: Cornerstone abbr. (ESTAB.); 34A: Just outside of (NEAR); 35A: Rolls in the grass? (SOD); 36A: Feline alpha groups? (TOP PRIDES); 40A: Palm Sunday carrier (ASS); 43A: German battleship Graf __ (SPEE); 44A: 1945 "Big Three" conference site (YALTA); 48A: "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "We Are the Champions"? (QUEEN SIDES); 52A: Slangy negatives (NAHS); 53A: 14th-century Russian prince (IVAN I); 54A: Retro tees (TIE-DYES); 56A: Winter Olympics winner's wall hanging? (BLADES OF GLORY); 60A: Prussian pair (ZWEI); 62A: Stimulate (INCITE); 63A: 36 for nine, often (PAR); 64A: Votes for (AYES); 65A: Semi-sheer fabrics (VOILES); 66A: Owner of Abbey Road Studios (EMI); 67A: Orkin target (PEST); 68A: Speak with conviction (ASSERT); 69A: Decoding org. (NSA); 1D: Fire up (INSPIRE); 2D: Set pieces? (CAMERAS); 3D: Cry from one reaching the top (I MADE IT); 4D: Lyrical poetic form (EPODE); 5D: Zealot-plus (MANIAC); 6D: Appearance announcement (PRESTO); 7D: Gain __: get further ahead in the race (A LAP); 8D: Empty weight (TARE); 9D: Mass music (HYMN); 10D: "Honor Thy Father" author (TALESE); 11D: Grows (ACCRUES); 12D: Purged (RID); 13D: Spots with slogans (ADS); 21D: Egg toss miss indicator (SPLAT); 22D: Light carriage (SURREY); 25D: Flap (ADO); 26D: Dr. Leary's turn-on (LSD); 29D: No right __ (ON RED); 30D: Jasmine neckwear, perhaps (LEI); 31D: Wicked (BAD); 33D: Sarajevo's region (BOSNIA); 37D: Forgetful writer's letters? (P.P.S.); 38D: Louvre Pyramid designer (PEI); 39D: Subj. of an '80s-'90s financial crisis (S AND L); 40D: EPA concern (AQI); 41D: Toyota RAV4, e.g. (SUV); 42D: Navy builders (SEABEES); 45D: Expose (LAY OPEN); 46D: St. Louis team, familiarly (THE RAMS); 47D: Ancient kingdom on the Tigris (ASSYRIA); 49D: Sign on (ENLIST); 50D: Star of France (ÉTOILE); 51D: Bakery utensil (SIFTER); 55D: Discharge (EGEST); 57D: Price or Battle (DIVA); 58D: Genesis grandson (ENOS); 59D: H.S. courses (SCIS); 60D: Cook quickly, in a way (ZAP); 61D: Three-switch railroad track section (WYE).
Thursday, August 25, 2011
08.25 Thu
T H U R S D A Y
August 25, 2011
David Poole
Another serviceable puzzle today. Nothing to write home about. I have to wonder if today's climate is a good one for being nonchalant about the stock market. I'm thinking not so much. Plus how fresh and colorful are these theme answers? Answer: Not fresh and/or colorful at all. The sparkle in this puzzle comes from a couple of the non-theme answers: SKELETON, VERONICA, and CORNROW (51A: Word with crew or key / 5D: Archie's heartthrob / 9D: Tight braid).
Bullets:
Everything — 1A: Beatles film (HELP); 5A: Globetrotter's need (VISA); 9A: TV choice (CABLE); 14A: x, y and z, in math (AXES); 15A: Israel's Barak (EHUD); 16A: Curved moldings (OGEES); 17A: Hard to spot (TINY); 18A: Muddy up (ROIL); 19A: Chestnut-hued horses (ROANS); 20A: Chicken, beef, or fish? (STOCK OPTION); 23A: Bar order (RYE); 24A: Sweetie (HON); 25A: Three-time Oscar winner for Best Foreign Language Film (BERGMAN); 27A: Saw (APHORISM); 32A: Membership list (ROTA); 33A: Slangy morning cup (JOE); 34A: Tabloid exclusive (SCOOP); 36A: Inferior (WORSE); 39A: Director of the last episode of "M*A*S*H" (ALDA); 41A: Concerning (ABOUT); 43A: Hershey's toffee bar (SKOR); 44A: First name in daytime TV (REGIS); 46A: World-weariness (ENNUI); 48A: Gin maker Whitney (ELI); 49A: Jazz and swing periods (ERAS); 51A: Word with crew or key (SKELETON); 53A: Gridiron call (OFFSIDE); 56A: Respectful title (SIR); 57A: French vineyard (CRU); 58A: Expensive bottle of wine? (LIQUID ASSET); 64A: River including Livingstone Falls (CONGO); 66A: Major in astronomy? (URSA); 67A: Balm ingredient (ALOE); 68A: Milk dispenser (UDDER); 69A: Hardly handsome (UGLY); 70A: Loads (TONS); 71A: Run for the __: Kentucky Derby (ROSES); 72A: Understands (SEES); 73A: Gusto (ZEST); 1D: Boaters and bowlers (HATS); 2D: Auditorium sign (EXIT); 3D: "Leading With My Chin" author (LENO); 4D: Film with a creepy motel owner (PSYCHO); 5D: Archie's heartthrob (VERONICA); 6D: Denny's competitor (IHOP); 7D: Diamonds, but not emeralds (SUIT); 8D: Robin Williams forte (AD LIB); 9D: Tight braid (CORNROW); 10D: Gone by (AGO); 11D: Shop specializing in Winnie the Pooh merchandise? (BEAR MARKET); 12D: Lotte who played Rosa Klebb in "From Russia With Love" (LENYA); 13D: German steel town (ESSEN); 21D: Fashion designer Michael (KORS); 22D: Anthem contraction (O'ER); 26D: Pontiac muscle cars (GTO'S); 27D: Slightly cracked (AJAR); 28D: Angler's need (POLE); 29D: Money set aside for garden mazes? (HEDGE FUNDS); 30D: Drink brand with a lizard logo (SOBE); 31D: Mars pair (MOONS); 35D: __ rock (PUNK); 37D: Alone (SOLO); 38D: Joyce's homeland (ERIN); 40D: Ostentatious behavior (AIRS); 42D: "__ With Morrie": Albom best-seller (TUESDAYS); 45D: Salts on the ocean (SAILORS); 47D: Hip bones (ILIA); 50D: Star Wars prog. (SDI); 52D: German sub? (ERSATZ); 53D: Present itself, as a thought (OCCUR); 54D: Tolkien ringbearer (FRODO); 55D: 1975 Tony-winning play about a stableboy (EQUUS); 59D: The munchies, e.g. (URGE); 60D: Cruise stop (ISLE); 61D: Dark purple fruit (SLOE); 62D: Eternities, seemingly (EONS); 63D: Midterm or final (TEST); 65D: "Golly!" ("GEE!").
August 25, 2011
David Poole
Theme: Wall Street Puns — Familiar finance-industry phrases are clued as if they're not related to the finance industry.
Theme answers:
- 20A: Chicken, beef, or fish? (STOCK OPTION).
- 58A: Expensive bottle of wine? (LIQUID ASSET).
- 11D: Shop specializing in Winnie the Pooh merchandise? (BEAR MARKET).
- 29D: Money set aside for garden mazes? (HEDGE FUNDS).
Another serviceable puzzle today. Nothing to write home about. I have to wonder if today's climate is a good one for being nonchalant about the stock market. I'm thinking not so much. Plus how fresh and colorful are these theme answers? Answer: Not fresh and/or colorful at all. The sparkle in this puzzle comes from a couple of the non-theme answers: SKELETON, VERONICA, and CORNROW (51A: Word with crew or key / 5D: Archie's heartthrob / 9D: Tight braid).Bullets:
- 5A: Globetrotter's need (VISA). Me: "Basketball?"
- 48A: Gin maker Whitney (ELI). ELI Whitney. Not that kind of gin!
- 53A: Gridiron call (OFFSIDE). If I ever start feeling cocky, like I know what's going on in one of the PuzzleKids' soccer game, I just have to wait for the next OFFSIDE call because I don't understand that At All.
- 7D: Diamonds, but not emeralds (SUIT). Cute clue.
- 42D: "__ With Morrie": Albom best-seller (TUESDAYS). I read a Mitch Albom book once for a book club. The best thing I can say about it is that it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.
- 52D: German sub? (ERSATZ). It's a German word and it means "sub" (substitute).
- 16A: Curved moldings (OGEES).
- 48A: Gin maker Whitney (ELI).
- 13D: German steel town (ESSEN).
- 38D: Joyce's homeland (ERIN).
- 47D: Hip bones (ILIA).
Everything — 1A: Beatles film (HELP); 5A: Globetrotter's need (VISA); 9A: TV choice (CABLE); 14A: x, y and z, in math (AXES); 15A: Israel's Barak (EHUD); 16A: Curved moldings (OGEES); 17A: Hard to spot (TINY); 18A: Muddy up (ROIL); 19A: Chestnut-hued horses (ROANS); 20A: Chicken, beef, or fish? (STOCK OPTION); 23A: Bar order (RYE); 24A: Sweetie (HON); 25A: Three-time Oscar winner for Best Foreign Language Film (BERGMAN); 27A: Saw (APHORISM); 32A: Membership list (ROTA); 33A: Slangy morning cup (JOE); 34A: Tabloid exclusive (SCOOP); 36A: Inferior (WORSE); 39A: Director of the last episode of "M*A*S*H" (ALDA); 41A: Concerning (ABOUT); 43A: Hershey's toffee bar (SKOR); 44A: First name in daytime TV (REGIS); 46A: World-weariness (ENNUI); 48A: Gin maker Whitney (ELI); 49A: Jazz and swing periods (ERAS); 51A: Word with crew or key (SKELETON); 53A: Gridiron call (OFFSIDE); 56A: Respectful title (SIR); 57A: French vineyard (CRU); 58A: Expensive bottle of wine? (LIQUID ASSET); 64A: River including Livingstone Falls (CONGO); 66A: Major in astronomy? (URSA); 67A: Balm ingredient (ALOE); 68A: Milk dispenser (UDDER); 69A: Hardly handsome (UGLY); 70A: Loads (TONS); 71A: Run for the __: Kentucky Derby (ROSES); 72A: Understands (SEES); 73A: Gusto (ZEST); 1D: Boaters and bowlers (HATS); 2D: Auditorium sign (EXIT); 3D: "Leading With My Chin" author (LENO); 4D: Film with a creepy motel owner (PSYCHO); 5D: Archie's heartthrob (VERONICA); 6D: Denny's competitor (IHOP); 7D: Diamonds, but not emeralds (SUIT); 8D: Robin Williams forte (AD LIB); 9D: Tight braid (CORNROW); 10D: Gone by (AGO); 11D: Shop specializing in Winnie the Pooh merchandise? (BEAR MARKET); 12D: Lotte who played Rosa Klebb in "From Russia With Love" (LENYA); 13D: German steel town (ESSEN); 21D: Fashion designer Michael (KORS); 22D: Anthem contraction (O'ER); 26D: Pontiac muscle cars (GTO'S); 27D: Slightly cracked (AJAR); 28D: Angler's need (POLE); 29D: Money set aside for garden mazes? (HEDGE FUNDS); 30D: Drink brand with a lizard logo (SOBE); 31D: Mars pair (MOONS); 35D: __ rock (PUNK); 37D: Alone (SOLO); 38D: Joyce's homeland (ERIN); 40D: Ostentatious behavior (AIRS); 42D: "__ With Morrie": Albom best-seller (TUESDAYS); 45D: Salts on the ocean (SAILORS); 47D: Hip bones (ILIA); 50D: Star Wars prog. (SDI); 52D: German sub? (ERSATZ); 53D: Present itself, as a thought (OCCUR); 54D: Tolkien ringbearer (FRODO); 55D: 1975 Tony-winning play about a stableboy (EQUUS); 59D: The munchies, e.g. (URGE); 60D: Cruise stop (ISLE); 61D: Dark purple fruit (SLOE); 62D: Eternities, seemingly (EONS); 63D: Midterm or final (TEST); 65D: "Golly!" ("GEE!").
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Drawing the Line
If you haven't heard, I was interviewed by Dawn Alexander this week on her blog. I talk a bit about how I got published, how I manage my writing schedule, and what I'm currently working on, so check it out.
I'm very close to the end of the first draft of Silent Oath. The climactic showdown is about to start and I'm looking forward to it all playing out. I have gotten to thinking about the rest of the series, and while brainstorming ideas I came up with some events that, while likely to grab the reader's attention and keep their interest, are just too much for me to include. It's not how dark they are that turned me off them, more what it might say about me as a writter if I included them, depending on how I portrayed the events.
There are some things I just don't want to write about, no matter how much of a sensation they might cause or readers they might draw. I'm not interested in being gratuitous.
This led me to today's topic. Where do you draw the line, both as a writer and a reader? Are there particular events you can't tolerate? Does even the possibility of certain events put you off? Have you ever put a book down and walked away because the author crossed a line that you couldn't stand?
I'm very close to the end of the first draft of Silent Oath. The climactic showdown is about to start and I'm looking forward to it all playing out. I have gotten to thinking about the rest of the series, and while brainstorming ideas I came up with some events that, while likely to grab the reader's attention and keep their interest, are just too much for me to include. It's not how dark they are that turned me off them, more what it might say about me as a writter if I included them, depending on how I portrayed the events.
There are some things I just don't want to write about, no matter how much of a sensation they might cause or readers they might draw. I'm not interested in being gratuitous.
This led me to today's topic. Where do you draw the line, both as a writer and a reader? Are there particular events you can't tolerate? Does even the possibility of certain events put you off? Have you ever put a book down and walked away because the author crossed a line that you couldn't stand?
08.24 Wed
W E D N E S D A Y
August 24, 2011
Michael Daems
There's some good stuff in here but, overall, my experience of this puzzle is just "meh." The reveal answer for the theme is cute, but it's almost too cute for my taste. The theme phrases didn't strike me as particularly interesting. I imagine FAUX FIREPLACE is a term people use in, maybe, the real estate business, but I've never heard it. And FALSETTO VOICE is one of those entries from the Department of Redundancy Department. So, FAIL TO NOTICE is the stand-out theme entry. Not much more to say than that.
Okay, good stuff. I said there was some, right? The clue for TAYLOR is deliciously vague (6D: Five-time Grammy winner James). Is James a first name or last name? Is it our good friend Etta? My mind was flitting all over the place before finally landing on James.
The long downs mostly just sit there doing nothing (CITIZENSHIP, EVIDEZzzzzzz). GIRAFFE is pretty good (5D: Long-necked mammal) and then — bam! — we get FUDGE FACTOR (25D: Arbitrary allowance for error). Definitely the highlight of the puzzle for me.
Bullets:
Everything — 1A: Cellar process (AGING); 6A: Incline (TILT); 10A: Shady plan (SCAM); 14A: Hilo veranda (LANAI); 15A: Freshly (ANEW); 16A: Scrabble piece (TILE); 17A: Panache (FLAIR); 18A: He caught Don's 1956 World Series perfect game (YOGI); 19A: Bickering (AT IT); 20A: *Miss (FAIL TO NOTICE); 23A: Tolkien's Elrond, e.g. (ELF); 26A: One way to pace (FRO); 27A: Hold dear (PRIZE); 28A: *Simulated living room feature (FAUX FIREPLACE); 32A: Confounds (ADDLES); 33A: Poem of the countryside (IDYL); 34A: Fort Meade-based govt. org. (NSA); 37A: Standards, briefly (REGS); 38A: Ottoman officer (AGA); 39A: Dan Patrick's channel, formerly (ESPN); 40A: Portland-to-Boise dir. (ESE); 41A: Frosh, next year (SOPH); 43A: Scientific __ (METHOD); 45A: *Feature of many Bee Gees songs (FALSETTO VOICE); 48A: Respectful address (MADAM); 49A: Louis XIV, par exemple (ROI); 50A: Some 12-yd. soccer shots (PKS); 51A: Headline that would shock the Internet community (or put another way, hint to the divided word in each of the answers to starred clues) (FACEBOOK ENDS); 55A: Takes steps (ACTS); 56A: Land of Rama I (SIAM); 57A: Poke (ELBOW); 61A: Gait slower than a canter (TROT); 62A: 'Enry's greeting ('ELLO); 63A: More-than-disappointing crowd? (NO ONE); 64A: Miffed (SORE); 65A: Textile worker (DYER); 66A: Amarillo's home (TEXAS); 1D: The Tanners' adoptee, on TV (ALF); 2D: Lass (GAL); 3D: Garten of the Food Network (INA); 4D: Newbie (NAIF); 5D: Long-necked mammal (GIRAFFE); 6D: Five-time Grammy winner James (TAYLOR); 7D: Playing a fifth qtr., say (IN O.T.); 8D: Kid's building block (LEGO); 9D: Reinforced, as some dust bags (TWIN-PLY); 10D: Radio interference (STATIC); 11D: Immigrant test taker's goal (CITIZENSHIP); 12D: Rocker Cooper (ALICE); 13D: Dole (out) (METE); 21D: Pupil's place (IRIS); 22D: Uttered (ORAL); 23D: Online airline deal (E-FARE); 24D: Fills with cargo (LADES); 25D: Arbitrary allowance for error (FUDGE FACTOR); 29D: T-shirt sizes, for short (XL'S); 30D: Black ball (EIGHT); 31D: BlackBerry Bold, e.g. (PDA); 35D: Logical character (SPOCK); 36D: Aconcagua is its highest peak (ANDES); 38D: Mimic (APE); 39D: Command for DDE (ETO); 41D: Generous slice (SLAB); 42D: Diffused through a membrane (OSMOSED); 43D: Night light (MOON); 44D: Clear (EVIDENT); 46D: Carol opening (ADESTE); 47D: Aftershock (TREMOR); 48D: Computer shortcut (MACRO); 51D: Domino's nickname (FATS); 52D: Slick (OILY); 53D: Curly cabbage (KALE); 54D: Gin flavoring (SLOE); 58D: Spar in the ring (BOX); 59D: Stop __ dime (ON A); 60D: Filmmaker Craven (WES).
August 24, 2011
Michael Daems
Theme: FACE Bookends — Each theme answer begins with FA and ends with CE so, in each case, the word FACE is a "bookend."
Theme answers:
- 20A: *Miss (FAIL TO NOTICE).
- 28A: *Simulated living room feature (FAUX FIREPLACE).
- 45A: *Feature of many Bee Gees songs (FALSETTO VOICE).
- 51A: Headline that would shock the Internet community (or put another way, hint to the divided word in each of the answers to the divided word in each of the answers to starred clues) (FACEBOOK ENDS).
There's some good stuff in here but, overall, my experience of this puzzle is just "meh." The reveal answer for the theme is cute, but it's almost too cute for my taste. The theme phrases didn't strike me as particularly interesting. I imagine FAUX FIREPLACE is a term people use in, maybe, the real estate business, but I've never heard it. And FALSETTO VOICE is one of those entries from the Department of Redundancy Department. So, FAIL TO NOTICE is the stand-out theme entry. Not much more to say than that.Okay, good stuff. I said there was some, right? The clue for TAYLOR is deliciously vague (6D: Five-time Grammy winner James). Is James a first name or last name? Is it our good friend Etta? My mind was flitting all over the place before finally landing on James.
The long downs mostly just sit there doing nothing (CITIZENSHIP, EVIDEZzzzzzz). GIRAFFE is pretty good (5D: Long-necked mammal) and then — bam! — we get FUDGE FACTOR (25D: Arbitrary allowance for error). Definitely the highlight of the puzzle for me.Bullets:
- 10A: Shady plan (SCAM). Interesting how we were just talking about plan vs. plot the other day. Change plan to plot in this clue and it could mean something totally different!
- 39A: Dan Patrick's channel, formerly (ESPN). What is Dan Patrick up to these days?
- 50A: Some 12-yd. soccer shots (PKS). I have no idea what this means.
- 63A: More-than-disappointing crowd? (NO ONE). I don't understand the question mark in this clue. Is there another meaning of "disappointing crowd" that I'm not thinking of?
- 1D: The Tanners' adoptee, on TV (ALF). Okay, this is embarrassing. I was thinking of Danny Tanner from "Full House" and thought, "Michelle was adopted?"
- 35D: Logical character (SPOCK). He offered a lot of very logical advice about babies and childcare.
- 42D: Diffused through a membrane (OSMOSED). Ugh.
- 47D: Aftershock (TREMOR). Timely! Yep, we sure as heck did have an earthquake here yesterday. I was shopping at Target when it hit. If it had been any stronger or lasted any longer I'm pretty sure various heavy objects would have been coming down on my head so I'm glad it was a small one. (Although, out of the five earthquakes I've felt in my life, it was by far the biggest!)
- 53D: Curly cabbage (KALE).
- 14A: Hilo veranda (LANAI).
- 38A: Ottoman officer (AGA).
- 1D: The Tanners' adoptee, on TV (ALF).
- 39D: Command for DDE (ETO).
- 46D: Carol opening (ADESTE).
Everything — 1A: Cellar process (AGING); 6A: Incline (TILT); 10A: Shady plan (SCAM); 14A: Hilo veranda (LANAI); 15A: Freshly (ANEW); 16A: Scrabble piece (TILE); 17A: Panache (FLAIR); 18A: He caught Don's 1956 World Series perfect game (YOGI); 19A: Bickering (AT IT); 20A: *Miss (FAIL TO NOTICE); 23A: Tolkien's Elrond, e.g. (ELF); 26A: One way to pace (FRO); 27A: Hold dear (PRIZE); 28A: *Simulated living room feature (FAUX FIREPLACE); 32A: Confounds (ADDLES); 33A: Poem of the countryside (IDYL); 34A: Fort Meade-based govt. org. (NSA); 37A: Standards, briefly (REGS); 38A: Ottoman officer (AGA); 39A: Dan Patrick's channel, formerly (ESPN); 40A: Portland-to-Boise dir. (ESE); 41A: Frosh, next year (SOPH); 43A: Scientific __ (METHOD); 45A: *Feature of many Bee Gees songs (FALSETTO VOICE); 48A: Respectful address (MADAM); 49A: Louis XIV, par exemple (ROI); 50A: Some 12-yd. soccer shots (PKS); 51A: Headline that would shock the Internet community (or put another way, hint to the divided word in each of the answers to starred clues) (FACEBOOK ENDS); 55A: Takes steps (ACTS); 56A: Land of Rama I (SIAM); 57A: Poke (ELBOW); 61A: Gait slower than a canter (TROT); 62A: 'Enry's greeting ('ELLO); 63A: More-than-disappointing crowd? (NO ONE); 64A: Miffed (SORE); 65A: Textile worker (DYER); 66A: Amarillo's home (TEXAS); 1D: The Tanners' adoptee, on TV (ALF); 2D: Lass (GAL); 3D: Garten of the Food Network (INA); 4D: Newbie (NAIF); 5D: Long-necked mammal (GIRAFFE); 6D: Five-time Grammy winner James (TAYLOR); 7D: Playing a fifth qtr., say (IN O.T.); 8D: Kid's building block (LEGO); 9D: Reinforced, as some dust bags (TWIN-PLY); 10D: Radio interference (STATIC); 11D: Immigrant test taker's goal (CITIZENSHIP); 12D: Rocker Cooper (ALICE); 13D: Dole (out) (METE); 21D: Pupil's place (IRIS); 22D: Uttered (ORAL); 23D: Online airline deal (E-FARE); 24D: Fills with cargo (LADES); 25D: Arbitrary allowance for error (FUDGE FACTOR); 29D: T-shirt sizes, for short (XL'S); 30D: Black ball (EIGHT); 31D: BlackBerry Bold, e.g. (PDA); 35D: Logical character (SPOCK); 36D: Aconcagua is its highest peak (ANDES); 38D: Mimic (APE); 39D: Command for DDE (ETO); 41D: Generous slice (SLAB); 42D: Diffused through a membrane (OSMOSED); 43D: Night light (MOON); 44D: Clear (EVIDENT); 46D: Carol opening (ADESTE); 47D: Aftershock (TREMOR); 48D: Computer shortcut (MACRO); 51D: Domino's nickname (FATS); 52D: Slick (OILY); 53D: Curly cabbage (KALE); 54D: Gin flavoring (SLOE); 58D: Spar in the ring (BOX); 59D: Stop __ dime (ON A); 60D: Filmmaker Craven (WES).
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
I suppose the moral of the story is don't judge a book by its title?
I spent the months of March, April, May wrestling with a book that will be my horror until the end of time.
Consumer.ology by Philip Graves.
I think I was fooled by its funky title when I agreed to translate it. (I was also fooled by the purple prose. I think when I read it before I accepted it, I was reading it on autopilot mode, so the book superficially appeared to be interesting.) I regretted it for a whole three months.
The book on the surface was supposed to be about consumer behaviour, which to be honest wasn't a subject that came to me easily when I did it at university. I actually got a decent mark in it but it was hard. But I thought I'd at least have some background on it and would be able to do it, though it might be a little harder than Brand New World.
Oh boy, I was wrong. The basic gist of the book is: market research is popular, but it doesn't work, because people don't know what they want and they say one thing but want something else. Sounded simple enough, except that the book was laced with about 80% pure, academic psychology, which, let's just say, I don't have enough background to even understand in English. But that actually wasn't the problem.
The problem was that this book just read like a very, very long piece of discouragement. The author went on and on and on about how market research is faulty, lists reasons a, b, c about why market research is terrible, based on these x, y, z theories of psychology, but doesn't tell you what the alternative to it is. It was extremely repetitive, like someone took a hammer and was beating the message into my head. There came a point in the book where I literally banged my head down on the keyboard and wanted to scream, "Fine, I get it, market research sucks! Now tell me what to do differently!"
And I've finished the book, but I still don't know what the alternative is.
Actually, no, I do. The author says that instead of asking people (market research) what they want, you should see (observe) what people do and base your market decisions on that. Except that when he finally got to this alternative method, it was like he ran out of steam, having spent 200 pages talking about how faulty the talking method is. So he sort of waffles through a couple of examples of the observation method and say that this is the best method.
Except I have a feeling the author rather misses the point of the whole concept of market research in the first place. He defines market research (very narrowly) as going around talking to people and having people telling you what they want. Then he spends the whole book shooting it down, saying this is horrible. Yet his alternative is just another aspect of market research. I thought the idea was rather obvious. Of course you can't base your decisions on what people say alone, you have to observe what they do.
I don't think any undergrad student who took MARK2012 (Marketing Research) at my university really thought that the company we did our research project for should definitely sell rainbow lollies because a bunch of UNSW students who came to our focus groups say so. Even applied to real life, isn't it rather obvious that yes, people do change their mind, and yes, if people are in a focus group being filmed, they're going to act not themselves, so you shouldn't take everything they say at face value? (That's his entire argument against market research, basically.)
So I guess in the end, I just don't know what the point of the book was. It was rather like proving the obvious, yet in a very long-winded, discouraging, repetitive manner.
It didn't help the translation process that I wasn't convinced by many of the author's arguments in the first place, and his writing style was...weird. It was like reading an academic piece of Conrad (I can't stand Joseph Conrad's writing style.) My editor wasn't too fond of this book either so I'm not sure what state it will be in when it finally hit the printers. I have a feeling it'll be a lot shorter.
PS: I have absolutely no idea why my ISP has decided to block the domain blogspot.com. I have to use a proxy to actually view blogspot. How fun.
Consumer.ology by Philip Graves.
I think I was fooled by its funky title when I agreed to translate it. (I was also fooled by the purple prose. I think when I read it before I accepted it, I was reading it on autopilot mode, so the book superficially appeared to be interesting.) I regretted it for a whole three months.
The book on the surface was supposed to be about consumer behaviour, which to be honest wasn't a subject that came to me easily when I did it at university. I actually got a decent mark in it but it was hard. But I thought I'd at least have some background on it and would be able to do it, though it might be a little harder than Brand New World.
Oh boy, I was wrong. The basic gist of the book is: market research is popular, but it doesn't work, because people don't know what they want and they say one thing but want something else. Sounded simple enough, except that the book was laced with about 80% pure, academic psychology, which, let's just say, I don't have enough background to even understand in English. But that actually wasn't the problem.
The problem was that this book just read like a very, very long piece of discouragement. The author went on and on and on about how market research is faulty, lists reasons a, b, c about why market research is terrible, based on these x, y, z theories of psychology, but doesn't tell you what the alternative to it is. It was extremely repetitive, like someone took a hammer and was beating the message into my head. There came a point in the book where I literally banged my head down on the keyboard and wanted to scream, "Fine, I get it, market research sucks! Now tell me what to do differently!"
And I've finished the book, but I still don't know what the alternative is.
Actually, no, I do. The author says that instead of asking people (market research) what they want, you should see (observe) what people do and base your market decisions on that. Except that when he finally got to this alternative method, it was like he ran out of steam, having spent 200 pages talking about how faulty the talking method is. So he sort of waffles through a couple of examples of the observation method and say that this is the best method.
Except I have a feeling the author rather misses the point of the whole concept of market research in the first place. He defines market research (very narrowly) as going around talking to people and having people telling you what they want. Then he spends the whole book shooting it down, saying this is horrible. Yet his alternative is just another aspect of market research. I thought the idea was rather obvious. Of course you can't base your decisions on what people say alone, you have to observe what they do.
I don't think any undergrad student who took MARK2012 (Marketing Research) at my university really thought that the company we did our research project for should definitely sell rainbow lollies because a bunch of UNSW students who came to our focus groups say so. Even applied to real life, isn't it rather obvious that yes, people do change their mind, and yes, if people are in a focus group being filmed, they're going to act not themselves, so you shouldn't take everything they say at face value? (That's his entire argument against market research, basically.)
So I guess in the end, I just don't know what the point of the book was. It was rather like proving the obvious, yet in a very long-winded, discouraging, repetitive manner.
It didn't help the translation process that I wasn't convinced by many of the author's arguments in the first place, and his writing style was...weird. It was like reading an academic piece of Conrad (I can't stand Joseph Conrad's writing style.) My editor wasn't too fond of this book either so I'm not sure what state it will be in when it finally hit the printers. I have a feeling it'll be a lot shorter.
PS: I have absolutely no idea why my ISP has decided to block the domain blogspot.com. I have to use a proxy to actually view blogspot. How fun.
08.23 Tue
T U E S D A Y
August 23, 2011
Marti DuGuay-Carpenter
Another cute theme — looks like we're on a roll this week. I'm a big fan of the "definition" theme. As long as we don't see it every day, I think it's fun to have a little something different. I think we usually see this theme using a single word for each clue, so seeing phrases looks like a fresh idea to me. Now that I think about it, Tuesday is a great day for the "definition" theme. I hereby declare Tuesday the Ultimate Perfect Day for Definition Themes. So there's that.
I'm not going to dwell on this, because I really like this puzzle overall and I hate to be negative (You: "Since when?"), but there sure are an awful lot of plurals in this grid. There are even two places (IOU'S / IV'S and RBI'S / ELIS) where the plurals cross at the S, which is a pet peeve of mine. Now that I've mentioned it, maybe it will start bugging you too. Maybe if you start reading this blog often enough, you'll eventually become so irritated at every little thing that you'll be a miserable, hollow person like me. You're welcome!
My favorite clue/answer pairs in this grid are:
Bullets:
Everything — 1A: Close-up lens (MACRO); 6A: Jazz jobs (GIGS); 10A: Con game (SCAM); 14A: The American dream, e.g. (IDEAL); 15A: Colosseo city (ROMA); 16A: "__, Can You Hear Me?": song from "Yentl" (PAPA); 17A: Road hog (DANGEROUS DRIVER); 20A: Pvt. driller (SGT.); 21A: Drips in the ER (IV'S); 22A: Arm-twisting (DURESS); 23A: Ritzy apartment feature (TERRACE); 26A: __ mater (ALMA); 27A: Hog heaven (ABSOLUTE BLISS); 32A: Frank topper (RELISH); 34A: Diddly, in Durango (NADA); 35A: Nietzsche's "never" (NIE); 36A: Bush's undergraduate classmates (ELIS); 37A: Truth-in-advertising agcy. (BBB); 38A: Disconcert (FAZE); 39A: Candy with collectible dispensers (PEZ); 40A: Flying start? (AERO-); 42A: I-beam, e.g. (GIRDER); 44A: Hog wild (OVERLY EXCITED); 47A: River in central Germany (EDER); 48A: Diamond-patterned structure, as a trellis (LATTICE); 51A: Black suit (SPADES); 54A: Hither's partner (YON); 55A: Beach shade (TAN); 56A: Whole hog (WITH NO RESTRAINT); 60A: GI's supply (AMMO); 61A: Mindless learning (ROTE); 62A: Shrink in increments (ERODE); 63A: It's history (PAST); 64A: Rephrase, say (EDIT); 65A: South-of-the-border sir (SEÑOR); 1D: Center (MIDST); 2D: "A watched pot never boils" is one (ADAGE); 3D: Bring under a single control (CENTRALIZE); 4D: Dusting aid (RAG); 5D: __ Miss (OLE); 6D: Kowtow (GROVEL); 7D: Chits in the pot (IOU'S); 8D: Baseball VIPs (GM'S); 9D: Got ready to ride (SADDLED); 10D: Slinky shape (SPIRAL); 11D: Auel's "The Clan of the __ Bear" (CAVE); 12D: King Kong's kin (APES); 13D: Viking's landing place (MARS); 18D: Big name in copiers (RICOH); 19D: Cuban dance (RUMBA); 24D: Baseball scoring stats (RBI'S); 25D: Shrek's sidekick Donkey, e.g. (ASS); 26D: Run __: postpone the bar bill (A TAB); 28D: Take out of the carton (UNBOX); 29D: Also (IN ADDITION); 30D: Fitting description? (SIZE); 31D: Nostradamus, for one (SEER); 32D: Auto taken back, briefly (REPO); 33D: Topog. map stat (ELEV.); 37D: Uncle Remus appellation (BR'ER); 38D: Stew (FRET); 40D: First Mayflower passenger to set foot on Plymouth Rock, so it's said (ALDEN); 41D: Neighborhood improvement target (EYESORE); 42D: Beanstalk threat (GIANT); 43D: Hairy TV cousin (ITT); 45D: Sizzling (RED-HOT); 46D: Room for a broom (CLOSET); 49D: "No prob!" ("CAN DO!"); 50D: Sign up to compete (ENTER); 51D: Trade (SWAP); 52D: Arizona tribe (PIMA); 53D: Bread machines, for short? (ATM'S); 54D: Hairy Himalayan legend (YETI); 57D: Valance holder (ROD); 58D: Legal thing (RES); 59D: "__ you serious?" (ARE).
August 23, 2011
Marti DuGuay-Carpenter
Theme: Four Little Hogs — Each theme answer is the definition of a phrase that includes the word "hog."
Theme answers:
- 17A: Road hog (DANGEROUS DRIVER).
- 27A: Hog heaven (ABSOLUTE BLISS).
- 44A: Hog wild (OVERLY EXCITED).
- 56A: Whole hog (WITH NO RESTRAINT).
Another cute theme — looks like we're on a roll this week. I'm a big fan of the "definition" theme. As long as we don't see it every day, I think it's fun to have a little something different. I think we usually see this theme using a single word for each clue, so seeing phrases looks like a fresh idea to me. Now that I think about it, Tuesday is a great day for the "definition" theme. I hereby declare Tuesday the Ultimate Perfect Day for Definition Themes. So there's that.
I'm not going to dwell on this, because I really like this puzzle overall and I hate to be negative (You: "Since when?"), but there sure are an awful lot of plurals in this grid. There are even two places (IOU'S / IV'S and RBI'S / ELIS) where the plurals cross at the S, which is a pet peeve of mine. Now that I've mentioned it, maybe it will start bugging you too. Maybe if you start reading this blog often enough, you'll eventually become so irritated at every little thing that you'll be a miserable, hollow person like me. You're welcome!My favorite clue/answer pairs in this grid are:
- 6D: Kowtow (GROVEL), and
- 38D: Stew (FRET).
Bullets:
- 15A: Colosseo city (ROMA). Did you notice the Italian spelling of "Colosseum" in the clue? That should have told you that the answer would also be an Italian spelling.
- 22A: Arm-twisting (DURESS). It took me a while to piece this together, but this is a great clue/answer pair.
- 34A: Diddly, in Durango (NADA). I've never been a fan of the word "diddly." It sounds nasty to me.
- 37A: Truth-in-advertising agcy. (BBB). The Better Business Bureau.
- 39A: Candy with collectible dispensers (PEZ). Did you all get this one this time? I seem to recall last time it showed up several of you said you had never heard of PEZ.
- 40A: Flying start? (AERO-). The prefix AERO- can be used to "start" a word that relates to "flying."
- 42A: I-beam, e.g. (GIRDER). With the two Rs in place, I tried CURSOR here first. Sometimes it does look like a little I-beam, right? I'm not just making that up?
- 2D: "A watched pot never boils" is one (ADAGE).
- 11D: Auel's "The Clan of the __ Bear" (CAVE). We've been seeing a lot of Ms. Auel lately, haven't we? She's usually the answer, though, not the clue.
- 13D: Viking's landing place (MARS). Had a conversation recently with the PuzzleKids where we told them they had Viking blood, which made them very tough and growly, so I couldn't think of any other type of Viking.
- 19D: Cuban dance (RUMBA). RUMBA, SAMBA, SALSA — I always have to wait for crosses. I can already see the comments: "Um … you do know, PuzzleGirl, that SAMBA and SALSA are not Cuban, right?" Well, in my brain, they're all stored in the same place. (By the way, I have no idea if they're Cuban or not.)
- 42D: Beanstalk threat (GIANT). So be careful if you're out in the garden today!
- 35A: Nietzsche's "never" (NIE).
- 36A: Bush's undergraduate classmates (ELIS).
- 47A: River in central Germany (EDER).
- 43D: Hairy TV cousin (ITT).
- 54D: Hairy Himalayan legend (YETI).
- 58D: Legal thing (RES).
Everything — 1A: Close-up lens (MACRO); 6A: Jazz jobs (GIGS); 10A: Con game (SCAM); 14A: The American dream, e.g. (IDEAL); 15A: Colosseo city (ROMA); 16A: "__, Can You Hear Me?": song from "Yentl" (PAPA); 17A: Road hog (DANGEROUS DRIVER); 20A: Pvt. driller (SGT.); 21A: Drips in the ER (IV'S); 22A: Arm-twisting (DURESS); 23A: Ritzy apartment feature (TERRACE); 26A: __ mater (ALMA); 27A: Hog heaven (ABSOLUTE BLISS); 32A: Frank topper (RELISH); 34A: Diddly, in Durango (NADA); 35A: Nietzsche's "never" (NIE); 36A: Bush's undergraduate classmates (ELIS); 37A: Truth-in-advertising agcy. (BBB); 38A: Disconcert (FAZE); 39A: Candy with collectible dispensers (PEZ); 40A: Flying start? (AERO-); 42A: I-beam, e.g. (GIRDER); 44A: Hog wild (OVERLY EXCITED); 47A: River in central Germany (EDER); 48A: Diamond-patterned structure, as a trellis (LATTICE); 51A: Black suit (SPADES); 54A: Hither's partner (YON); 55A: Beach shade (TAN); 56A: Whole hog (WITH NO RESTRAINT); 60A: GI's supply (AMMO); 61A: Mindless learning (ROTE); 62A: Shrink in increments (ERODE); 63A: It's history (PAST); 64A: Rephrase, say (EDIT); 65A: South-of-the-border sir (SEÑOR); 1D: Center (MIDST); 2D: "A watched pot never boils" is one (ADAGE); 3D: Bring under a single control (CENTRALIZE); 4D: Dusting aid (RAG); 5D: __ Miss (OLE); 6D: Kowtow (GROVEL); 7D: Chits in the pot (IOU'S); 8D: Baseball VIPs (GM'S); 9D: Got ready to ride (SADDLED); 10D: Slinky shape (SPIRAL); 11D: Auel's "The Clan of the __ Bear" (CAVE); 12D: King Kong's kin (APES); 13D: Viking's landing place (MARS); 18D: Big name in copiers (RICOH); 19D: Cuban dance (RUMBA); 24D: Baseball scoring stats (RBI'S); 25D: Shrek's sidekick Donkey, e.g. (ASS); 26D: Run __: postpone the bar bill (A TAB); 28D: Take out of the carton (UNBOX); 29D: Also (IN ADDITION); 30D: Fitting description? (SIZE); 31D: Nostradamus, for one (SEER); 32D: Auto taken back, briefly (REPO); 33D: Topog. map stat (ELEV.); 37D: Uncle Remus appellation (BR'ER); 38D: Stew (FRET); 40D: First Mayflower passenger to set foot on Plymouth Rock, so it's said (ALDEN); 41D: Neighborhood improvement target (EYESORE); 42D: Beanstalk threat (GIANT); 43D: Hairy TV cousin (ITT); 45D: Sizzling (RED-HOT); 46D: Room for a broom (CLOSET); 49D: "No prob!" ("CAN DO!"); 50D: Sign up to compete (ENTER); 51D: Trade (SWAP); 52D: Arizona tribe (PIMA); 53D: Bread machines, for short? (ATM'S); 54D: Hairy Himalayan legend (YETI); 57D: Valance holder (ROD); 58D: Legal thing (RES); 59D: "__ you serious?" (ARE).
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