quote:

Originally posted by seven:
Mr. Hill and Penny were fun. But can all 'performance artists' from NYU and Columbia be banned please.

quote:

Originally posted by seven:
Don't get me wrong Earl. It's a great party. I'm not a judge but I can be much more opinionated than a judge. Erin utlizing her interior was a good party gag. As performance it was facile, derivative -even if that was the point-, or let's just say flat out not original. I guess it is funny to see someone quoting Schneeman -with their body. But in the end it was academic even if that was not intended. Worse, it suffered terribly from what so much 'downtwon' NYC performance suffers from, covering up lack of substance with overdose of uberkitsch. This makes for effective entertainment, very crowd pleasing, but as a show of talent it is almost empty. And I don't think she intended her act to be an expository offering of existential emptyness. I am totally all for a boozy, inebriated, sexually unbridled bit of exhibitionism. But silly kitsch, even if it is a faux homage to some modernist superstar, is overflowing on the scene to the point where the practice is pretty empty of real merit. Nothing personal against Erin, I don't even know her. She obviously has an inspirational spark, powerful stage presence, and loads of energy. That's why when I see someone with such qualities it is a let down to see them not do something real and out of their own imagination but insted cop to what is almost the downtown scene's 'house style'. Look at the humor in the work of someone like Martha Rosler for instance, to get a real taste of gratuitous humor that nonetheless goes right for bolstering the spectator's sense of self respect - work that is strident, wildly rabid, a bit out of control, overpowering, leaves the audience in the dust but yet totally sated if bewildered, and without one gram of aesthetic dishonesty.

I had a great time at the party, it goes a long way to what has been needed hereabouts for quite some time, and I enjoyed Erin's enthusiasm. Even in a program of performance that is couched as a kitsch talent contest that is a tried and true hook for getting audience.

The whole slate of volunteer performers was very fetching and each contributed to the overall fullness of the show. Loads of laughs and some delightful peaks of amazement and weirdness, including from the low scorers.

Perhaps I'm just spoiled by the previous era that was populated by a majority of total misfits who paid homage to no one, and who would have spat at the feet of some pretend judge scoring them with an eleven.

Looking forward to the next installment, yours with whiskey in hand, seven.