john adams is cantankerous + superfluous star wars reference

So, periodically, I'll drop in on John Adams' blog, Hell Mouth, just to see what he's got to say. As with any internet space that people get to say whatever the hellmouth they want, it can be good or it can be bad. His latest post, however, has me thinking that JA was hammered when he put it up there.

Here, read it. (Seriously, you need to read that.)

I won't parse that here because, unlike John Adams (apparently), I believe that a person can say whatever they want when they create something (a blog or a piece of music, for instance). But...damn...that shit gets vindictive, right? Having read his brilliant memoir, Hallelujah Junction, last summer, it makes me think that he didn't actually read this whatever-it-is before he posted it.

I mean, I suppose it's humorous...I guess. It just seems like a really high-school-bitchy entry by one of America's most respected composers. Ecce homo:

The composers with Max MSP in their pieces usually wear torn jeans, high-tops and a black tee shirt with the logos of a metal band or a portrait of Franz Kafka on the front. They will be the most intellectual and "indie" looking of those in the class, whereas those students who write trumpet sonatas or choral anthems usually dress more conservatively, favoring Dockers and in rare instances, especially in Utah, neckties.)

See that weird parenthetical at the end? I didn't forget to write a starting parenthesis. That's his actual notation and one of the reasons I think he was wasted or something when he wrote it. And why are we talking about clothing? Who cares? If doing a master class makes you all pissy why not just avoid it in the first place? It's like that old adage about the guy who goes and tells the doctor that "it hurts whenever I (blank)." So the doctor just says something like, "then stop doing (blank)."

And then he adds all these weird hyper-links that I think, based on the fact that they are extreme (Saint Sebastian, a cow's mouth, etc.), are somehow supposed to desensitize the reader to the acerbic things he's writing if you're curious enough to click on the highlighted text. What is going on here? One of my favorite composers isn't making rational sense!

And here I said I wouldn't parse that entry. It just gets so mean.

Bleh. (I make a hand washing motion.)

Anyway. Have you guys all seen Star Wars Uncut? A bunch of folks got together and have "re-filmed" the first Star Wars movie in 15-second clips with rudimentary implements. It's incredibly interesting, hilarious and definitely worth a look. They just up a trailer for the dog fight scene.