Posted by cyfre at user-uive8d5.dsl.mindspring.com on May 21, 2002 at 22:44:42:
KS is infinitely entitled to parley his ‘indie’ credentials into the orthodox success he so earnestly desires. There is little point, however, in confusing that desire with the ‘street cred’ he continues to claim. Dissing lip-synchers in Arena while shilling for Panasonic is less than cutting-edge, and likely constitutes a transparently petty, albeit amusing, hypocrisy worthy of the One Truth Faith so aptly treated in Dogma. ‘Personally’ entreating fans to catch JSBSB twice with the pledge of personalized posters, but, more importantly, the sense of being part of a community, however improbably, then being terribly busy while Ming and staff rag anyone who presumes to enquire, however politely, nicely catches the ‘let’s do lunch’ stance his performance in Vulgar captured so well. A talent, quite real, no question.
If KS sees no reason not to turn a gimlet eye on the petty hypocrisies of contemporary society, it is unrealistic, however natural, to expect otherwise, save for the most slavishly devoted of fans - those whom he joyously skewers as no-lifers. Indeed, as he has repeatedly made clear, he had hoped Mall Rats would be his bid for conventional, albeit slightly edgy, Hollywood Success. His ‘failure’ made it a far better flick than would have his ‘success’, and, having carefully repositioned himself with the efforts since, he is clearly now prepared to make the attempt once again.
If he, himself, has made quite clear that all he wants are the conventional goodies, that he makes no other populist or artistic claim, why the sense of surprise, astonishment, betrayal?
Ah, yes, the compromising of a projected ideal.
Dreams die hard.
‘Let’s do lunch.’