Harvey Pekar-Nooooooooooooooooooo!

For those of you who don't know who he is, shame on you, but you will. He has a new movie coming out and he also has a blog. ( I don't have time to get the links for everything people, that's why god made google or as my students like to call it goggle.)

In a recent post Pekar said " Less and less these days am I inclined to waste time being rude and argumentative with people I think are ill-informed or not especially bright."

Now part of the reason I object this is because it is advise from his PUBLICIST. It seems his publicist, Laura Kim has taught Pekar the finer points of Machiavellian politics: "under her guidance I’ve come to see that my cavalier attitude hasn’t always been the right one for me to display...In most instances it doesn’t help me in the long run; indeed rubbing people the wrong way can often result in harming myself. " So he isn't toning down because of a new found respect for other people, but rather for his own sake.

Now I'm all for self indulgence and self protection and hell why not a little self effacement while were at it. I'm all for ego in its myriad forms, but what I object to is that Pekar has become successful precisely because of his refusal to indulge the moronic-to some of us, he is a modern superhero of honesty. And now that he's made it, he is basically abandoning the very qualities that brought him and success to begin with-always a dangerous idea.

But beyond that there is the fact that he is advertising this on his blog, which I know his publicist can't be pleased with-generally you don't advertise being a sell-out: "I’ve come to see that my cavalier attitude hasn’t always been the right one for me to display, especially now when my sources of income are so uncertain." Although I applaud him for his honesty, certainly there have been many stars and writers who have maintained sucessful careers without selling out or compromising their personal behavior so as to make them more accessible to the brain sucking public. It is to some degree like going before HUAC, giving up names just makes it harder for the next guy to stand up and say "You have no right to assault me with your stupidity." Artist and writers should be able to be themselves and set boundaries and at the very least stand up and say "NO MOM NO MORE PEAS"

uh sorry I was channeling "Peggy Sue Got Married" ( More of 80s movie list flash back attacks)

What I mean was that writers, particularly ones who have a reputation for prickly honesty should be able to remain prickly honest. And they should be able to stand up and say "YES I ABSOLUTELY REFUSE TO GIVE INTO IDIOTS."

( Bunni stands) I absolutely refuse to give into idiots.....unless there's really good money in it..... or at least some health insurance... or maybe a few good backrubs...or uh a martini