Sunday 11 July 2010

Johnny Cash and Marilyn Monroe



It occurred to me that I haven't put up any Johnny Cash for ages. So here's Ring of Fire for starters. For afters, below is Hurt. Now there's a strange guy thing going on here. Everyone male I have ever discussed this song (which was recorded when he was dying) agrees that it rips their guts out. Women don't seem to react in the same way. Very odd. I'm male. It rips my guts out. What a guy.



I've blogged before on the part of central Birmingham where I have come to rest - for the moment - as well as having the back to backs (follow link) this area, generally known as Southside is the Chinese Quarter and - evidently this is a common pattern - also the gay quarter. Just round the corner from Rabbit Towers is a gay bar called Missing. The rabbit has not visited this emporium and - erm - Shagtag night (next Saturday as you ask) constitutes no incentive so to do. Missing is in an interesting looking older (late Victorian, I'd guess) building. It's an exception to the general rule that town planners seem to pull down interesting older buildings (which look as if they could at least be gutted and their attractive and I suspect structurally sound external walls used as a shell) and replace them with bland and soulless modern buildings.

Such as Rabbit Towers (above). Bland enough for you? Anyway, Missing has a flat side roof. On the flat roof was a statue of Marilyn Monroe with billowing dress as per Some Like It Hot (sorry - The Seven Year Itch - as Earl points out). To the rabbit's considerable chagrin. The statue has been taken down. The rabbit has written an e-mail to the owner protesting at this piece of aesthetic vandalism. I'll keep you posted.

14 comments:

tony said...

Which begs the question of what do they do with the Statue.I wouldnt mind it for my garden!

white rabbit said...

Tony - If I get a reply to e-mail of protest but they won't put it back I'll mention your interest!

Verdant Earl said...

I believe she struck that pose in The Seven Year Itch, my rascally friend. Not Some Like It Hot. :)

white rabbit said...

Earl - But as I keep demonstrating on your quiz, I know naff all about movies.

Catch Her in the Wry said...

I've always found myself more in line with men's views, but that song didn't rip me apart - good, but I like many of his other songs better.

That picture of MM is one of my favorites because it shows that legs with some meat and a bit of cellulite can still be sexy. That's a real woman.

Holly said...

I think if I caught it at the right mood, my guts would have been sufficiently ripped by "Hurt."

Cash achieves such believable, masculine sorrow.

The Dental Maven said...

Now, why on earth would they move Marilyn? As it's said, there's no accounting for taste...

white rabbit said...

Catchy - Agreed re MM legs...

Maven - I've no idea. I've e-mailed my protest and will let you (and the readership generally) know any answer. One of our number fancies the statue if they wpon't put it back.

Catchy/Holly - Hmmmmmm. Maybe it is a guy thing. He was quite something.

JoJo said...

I always thought "Ring of Fire" would have been good music for a hemorrhoid cream commercial....

white rabbit said...

JoJo - Reallyyyyyy!!!

Tskkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk!!!

Helpful advice: always leave the Deep Heat and Anusol at different ends of the bathroom cabinet.

:D

Anonymous said...

My name is Danny

We are a custom tile manufacturer Oregon. We have an 8’x8’ mosaic Marilyn Monroe mural made out of 1” mosaic tiles. We had this in our old showroom and we have moved and can no longer display the mural as nicely as we would have hoped to, therefore we are looking to sell it.

email me at sales@wclasertile for a picture. The mural is attached to plywood and aluminum 2’x4’s. We were asking $8,000 for it however, we are ready to drop it down 75% just to get rid of it, and will take $2,000 for it.
Or here is a link http://www.architecturalarttile.com/images/gallery/Monroe_mosaic.jpg
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Thank you

Danny

Sarcastic Bastard said...

I love Hurt. I can't say it rips my guts out though. I do find it very moving and much more meaningful than the original version.

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Patent Lawyer said...

Two incredibly iconic figures! Some Like it Hot is one of my absolute favourite films, need to dig it out again!