Within the past 24 hours I
have encountered two cultural references to the unfortunate suicide of
Pulitzer and Nobel Prize winner Ernest Hemingway. While the writer's
death by his own hand is common knowledge, I was taken aback by one of
these references, while I feel the other must be taken into context to
be fully understood.
The first reference to "Hemingway's Shotgun" was in a recent episode of the FOX sitcom Family Guy. In this particular episode three of the characters (Stewie, Brian and Chris Griffin) travel back in time to learn about famous moments in history. Why the writers felt that Hemingway's suicide qualified as such an event seems a bit forced, but that is a topic for another day. The "writer" among the group, Brian, is thrilled at the chance to meet Hemingway and begins pandering to him the moment they meet. In the cartoon Hemingway then brandishes his famous shotgun and takes his own life rather than listen to Brian.
The second reference was in a short story I recently read by one of my own favorite authors, Charles Bukowski. While this story was written fifty years before Family Guy ever existed the punch line concerning "Hemingway's Shotgun" was much the same. Bukowski makes multiple references to his friendship with Hemingway throughout his writing. The fact that he knew Hemingway before his death gives him some room for comment. The way Bukowski quips about Hemingway's choice of weapon (a shotgun) might give the casual reader the impression that Bukowski didn't like Hemingway. As a fan of both authors, I feel that it is clear that Bukowski actually admired Hemingway greatly. He ever refers to Hemingway as "the best among us" on more than one occasion. Anyone who is familiar with Bukowski's work is also familiar with his rather blunt and often intentionally offensive sense of humor. Despite this fact, Bukowski seems to have been more deeply affected by the Nobel Prize winners death than he is comfortable admitting.
While both references were clearly made in jest Bukowski's comments, however comedic, seem to have some actual heart and sympathy behind them. The unnecessary and poorly scripted joke on Family Guy, however, had no such heart. Seth MacFarlane and his contemporaries seem to feel they have dramatic license to mock Hemingway and other great authors. In terms of sheer freedom of speech these comedy writers certain have that right. Charles Bukowski, on the other hand, was a contemporary of Hemingway's. He actually KNEW the man, the author, the artist.
While both jokes seem similar, their intentions are very different. Despite what one might think of Bukowski his writing has a blunt honesty to it. The bottom line is that if anyone has dramatic license to make such comments it would be the man's contemporary, Charles Bukowski not a comedian who never knew the man.
The first reference to "Hemingway's Shotgun" was in a recent episode of the FOX sitcom Family Guy. In this particular episode three of the characters (Stewie, Brian and Chris Griffin) travel back in time to learn about famous moments in history. Why the writers felt that Hemingway's suicide qualified as such an event seems a bit forced, but that is a topic for another day. The "writer" among the group, Brian, is thrilled at the chance to meet Hemingway and begins pandering to him the moment they meet. In the cartoon Hemingway then brandishes his famous shotgun and takes his own life rather than listen to Brian.
The second reference was in a short story I recently read by one of my own favorite authors, Charles Bukowski. While this story was written fifty years before Family Guy ever existed the punch line concerning "Hemingway's Shotgun" was much the same. Bukowski makes multiple references to his friendship with Hemingway throughout his writing. The fact that he knew Hemingway before his death gives him some room for comment. The way Bukowski quips about Hemingway's choice of weapon (a shotgun) might give the casual reader the impression that Bukowski didn't like Hemingway. As a fan of both authors, I feel that it is clear that Bukowski actually admired Hemingway greatly. He ever refers to Hemingway as "the best among us" on more than one occasion. Anyone who is familiar with Bukowski's work is also familiar with his rather blunt and often intentionally offensive sense of humor. Despite this fact, Bukowski seems to have been more deeply affected by the Nobel Prize winners death than he is comfortable admitting.
While both references were clearly made in jest Bukowski's comments, however comedic, seem to have some actual heart and sympathy behind them. The unnecessary and poorly scripted joke on Family Guy, however, had no such heart. Seth MacFarlane and his contemporaries seem to feel they have dramatic license to mock Hemingway and other great authors. In terms of sheer freedom of speech these comedy writers certain have that right. Charles Bukowski, on the other hand, was a contemporary of Hemingway's. He actually KNEW the man, the author, the artist.
While both jokes seem similar, their intentions are very different. Despite what one might think of Bukowski his writing has a blunt honesty to it. The bottom line is that if anyone has dramatic license to make such comments it would be the man's contemporary, Charles Bukowski not a comedian who never knew the man.
http://www.amazon.com/Worst-Times-John-Eric-Buckley-ebook/dp/B00F5BVSFU
http://www.amazon.com/Elsewhere-John-Eric-Buckley-ebook/dp/B00QAS3SCS
http://www.amazon.com/Elsewhere-John-Eric-Buckley-ebook/dp/B00QAS3SCS
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