Aug 24 2009
I think … Therefore I judge … Therefore I am : Wilde Amphigories by Reggie Fox
I think …
Therefore I judge …
Therefore I am …
In the final moments of the Francis Ford Coppola film “Apocalypse Now” Marlon Brando, with his head down, mutters to Martin Sheen “You don’t have a right to judge me. You have a right to kill me … but you don’t have a right to judge me.”
Sheen’s mission is to find Kurtz (Brando) and kill him. In the diabolical dance during “The Doors” psychedelic,‘The End” Brando again utters some of the most profound thoughts in the Vietnam War film; “You can train young men to drop fire on people but their commanders won’t allow them to write fuck … on their airplane because it’s obscene.” The judgment, for better or worse resonates deeply even today. If we’ve learned anything in this country the people hired to judge are making decisions solely on opinion. Bombs Good. Language Bad.
In the context of civil life, why are we now so afraid of judgment in this country? When did the opinion of someone else have the effect of tear gas or napalm to our senses? In a country where people work painful hours, so much so they’ve managed to shorten their life due to exhaustion and stress; how did we become so soft on receiving opinions? I’ve gone through life having heard those precious words “Don’t judge me” so many times, and this is before I’ve opened my mouth.
Where did judgment and our fear of it come from? The Bible says “Do not judge, for judgment be only for the Lord.” In essence this means don’t think, for thinking causes ideas and ideas garner independent thought; something the Bible or religion has never been comfortable with. But if you don’t have an opinion and you believe everything people tell you to believe then you are basically reduced to a child, regardless of age. So with this rationale, if I am ridiculed for voicing my opinion, does this mean the person I’m speaking to is uncomfortable with thought? Or criticism? Or is a child?
But in my experience usually these soft, euphemistic-friendly Americans are not of the Bible carrying assortment. I’ve found atheists, Judiac-enthusiasts (not practicing Jews) and the most horrid of all, PC liberals to be judgment-haters. So my question is why do they care? They of all people are open to this, that and the other, aren’t they? Okay, maybe I should refine my search: PC Liberals. Right?
When you judge a Red Stater in this capitalistic state of sordid affairs they don’t cry, whine or bitch or call you judgmental. They shoot you with their hunting rifle. That is after they’ve passed judgment on you.
Judgment is as American as violence and violence is our national pastime. We have a hard time with graphic sex in movies but we’re okay with violence. Oops. I made a judgment. But then again we have plenty of wars and dead Americans to prove it. Now: Who’s feelings have I hurt?
Meanwhile, we’ve learned in this country that our state and federal government is made up of a bunch of nincompoops with consistently bad judgment, which in most cases is really what judgment is. And then we judge them and they judge one another, but that is a right of opinion and thought, isn’t it? After all, judgment is opinion and everyone has a right to an opinion in a democratic state. Does anyone know where I can find a democratic state?
I’ve always wondered what these “Don’t judge me” people do when they ask a question and in response they hear “Well, that’s a judgment call.” In my experience, you are in for a term of six minutes of condescension and a pseudo-intellectual tirade of bullshit all stemming from a polarized state of sensitivity. This is our 51st state.
In each person’s life there has to be an area in which a the individual refrains from being a complete ass, regardless if the judgment and or person in question is a meandering conformist. In my path, as a writer, I refrain from being critical (in most cases) of anything in the arts. I respect art in all forms from underground flute players who are missing a reed to artists who paint with urine. Sometimes, art can even be a little kinky and even perverse. I am rarely petulant following a trip to the theatre or cinema or a gallery, or after reading a narrative prose poem. I save the criticism for the critics of these works. If you want to have a twelve act play without a protagonist or an intermission I might actually see it twice.
We all know the person, who sits and scrolls through the paper, or worse yet, searches on their technologically, brain dead telephone (which now allows you to visit Pluto) for critiques of films before deciding on one. If a person reads the critiques before going to the picture, they’ve already made a judgment. A judgment to not think. This is my favorite time to be judgmental. If you know someone who is this cerebrally delinquent, it might be time to raise your standards with those who you associate with. People who believe what they read from critics are loathsome and cliché. These are the same cretins who throw around “don’t judge me.” And never like the film regardless.
Judgment in the form of literary rejection letters, cross my desk every day; numbers only overshadowed by the national debt or the number of rounds of ammo purchased at Walmart. Some of my peers place their ‘’judgment” with a tack over their desk, others embrace opinions, by hanging these letters over the toilet in their washroom. In essence, these letters, laced with euphemisms, never really tell the truth. They’re rarely judgmental, yet obviously are a product of opinion. Instead you get “The editors of the Deer Fart Review think you are an uninspired, lousy raconteur without voice or verve. Your work is unemotional and filled with amphigories.” They shower the reader with the proof they haven’t read the text. Now the Deer Fart Review’s editor is one I admire.
No one ever said judgment is truth. It is in fact opinion. It is an opinion that O.J. Simpson is innocent. Others pass judgment.
If you don’t want anyone’s opinion stay home, off the internet, and most importantly your touch-free I-PHONE, which serves as a vibrator on holidays. Don’t ask someone how you look of if they like Shiraz, Sirah or the Mirage. If they tell you without asking, listen or ignore them. But don’t incriminate yourself with PC liberal platitudes.
Maybe even flip them a quarter. They may have survived a call of duty in Saigon.
Edited by Angela Goughnour
I like this piece Ryan. You’re on target in many respects from both sides.
Hey Reggie,
Keep thinking, keep judging!!!! Good job. I enjoyed reading this piece.
Anne H
Hilarious as always, well done. : )
People are just annoying…. especially those that ridicule over the pettiest things.
I think our culture mistakenly uses the word “judge” when they actually mean don’t express any criticism of my belief or point out real or perceived flaws. The majority of people tend express their opinion based on feelings and “crowdpressure.” Great topic for an art walk conversation Reggie, keep it up.