Katemases, Japanese Boxed Set

[rhill@netrun.cts.com (ronald hill)]

        As far as a San Jose/Fransisco Katemas goes, Andrew Marvick will 
NOT be having one, but hopefully someone will step forward.  As far as a 
Seattle Katemas, there seems to be enough interest here, so why don't one 
of you volunteer!!!  :-) 
        I talked to Tippi Chai by EMAIL and he says that he won't be able 
to translate the rest of the Japanese Boxed set stuff till the end of 
summer.  If anyone wants just the first page or so let me know. 

        I just saw a thing on MTV that talks about Geena Davis being in a 
new movie with Madonna.  Since I see EVERY Geena movie and refuse to see 
ANY Madonna movie, looks like I have a big conflict coming up!  :-) 

        I just saw that Pinochio is being re-released.  For those that 
haven't been keeping up on your Kate Busholigical studies, here is Kate 
talking about the connection to _Get_Out_Of_My_House_ with our fearless 
founder Doug: 

 



        I FIND THE USE OF STRONG SYMBOLISM AND METAPHOR AND ALLUSIONS IN 
YOUR LYRICS TO BE EXTREMELY INTERESTING.  FOR EXAMPLE, IN "GET OUT OF MY 
HOUSE," THE WOMAN WHO IS SINGING THE SONG HAS BEEN LEFT BY HER LOVER AND 
FEELS HURT, AND IDENTIFIES HERSELF WITH A HOUSE.  THIS IS A BIBLICAL 
ALLUSION.  WHEN SHE SAYS "I WASHE'S SAYING SHE'S WASHING THE WINDOWS OF 
HER BODY, WHICH ARE THE EYES.  THIS MEANS SHE'S CRYING, AND BY DOING SO, 
SHE'S WASHING THE HURT AND PAIN AWAY.  THEN SHE SAYS "NO STRANGER'S FEET 
WILL ENTER ME" SAYING THAT SHE WON'T LET ANYONE INTO HER HOUSE, WHICH IS 
SAYING SHE WON'T LET ANYONE INTO HER BODY, WHICH IS ALSO REINFORCED BY 
THE BIBLICAL USE OF "FEET" AS A EUPHEMISM FOR "PRIVATE PARTS".  THE 
LAYERS OF MEANING HERE, ARE PRETTY INCREDIBLE.
        THEN A MAN TRIES TO ENTER HER LIFE AGAIN, BUT SHE'S TOO SCARED, 
AND SHE TRIES TO ESCAPE BY FLYING AWAY, BUT HE TURNS INTO THE WIND.  SHE 
THEN TURNS INTO A MULE, PERHAPS FOR ITS STUBBORN ABILITY TO WITHSTAND THE 
WIND.  AND THEN HE ALSO TURNS INTO A MULE.  NOW IT SEEMS THAT THEY HAVE A 
GROUND FOR COMMUNICATION.  BECAUSE MULES ARE NEUTER, AND THEY CAN 
COMMUNICATE ON A PLATONIC LEVEL RATHER THAN A SEXUAL LEVEL.
        NOW A FRIEND OF MINE BELIEVES THAT THIS LAST PART IS A FLAW IN 
THE SONG, BECAUSE MULES ARE NOT REALLY NEUTER AFTER ALL.  THEY ARE ONLY 
STERILE.  PERSONALLY, I THINK IT ISN'T A FLAW BECAUSE THE IDEA COMES 
ACROSS LOUD AND CLEAR TO ME, AND SOMEHOW IT SEEMS THAT "I CHANGE INTO THE 
AMOEBA: OOZE! OOZE!" JUST WOULDN'T WORK SO WELL.  SO THE QUESTION IS, 
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS INTERPRETATION? AND COULD YOU RESPOND TO MY 
FRIEND'S SLIGHT CRITICISM?
        And what was your friend's criticism?
        HE SAID THAT THE ENDING IS A FLAW BECAUSE MULES ARE NOT REALLY 
NEUTER, THEY ARE ONLY STERILE.
        What does he mean?
        WELL, IT SEEMS TO ME - AND TO HIM - THAT THE END OF THE SONG IS 
SORT OF A POSITIVE NOTE BECAUSE THEY'VE FOUND A GROUNDS FOR 
COMMUNICATION.  AND SORT OF ON A PLATONIC LEVEL, BECAUSE MULES MIGHT BE 
SEEN AS BEING PLATONIC, BECAUSE...
        Why?
        OH... WELL... MULES ARE STERILE... UH... A DONKEY AND A HORSE... 
YOU KNOW... HAVE A SEXUAL RELATIONSHIP, AND THEN THEY HAVE MULES, AND 
MULES DON'T HAVE CHILDREN, BUT THEY REALLY CAN HAVE SEX.  THEY JUST CAN'T 
HAVE CHILDREN, BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE ACTUALLY THINK THAT THEY JUST DON'T 
HAVE SEX.  WHICH ISN'T REALLY TRUE.
        Right!  Well, um... I think you... It's kind of weird the level 
of interpretation that you are reading into things, because... I mean, a 
mule - in our country - all it represents is a stupid animal.  They are 
considered stupid.  [THIS, OF COURSE, IS THE DOMINANT SIGNIFICANCE OF THE 
MULE AS A SYMBOL IN THE UNITED STATES, AS WELL.  THE EXPRESSION "STUBBORN 
AS A MULE" IS CONSIDERABLY BETTER KNOWN IN BOTH COUNTRIES THAN THE 
STERILE CONDITION OF THE ANIMAL - AS THE INTERVIEWER OUGHT TO KNOW. - 
IED] and that's the allusion that was being used in that case.  And it's 
very much a play on a traditional song called The Two Magicians about 
someone who's trying to escape someone, and they keep changing their form 
in order to escape them.  But the other thing keeps changing its form.  
And that's actually what the whole song is about - someone who is running 
away from something they don't want to face, but wherever they go, the 
thing will follow them.  Basically, you can't run away from things - 
you've got to confront things.  And it's using the person as the imagery 
of a house, where they won't let anyone in, they lock all the doors and 
windows, and put a guard on the front door.  But I think the essence of 
the song is about someone trying to run away from things they don't like 
and not being able to escape - because you can't.
        BUT IF THE SYMBOL OF MULES IS JUST STUPIDITY, AT THE END, THEN IT 
WOULD SEEM LIKE IT WOULD BE A NEGATIVE ENDING, AND IT JUST SORT OF SEEMS 
TO ME, MOST OF YOUR SONGS...A LOT OF THEM...END ON UP NOTES.  AND IT SORT 
OF SEEMED LIKE IT WAS A POSITIVE NOTE AT THE END.
        Yes, I think the mule is that kind of... the stupid 
confrontation...  I mean, there's not really that much to read into it.  
It was the idea of playing around with changing shape, and the mule 
imagery was something I liked audially.  The whole thing of this wild, 
stupid, mad creature just turning around and going, you know, "Eeyore! 
Eeyore!" [KATE MAKES CONVINCING EEYORE SOUNDS.] I don't know if you saw 
Pinocchio, but there's an incredibly heavy scene in there, where one of 
the little boys turns into a donkey - a mule.  And it's very heavy stuff.
        I HAVEN'T SEEN THAT SINCE ABOUT SIX, BUT I THINK I REMEMBER 
THAT...IT'S A STRONG IMAGE.
        Well, maybe you should see it again.  It's a good film.   (1985, 
Love-Hounds)


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rhill@netrun.cts.com (ronald hill)
NetRunner's Paradise BBS, San Diego CA