The World of Henry Orient
Dec. 31st, 2025 10:52 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mallorys_cameraMinor frustrations this final day of the year.
The driveway is drivable. But slippery. 'Cause I shoveled all the slush, but the standing water froze, so there are multiple ice patches.
The nail place overbooked. I waited 15 minutes yesterday afternoon, & then walked out. Will try another place Friday, I guess.
Post office label printer was out when I tried to mail packages.
Today, I was gonna work on the Work in Progress, but the Schlock people offered to pay me to get small business-certified and money, money, money, money, money.
When I was hanging out with Flavia last week, I found myself reminiscing about my childhood in the City, how my best friend Roberta & I used to spend every Saturday walking through Central Park, making up elaborate stories about the people we passed.
"You mean like The World of Henry Orient?" Flavia asked.
"Yes, exactly like The World of Henry Orient!" I said, delighted.
It's an obscure movie.
So last night I tracked it down & watched it again.
Some thoughts:
First, the concert scene where Peter Sellers is presumably playing an atonal Precoviev piano concerto is absolutely hilarious, especially when Sellers keeps hitting the wrong note, and the conductor refuses to let the orchestra start playing, & Sellers keeps getting more & more exasperated until finally the conductor silently mouths, "B Flat."
Second, there is a fair amount of what would be considered racism today in the film. Inspired by the titular character's surname, the girls stalk Peter Sellers wearing coolie hats and performing "Ah so" bowing rituals.
Is this offensive?
Most people under 60 would find it so.
Aging Boomer that I am, I guess what I would say is that playing with stereotypes in this way is a form of teasing, & I wish more people did it. Specifically, I wish that white people were teased this way in movies—except, though, what exactly are stereotypic white people behaviors?? Double parking? Collecting refrigerator magnets? Inability to dance?
I suppose "white people" in the United States is a synonym for "people of European descent," and most of us identify with country of origin.
Still. I think gentle humor is a step toward demystification. And demystification is the only real way to end the Fear of the Other & related xenophobias.
I know, I know. It's off to the Reeducation Camp for Aging Boomers for me.
The driveway is drivable. But slippery. 'Cause I shoveled all the slush, but the standing water froze, so there are multiple ice patches.
The nail place overbooked. I waited 15 minutes yesterday afternoon, & then walked out. Will try another place Friday, I guess.
Post office label printer was out when I tried to mail packages.
Today, I was gonna work on the Work in Progress, but the Schlock people offered to pay me to get small business-certified and money, money, money, money, money.
When I was hanging out with Flavia last week, I found myself reminiscing about my childhood in the City, how my best friend Roberta & I used to spend every Saturday walking through Central Park, making up elaborate stories about the people we passed.
"You mean like The World of Henry Orient?" Flavia asked.
"Yes, exactly like The World of Henry Orient!" I said, delighted.
It's an obscure movie.
So last night I tracked it down & watched it again.
Some thoughts:
First, the concert scene where Peter Sellers is presumably playing an atonal Precoviev piano concerto is absolutely hilarious, especially when Sellers keeps hitting the wrong note, and the conductor refuses to let the orchestra start playing, & Sellers keeps getting more & more exasperated until finally the conductor silently mouths, "B Flat."
Second, there is a fair amount of what would be considered racism today in the film. Inspired by the titular character's surname, the girls stalk Peter Sellers wearing coolie hats and performing "Ah so" bowing rituals.
Is this offensive?
Most people under 60 would find it so.
Aging Boomer that I am, I guess what I would say is that playing with stereotypes in this way is a form of teasing, & I wish more people did it. Specifically, I wish that white people were teased this way in movies—except, though, what exactly are stereotypic white people behaviors?? Double parking? Collecting refrigerator magnets? Inability to dance?
I suppose "white people" in the United States is a synonym for "people of European descent," and most of us identify with country of origin.
Still. I think gentle humor is a step toward demystification. And demystification is the only real way to end the Fear of the Other & related xenophobias.
I know, I know. It's off to the Reeducation Camp for Aging Boomers for me.
