click opera - Hello -- and goodbye -- Cute Formalism!

July 2009


	1


	2


	3


	4


	5


	6


	7


	8


	9


	10


	11


	12


	13


	14


	15


	16


	17


	18


	19


	20


	21


	22


	23


	24


	25


	26


	27


	28


	29


	30


	31

	Sat, Feb. 25th, 2006 11:32 am

Hello -- and goodbye -- Cute Formalism!

Today I offer you

The sound of Japanese TV adverts (4 MB mono mp3 file, 8 mins. 56 secs.)

What emerges from this little collage of recordings I made yesterday afternoon is the image of a manically happy children's marching band, an insanely upbeat collective dedicated to toy robots, Disneyland and the future. (Oh, and private loans.) I would call the results "cute formalist", but unfortunately Wikipedia yesterday deleted their Cute Formalism entry. The deletion log explains their thinking:

"Lacks primary sources. I don't think it's so much crufty as it is non-notable... Upon searching google, the term "Cute formalism" gets aprox. 111 hits, which many of the links are from free dictionaries, livejournal/blogs, and wikipedia itself. Right in the article it states that one guy came up with the term 5 years ago. For a term that is 5 years old, you'd think if it were gonna catch on, it would've by now!... Delete as ill-fated neologism."

So farewell, then, Cute Formalism (2001-2006). We loved thee, but never really knew thee!

stanleylieber

Stanley Lieber

	Sat, Feb. 25th, 2006 02:47 am (UTC)

I think if you want to get wikipedia entries to stick you need to insert whatever it is the article is about into a video game -- or perhaps SecondLife.

scola

Scola

	Sat, Feb. 25th, 2006 04:12 am (UTC)

Or relate it somehow to Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

anglerfish96

	Sat, Feb. 25th, 2006 03:16 am (UTC)

Oh, funny! I was just about to mention that stanleylieber had a similar run-in with wikipedia, himself, although not-so medium-profile as yourself. Personally, I think cute-formalism should definitely be included.

anglerfish96

	Sat, Feb. 25th, 2006 03:25 am (UTC)

Oh and isn't Audrey Hepburn lovely? She and Merle Oberon and Myrna Loy are the trifecta of western femininity.

anglerfish96

	Sat, Feb. 25th, 2006 03:32 am (UTC)

And Barbara Stanwyck. Quadfecta. :P

imomus

	Sat, Feb. 25th, 2006 03:30 am (UTC)

Oh, mine isn't a run-in with the Wiki kids. I'm still delighted to have my own Momus artist entry. And five years isn't a bad run for a concept that just popped into my head one day on Omote-Sando.

imomus

	Sat, Feb. 25th, 2006 03:31 am (UTC)

I should add that I didn't start either the Wikipedia Cute Formalism entry or the Momus (artist) entry.

anglerfish96

	Sat, Feb. 25th, 2006 03:41 am (UTC)

I know. In a way, it is comforting that wikipedia is so particular. But you should get your fanbase behind you! I would not hesitate in saying that cute formalism is an important term!

butterflyrobert

Robert Davis

	Sat, Feb. 25th, 2006 07:28 pm (UTC)

I agree!

dzima

ralf dziminski

	Sat, Feb. 25th, 2006 01:17 pm (UTC)

Last time I checked it, the entry about you said something along the lines of "Momus is fascinated by identity, Japan, the avant-garde, time travel, sex and Rhodri Marsden".

Someone must have 'corrected' it!

cheapsurrealist

Dave Nold

	Sat, Feb. 25th, 2006 03:22 am (UTC)

Ah Cute Formalism, we hardly knew ye. I guess there is no hope for Erotic Fomalism

cityramica

	Sat, Feb. 25th, 2006 04:46 am (UTC)

oh sigh i guess that means i'm dead too. :(
better throw away my marimekko placemats, robotic rabbits, and japanese schoolboy backpack.
i'll miss you, my gorgeous primary colored playground world....

ex_mimic736
THE MMCSIS

	Sat, Feb. 25th, 2006 06:19 am (UTC)

even errant entries deserve to die with dignity

Because I love ill-fated entries (and Borges), I once created Wekilledya: A Wikipedia Encyclobituary. As with most things it is no longer maintained.

imomus

	Sat, Feb. 25th, 2006 12:44 pm (UTC)

Re: even errant entries deserve to die with dignity

Encyclobituary is my "ill-fated neologism" of the month... especially apt that you've buried it with your neglect!

cap_scaleman

	Sat, Feb. 25th, 2006 10:31 am (UTC)

This would be fun to base a song made out of these samples as beats or accompying!
But, why do I get up things like pizzicato five, pink floormats and cute multi-colored japanese text on a screen in my head when I listen to this? Sure feels weird...

petit_paradis

erik

	Sat, Feb. 25th, 2006 11:43 am (UTC)

lily

dutch artist lily van der stokker still going cute

imomus

	Sat, Feb. 25th, 2006 12:45 pm (UTC)

Re: lily

Ah yes, I was looking at her work at Air de Paris in December. Took lots of surreptitious pictures...

hitori_photo

	Sat, Feb. 25th, 2006 03:53 pm (UTC)

THanks. lol.

jammypack

Kebin

	Sun, Feb. 26th, 2006 04:24 am (UTC)

That's sad, but also kind of interesting at the same time. I always wondered how and if Wikipedia was regulated. Interesting there's a human face on the deletion process, not just a quiet, unexplained disappearance.

nato_dakke
nate

	Mon, Feb. 27th, 2006 06:29 am (UTC)

momus is the eternal tourist, isn't he? It must be nice to still be surprised by bright and happy commercials, or even find them noteworthy. To me, it's almost like pointing out how often guitars appear in rock music.

It's just the paradigm of the genre. When I was watching Japanese commercials back in 97, the only difference was production values. I'm sure we could drop back another 9 years in time to the nyanko club era, and get commercials that sounded essentially the same.

Shame about cute formalism. Even without having been around in Japan though, momus seems to have moved forward a bit from that view particular take on things, no?