Episode 6: Bob Dylan, Sharon Stone, Donald Rumsfeld and the Carnival of Myth Making. From The Rolling Thunder Review to AI a deep dive into deception, ambiguity, and why the carnival always wins 🎟️
Hey, thanks for the kind words. Glad the description of Dylan’s voice and the carnival scene resonated with you. Did you find a bottle of Heavens Door?
Haynes got it. He understood that Dylan is a walking illusion, a fever dream, a carny barker selling you a ticket to nowhere. Cate Blanchett? Inspired choice. I took the liberty at the start of the article to include the clip from Hayne's movie of Jim James singing Goin' to Acapulco, the performance sums up the article & vice versa, kinda.
As for that “dirty water going down the drain” line yeah, I’ve heard that one before. The way his voice sloshes around unpredictably, gurgles up half-spoken incantations before sinking into a murky drawl. There’s something elemental about it. Something you can’t scrub clean, no matter how hard you try.
I sang in a geezer band for a while, baby boomers, trying finally to play that guitar they bought in college. I learned of that song from that movie and convinced my bandmates to play it. I used to love singing it, that one sustained high note in the chorus. I like the way that Jim James did it—in white face.
Ah, but that’s the trick, isn’t it? The carnival feeds on itself smoke, mirrors, and the occasional poor bastard who didn’t read the fine print. The food? Grown in the cracks, scavenged from the wreckage, or conjured out of thin air by the grifters who know the game best. Nobody’s tending the fields, but the feast never stops until it does. Then? Well, that’s when the real fun begins.
Damn right towel’s the difference between a seasoned traveler and cosmic roadkill. Grip it tight, wear it like a badge, and for god’s sake, don’t panic.
Well now, that’s the rub, isn’t it? The grand, messy paradox wherein a supposed tangle of incoherence somehow finds itself strutting around in well-heeled prose. But hey, if it lands, it lands. Glad it hit the right nerve. Cheers.
Before I even read farther I gotta say I love the Hunky Dory opening—though I never hear the sand & glue myself, always hearing his voice differently—but i get what Bowie meant and LOVE the song. Bowie was quite the carnie himself.
Another amazing article, David! So fun to read. I was born and raised in Las Vegas (carnival town usa) and I even worked in a nightclub for a year and half whilst completing college. And Las Vegas is a town of smoke and mirrors, it's crazy to spend a year in a half maintaining the smoke machines and cleaning the mirrors. There really is a divide between the 'carny's and the non-carnys' of the world. And I think it all has to do with different levels of gullibility and the ability to suspend belief. And i'm not trying to be mean, I am just as gullible as the next person. But, the majority of people that go to vegas think that the strippers actually like them, the casino is their friend, and the waitress was hitting on them which is a complete 'carnivilization' of thinking; it's a side effect of everyone thinking they are the 'main character' of some video game/action movie franchise. And they didn't build vegas by cutting everyone a check that visits; you are so correct, the carnival always wins!!! Thanks again for another stellar article!!! cheers!!!
What a fantastic comment thank you. You get it completely. Vegas might be the most distilled version of the great carnival divide, where the illusion is so thick you start to believe you’re the exception to the rule. I love how you put it "carnivilization of thinking." That’s gold. The house always wins, not just in the casinos but in the entire ecosystem of smoke, mirrors, and main character delusions. You weren’t just maintaining the smoke machines you were part of the grand orchestration of belief, which is as close to real magic as it gets.
Appreciate you reading and sharing your insights cheers to the carnies who know the game and still play anyway! 🎭🔥🎟️
Duuuuude. I know, right? It’s a carnival up there no safety regulations, just flashing lights and questionable ride operators. Glad you’re along for the ride! 🎡🔥🎟️
Glad you enjoyed it. America runs on caffeine, ambition, and an endless supply of freshly bottled snake oil. The trick is knowing whether you're the hustler or the mark 🎭🎟️
I had to stop in the middle of reading to search for Heaven’s Door whiskey near me. Love your description of Dylan’s voice and the carnival scene.
Hey, thanks for the kind words. Glad the description of Dylan’s voice and the carnival scene resonated with you. Did you find a bottle of Heavens Door?
Cheers for reading 🖤⚡
Two things.
• Todd Haynes’s movie is great. He gets the carny and mask thing. I mean, cmon. Cate Blanchett as Dylan.
• my favorite description of Dylan’s voice – I have heard it attributed to Woody – is “dirty water going down the drain.”
Haynes got it. He understood that Dylan is a walking illusion, a fever dream, a carny barker selling you a ticket to nowhere. Cate Blanchett? Inspired choice. I took the liberty at the start of the article to include the clip from Hayne's movie of Jim James singing Goin' to Acapulco, the performance sums up the article & vice versa, kinda.
As for that “dirty water going down the drain” line yeah, I’ve heard that one before. The way his voice sloshes around unpredictably, gurgles up half-spoken incantations before sinking into a murky drawl. There’s something elemental about it. Something you can’t scrub clean, no matter how hard you try.
I sang in a geezer band for a while, baby boomers, trying finally to play that guitar they bought in college. I learned of that song from that movie and convinced my bandmates to play it. I used to love singing it, that one sustained high note in the chorus. I like the way that Jim James did it—in white face.
If we are all carnies, then who will grow the food?
Ah, but that’s the trick, isn’t it? The carnival feeds on itself smoke, mirrors, and the occasional poor bastard who didn’t read the fine print. The food? Grown in the cracks, scavenged from the wreckage, or conjured out of thin air by the grifters who know the game best. Nobody’s tending the fields, but the feast never stops until it does. Then? Well, that’s when the real fun begins.
Gotta know where your towel is when you take this ride.
Damn right towel’s the difference between a seasoned traveler and cosmic roadkill. Grip it tight, wear it like a badge, and for god’s sake, don’t panic.
Well, despite its premise of the incorruptibility of the incoherent mumble, this piece is perfectly well-written. That’s the ticket! Thank you.
Well now, that’s the rub, isn’t it? The grand, messy paradox wherein a supposed tangle of incoherence somehow finds itself strutting around in well-heeled prose. But hey, if it lands, it lands. Glad it hit the right nerve. Cheers.
Before I even read farther I gotta say I love the Hunky Dory opening—though I never hear the sand & glue myself, always hearing his voice differently—but i get what Bowie meant and LOVE the song. Bowie was quite the carnie himself.
Another amazing article, David! So fun to read. I was born and raised in Las Vegas (carnival town usa) and I even worked in a nightclub for a year and half whilst completing college. And Las Vegas is a town of smoke and mirrors, it's crazy to spend a year in a half maintaining the smoke machines and cleaning the mirrors. There really is a divide between the 'carny's and the non-carnys' of the world. And I think it all has to do with different levels of gullibility and the ability to suspend belief. And i'm not trying to be mean, I am just as gullible as the next person. But, the majority of people that go to vegas think that the strippers actually like them, the casino is their friend, and the waitress was hitting on them which is a complete 'carnivilization' of thinking; it's a side effect of everyone thinking they are the 'main character' of some video game/action movie franchise. And they didn't build vegas by cutting everyone a check that visits; you are so correct, the carnival always wins!!! Thanks again for another stellar article!!! cheers!!!
What a fantastic comment thank you. You get it completely. Vegas might be the most distilled version of the great carnival divide, where the illusion is so thick you start to believe you’re the exception to the rule. I love how you put it "carnivilization of thinking." That’s gold. The house always wins, not just in the casinos but in the entire ecosystem of smoke, mirrors, and main character delusions. You weren’t just maintaining the smoke machines you were part of the grand orchestration of belief, which is as close to real magic as it gets.
Appreciate you reading and sharing your insights cheers to the carnies who know the game and still play anyway! 🎭🔥🎟️
Oh right on!!! Thank you so much, David. Play on, sir. Play on...
da-huuuuuude. your brain.
Duuuuude. I know, right? It’s a carnival up there no safety regulations, just flashing lights and questionable ride operators. Glad you’re along for the ride! 🎡🔥🎟️
definitely here for it, some carny sold me a whole pack of tickets as a “discount” and now I’m sticking around til closing.
Classic hustle. You’re in now—no sense leaving before the last trick’s played♠️
♦️♣️♥️
Glad you enjoyed it. America runs on caffeine, ambition, and an endless supply of freshly bottled snake oil. The trick is knowing whether you're the hustler or the mark 🎭🎟️