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University Daily Kansan Monday, Nov. 10, 1958
Bettering the Language
Modern living has left casualties lying in its wake like clods behind a harrow. Most of the dead-and-gone victims are best forgotten, like the horsehair davenport, the family tintype and the solid-tired fire engine.
But one thing that has been lost, to the detriment of our society, is really good, fresh invective. In better times, as any reader of Mark Twain can tell you, a man couldn't get by just tossing off a standard cussword to confound his antagonist.
No, he had to be inventive, and inventiveness took strange and wonderful forms, as varied as Carlsbad stalactites. He could exaggerate, minimize, or lie, but he had to rout his opponent by the force of his vituperation.
"Why, you ain't got a head—your neck just spread out and haired over," might have been an acceptable pleasantry.
Or the famous exchange between two New York papers, the Sun and the Post, years ago. The Sun won the last round when it said:
"The Post calls the Sun a yellow dog. Our attitude remains that of any dog toward any post."
The last great master of the memorable epithet
was H. L. Mencken, whose favorite phrase for the American public was "Boobus americanus." Mencken could lash an enemy with the heavy whip of scorn or sting with the nettle of sarcasm. And Mencken's sarcasm toted a pretty mean sting.
心
Unhappily, we lack the ability to furnish the outstanding curse today. Would it not be happier, rather than calling a man a nitwit, to elaborate on the subject and inform him that his brain constituted irrefutable proof of the Darwinian theory?
Or in commenting on his ancestry, to call him something like the eternally blasted offspring of a misconceived goat?
And in place of the timeworn s.o.b., take the example of the old Quaker who said to an enemy:
"I hope when thee gets home, thy mother bites thee."
The use of the easy and obvious in cursing, like anything else, leads to early atrophy of the pertinent brain cells and eventual mental collapse.
Why, you might wind up with no more brains than the off-side grandchild of a woolhat, suck-egg mule. —Al Jones
Re-Chastized
Editor:
Although I hesitate to continue the discussion of the adapted classic, I feel there are some misrepresentations and vagaries in Mr. Neunes' letter (Oct. 30) replying to mine (Oct. 27).
Unlike the educational system of which Mr. Neunes is a product, in our society here in the United States, we do not believe it democratic to cull out the slow learners in the elementary grades and ship them to trade or vocational schools because of their inability to learn and despite their wishes. Every child has the same opportunity to continue with the rest of his age group unless a one-year holdover could improve his standing. Such an educational system has been in existence for many years, and has seen us through some fairly grim times in the late 1910's and early 1940's.
Because of this principle, it is not unusual for the ninth grade teacher to discover more than one student who cannot read beyond the sixth grade level. Placing the blame is unimportant now. What is important is the teacher's answer to "What are YOU doing about it?"
...Letters...
I shall continue to contend that if I can use an adapted classic with such students and enable them to grasp at least a portion, no matter how condensed, of our literary "culture" (the ambiguous word used by Mr. Neunes). I have done more than if I required the student to read on his own reading-level the stories of dancing flowers, singing bears and globe-trotting cows.
In addition, it appears that Mr. Neumus has not thought the situation through. He is paradoxical in his viewpoints on adapted and condensed classics and on Miss Crosier's editorial. First, he states that he deplores condensions as half-truths. Then he turns around and praises the Crosier editorial as "ably written" and "sincere."
I ask Mr. Neumes: Have you read the original "Time" article? If so, can you find anything of value that Miss Crosier added to it? Did she not condense the article, adapt it to her own use? Oh, Mr. Neums, can you not be rational in your likes and dislikes?
John H. Kiesow Education 1955 Medicine Lodge
Editor:
Added Confusion
What can be more frustrating than a student newspaper that tries hard to do a "good" job, but results in contradiction and immeasurable confusion added to the troubles of an already confused student body?
First, you blatantly advocate the livening up of good old Mt. Oread with a well-planned prank a la shades of yesteryear. So, what happens when someone really does? They get canned, naturally.
Next, someone swipes a seemingly precious item—the anatomy department's urized skeleton. This jolly good prank was humorous in 74, but not today. Oh no! The poor thing might get hurt.
Why is such a stunt of more consequence today than years ago, and why has any more damage been done? Certainly, our fine medical school has more than one set of bones.
Give the gullible students a break, will va fellas? No more bum steers with editorial policy saving one thing and news reporting saying another.
Ron K. Miller
Ron &. Miller St. Louis, Mo., senior
LITTLE MAN ON CAMPUS BY BIBLIER
Dailu Hansan
University of Kansas student newspaper
Founded 1889, became blweekly 1904,
trifweekly 1908, daily Jan. 16, 1912.
Telephone Vlkling 3-2700 Extension 711, news room Extension 376, business office
Member Inland Daily Press Association.
Associated Collegiate Press. Represen-
ted by National Advertising Service,
420 Madison Ave. New York, N.Y.
Mail subscription rates: $3 a semester or $4.50 a year. Published in Lawrence, Kan., every afternoon during the University year except Saturdays and Sundays, University holidays, and examination days. Mail matter Sept. 17, 1910, at Lawrence, Kan. post office under act of March 3, 1879.
NEWS DEPARTMENT
Malecol Applegate ... Managing Editor
Leroy Lord, Pat, Sattam Martha
Crosier, Doug Parker, Assistant
Managing Editors; Jack Hurrison,
Christopher Gillman, Susan Hayn,
Editor; Saudra Hayn, Assistant
Society Editor; Bob Maecy, Telegraph
Editor; Chris McGinnis, Sports Editor;
Don Culp, Athletic Sports Editor.
BUSINESS DEPARTMENT
Bill Irvine...Business Manager
William Feezitz, Advertising Manager;
Robert Lida, Classified Advertising
Manager; William Kane, Circulation
Manager; Clivden Boots, Promotion
Manager; Dicklin, National
Advertising Manager.
EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT
'The King and I'
Al Jones ... Editorial Editor
John Husar, Associate Editorial Editor.
By John Husar
A big, new two-stage rocket was unveiled Friday night in the University Theatre. Although the rocket's first stage sputtered and died, there was enough spark remaining to ignite the second stage, which somehow set the whole gizmo into orbit.
Staged by Lewin Goff, "The King and I" had a lot of good actors and singers; a host of beautiful technicalities—lighting, setting, costumes, etc., and some individually fine musicians, but nearly half the show crawled before the performers found that escapable spark necessary for good theater.
Rodgers and Hammerstein's music, of course, is of the finest quality. Most of the 14 songs are worth remembering, and have been recalled popularly since the musical's first Broadway curtain early in 1951. We anticipated a great revival of a great show, something similar to KU's 1956 production of "Carousel." We didn't quite get it.
Much of the play's trouble can be blamed on the impotent orchestra, which, with ragged harmony and blaring notes, seemed to be there because of tradition, certainly not to set any mood. The Overture was disorganized and slow, and the action on stage during almost the entire first act followed this loose pattern.
The lack of verve and sense of incompletion caused the scenes to roll by like unrelated vaudeville acts. As item No.1 on the KU schedule of "spectaculars," the show, up to this point, was attractive, but unsatisfying.
Then something clicked. Joyce Malicky (Anna) forced gusto into her voice for "Shall I Tell You What I Think of You" and developed her best singing of the night. Here she sounded more like a musical-comedy lead than a choir girl. The emphasis she gave her voice in this number was striking and appealing.
The pace picked up and each climax began to thread into a better climax. By the second act some of the expected beauty and tender feeling was produced. Actors became characters and the music woke up. The development of a complete and smooth, but vibrant in the right places, performance was apparent. Its results were thrilling and erased thoughts of the unfortunate first act.
Unquestionably, the show's high spot was the ballet scene, "The Small House of Uncle Thomas." Choreographer and chief dancer, Tomi Yadon led the cast through an astounding sequence portraying the symbolic Oriental dance. Mrs. Yadon's dancing and direction were not only laudable here, but in their every appearance.
Others in the cast consistently good were: Miss Malicky, Celia Welch (Lady Thiang), Al Rossi (The Kralahome), Richard Seaver (Prince Chulalongkorn), Steve Murphy (Lun Tha) and Judy Buck (Tuptim).
The only similarities between Jack Davison (The King) and Yul Brynner were the actions and modes characteristic of the King. Everything else was fresh, a la Davison, which was good. Davison's fine baritone voice was more pleasant, if not as powerful, than Brynner's
The cast seemed tired and tense, either from opening night jitters or intensive rehearsal pressure. The first act was more like an accident. Improvement is inevitable. Should it pick up, the show will surely be a prize for everyone to see and enjoy.
"TEN NIGHTS IN A BAR-ROOM"!!
Nov.17-22,8:00 p.m.
EXPERIMENTAL THEATRE $1.00
SUA Travel Bureau
People wanting rides or those having cars, sign up on bulletin boards at each end of Strong, MD Building and the Union.
November 3-14
Kansan Ads Help Boost Business
Look through The Daily Kansan. You'll find that Lawrence's most successful businessmen fully utilize advertising. It's no coincidence that advertising and profits go hand in hand. Use Kansan ads."There is no power in the present where there is no faith in the future."