I had a friend in grad English at Yale when Bloom taught there. It might interest you that one thing Bloom could do was recite the entire front page of the New York Times from memory when requested, usually at cocktail parties.
Feats of mind like that set him apart from the average Ivy League prof. His "exegesis" of lit might have been underestimated otherwise, but his prof peers knew he had an encyclopedic and eidetic knowledge of everything he'd ever read.
He was legit. He believed what he wrote and had a good basis for writing it. I don't know why you have decided to use the "hooded negro" moniker here, except to stand out in a P.T.Barnum way, because your comments are exceptionally intelligent and well said.
(Please read these comments by me in reverse order. Youtube would not allow me to post them en masse, so splitting them up led to their order being scrambled.)
Thanks for this. Harold Bloom is my counterculture hero. As possibly histories most literate person, I take relief and pleasure in his disdainful reminders of how far we have fallen in our cultural priorities and mental appreciations. Keep up the good work. I will be subscribing to your channel.
Starting to read Bloom was one of my reasons for going to uni and studying Eng Lit. And thanks to him, I graduated with the best result possible. So, thanks for these vids. We need people to elevate the importance of reading in this "Kingdom of the Dull", as HB would say!
Thank you for your two-parter on Bloom. It was very helpful to me. As someone who has only read about him (and not yet read him), you've given me an accessible framework.
You did state you hadn't read Bloom [yet?] and so I thought I'd offer a glimpse of his thinking. I'm still puzzled by the notion you offer [ common among deconstructionists, not that I am assuming you are] regarding the ability of the 'dominant culture' to suppress one kind literature while elevating another. Who ARE those with most power and just how do they employ it ?[ I happen to think tenured professors and lit critics weild the most power in this arena]
I think I like the idea of AOI. I want to read that book. However, I disagree with the Western Canon. I have to read to know more, but based on your explanation, the formation of a canon is just as political as the denial of a canon. So he can't argue against feminism, marxism, and afro-centrism without assuming an aesthetic ideal based on, by default, the dominant culture (whoever that may be). Same problem in the New Critics/Formalists.
Bloom doesn't argue against Feminism per se, but rather takes exception to the way universities "...have empowered such covens as 'gender and sexuality' and 'multiculturalism.'" Bloom admonishes to "Clear your mind of academic cant." (Quotations from Bloom's book "How To Read And Why.") Denial of a canon is not necessarily political, I think that it depends upon ones motives. You have made allegations without arguing WHY you believe what you believe--in other words you haven't PERSUADED.
Universities must empower marginalized ideas simply because they are marginalized. This does not mean to give them preference but instead to allow them to exist without being consumed in the dominant discourse. I have argued why I believe what I do because I stated that the creation of a canon is naturally political because it is based on the values of the culture it is being created in, by default, the dominant Western tradition. Again, I've not read Bloom, my response is based on the video.
I hear your belief that "Universities must empower marginalized ideas." We could discuss what should be the function of said institutions--certainly. I believe (due to personal experience & the testimonies of others) that "marginalized ideas ARE given preference and are not marginalized in (many) universities, but have become the DOMINANT ideas. If any ideas are marginalized in Universities it would be the ideas of Fundamentalist Christians. (And please; I AM NOT A FUNDAMENTALIST!) To be cont.
I was replying to someone else's comment and reread your comment. I guess you never continued your argument and also I forgot about it. If you wish to continue I can also go into personal experiences I've had that complicate your argument. Too much to discuss on here though, so we'd have to go to another forum. Though only if you are interested. This seems to be a good discussion.
If one were to develop a canon re blues or jazz it it would be nearly, but not entirely, absent of white musicians. Most educated people would have no quarrel with this at all [
yes, neither do I but do you need to make a canon of blues or jazz? what is the purpose of making such a canon? I think one would want to argue against your canon of musicians if you assumed their talent was based on their blackness or if you want to entirely exclude white musicians. There is no need for a canon and not all parts of a canon will always remain the same and definitely no one can agree on it objectively. You can try and come close but it is imperfect. The question still is - why?
In what sense is the Canon, re Bloom, 'political'? In Novelists and Novels he celebrates the work of such diverse talents as Samuel Beckett and Amy Tan [?}, Ursula Le Guin and Norman Mailer, Philip Roth and Toni Morrison, Paul Auster and Richard Wright. I see here no indication of exclusion based on race, sex or aggressive political instincts. Finally, the dominant culture does not give a sweet shit about great literature.
I was making my comments based on the video, I have not read Bloom and I stated that various times. "Political" might not be the right term and any "politics" of a canon are more passive/circumstancial than being fully political, definitely not "aggressive". "Dominant culture" refers to the broader "culture" of those with the most power, not necessarly popular culture or the majority, this varies geographically and historically. I hope this answers your question.
Great post. I'm familiar with Bloom on a name and topic level (I know he is and what he does), but I've never read his work. You've made it sound very interesting, so I think I'll check it out.
Thank you for thinking. And caring. You give me hope. Harold is something else, huh? His sidekick Camille Paglia is a real treat as well. Two people I've waited my whole life to find. Cheers
Oh man, you have such a diversive view on your discourses. You're presenting views in a way in which people can debate about it, and not just packaging it to appeal to popularity. Oh yeah, and the fact that no matter what you do, someone on the internet will hate it.
But yeah, the interpretation of generations in poetry - especially to its evolution is important, and while it may not have the best results it will factor in a selection process. In centuries we'll decide the best era of poetry
i enjdyed your views on Bloom. It encouraged me to dig deeper into yhe world of literature. You seem well read and it insptres me to become a more well read person. People like yourself are becoming rare with Americas dumbing down. Fhank you for sharing your insite.
This is not a negative comment, so please don't be offended. I am just confused how you can accept the notion of the misreading and the relativity of words and also have a video criticizing Derrida. I mean, Bloom definitely has Derridian influences. I can understand that maybe you are unhappy with Derrida's style, but the content is there. Maybe your are misreading the text?
And what would these Derridian influences be? Are you suggesting Bloom was directly influenced by Derrida or his cohorts, or that in certain instances his view of literature intersects or overlaps with Derridas? My sense is that Bloom celebrates individual genius [ see GENIUS; A MOSIAC] and the language so produced, while Derrida, by pedigree and inclination, seeks to atomize these notions.
Thanks for posting something that actually might be important, even though I generally disagree with your opinions. In Bloom's case, he is attempting to use a theory that has been largely debunked (Freudian psychology) in an attempt to psychoanalyze subjects who aren't available for interview on the couch, all with no training to practice psychiatry. Aside from Bloom's elitist views (which he is up front about), this is my prime objection, though the notion is fascinating.
It's so bizarre that I happen onto your video and you mention my ultimate favorite filmmaker De Palma (along with Altman). I don't think that the burden of influence on De Palma is quite the burden that it once was, if you watch his more recent films. Certainly Femme Fatale is a masterpiece - a meditation on fate, will, morality, and dreaming that has very little to do with Hitchcock.
great video; i love bloom too; he was very important to me in discovering the importance of character creation, altough i think his afirmation of shakespeare as the responsible for our development as people is exagerated, and i believe this phenomenon was happening at the time shakespeare was alive and he was the first artist to become really sensitive to it.
sounds interesting, i like the idea of creativity as misreadings. deleuze does that, creative misunderstandings, and im already a fan of the style - check out my english-language vids.
looks like you arent updating so much, but i hope i come across this place again if you keep it afloat.
This is an assertive and responsible thing you're doing, should do more. I'm personally tired of mediocrity all over the net. This Youtube experience could open a new form of discussion by using its means. Also, you could do something more insightful, that is, going deeper in the subject.
Best and most informative video of the three! I watched it because I don't know anything about Bloom except one book which I read which was interesting : "How to read books and why" I think was the title.
I love it! Your video about Bloom was definitely fascinating, and your video about Derrida was fantastic. If you really want to piss off your critics and make your fans swoon, you might want to hit Butler next.
If you decide to do Butler, check out Martha Nussbaum's "Professor of Paraody." She really hit the nail on the head with Judy.
Hi. I have read quite a few works by Harold Bloom. I fully agree that the books are worthy of reading. If your purpose was to show that some African American males possess an enourmous intellectual capacity, the title is perfect. If you do not mind, I would love to see you comment on this.
Please. I see your tiny brain has easily absorbed flabby French theory. Derrida is hardly revolutionary. His ideas run in convoluted circles to come to the unremarkable and simple conclusion that absolute meaning does not exist. Nietzsche said this a hundred years before! Foucault? Derided by many scholars and academics for his shoddy scholarship with regard to history. Too bad you don't read anything else, cuz the more you read the more French theorists look like mush
First of all, "brandensc", Derrida is garbage and anyone who's honestly read the stuff he's written knows that. Props to Hooded Negro for this tidy summation of Bloom (in two parts, of course). It's a shame there isn't more from Bloom on youtube, though I guess T.V. interviews and such aren't really his thing.
1. "No new pathos has come from him" - well you are wrong if that is your toehold in refuting Bloom. Read de Man's essay "New Vitalism" an essay which states the refreshing pugnacity of Bloom's (vaguely) mytho-poetic appropriation of literary theory through basically this recipe:
great video. Plop culture ref kobe and jordan
mikeyblank4 2 weeks ago
DePalma's AOI regarding Hitchcock - spot on analysis.
TheMagmagoblin 2 months ago
Comment removed
supportnorml 2 months ago
why aren't there more of these?
supportnorml 2 months ago
this was very informative & timely. thank you for taking the time to put it forth.
tefflox1 2 months ago
I love your sense of humor. Thank you.
ccalson 6 months ago
I had a friend in grad English at Yale when Bloom taught there. It might interest you that one thing Bloom could do was recite the entire front page of the New York Times from memory when requested, usually at cocktail parties.
mychaelus 1 year ago
Feats of mind like that set him apart from the average Ivy League prof. His "exegesis" of lit might have been underestimated otherwise, but his prof peers knew he had an encyclopedic and eidetic knowledge of everything he'd ever read.
mychaelus 1 year ago
He was legit. He believed what he wrote and had a good basis for writing it. I don't know why you have decided to use the "hooded negro" moniker here, except to stand out in a P.T.Barnum way, because your comments are exceptionally intelligent and well said.
mychaelus 1 year ago
(Please read these comments by me in reverse order. Youtube would not allow me to post them en masse, so splitting them up led to their order being scrambled.)
mychaelus 1 year ago
This gentlemen is quite articulate; I may give Bloom a closer look. I certainly agree with his opinions on Blood Meridian.
Ben9240 1 year ago
Thanks for this. Harold Bloom is my counterculture hero. As possibly histories most literate person, I take relief and pleasure in his disdainful reminders of how far we have fallen in our cultural priorities and mental appreciations. Keep up the good work. I will be subscribing to your channel.
1826TJ 2 years ago
Starting to read Bloom was one of my reasons for going to uni and studying Eng Lit. And thanks to him, I graduated with the best result possible. So, thanks for these vids. We need people to elevate the importance of reading in this "Kingdom of the Dull", as HB would say!
ZachClooney 2 years ago
Thank you for your two-parter on Bloom. It was very helpful to me. As someone who has only read about him (and not yet read him), you've given me an accessible framework.
ftavar3s 2 years ago
Reading my first Bloom book (Jesus and Yahweh) found your interesting videos about him. Thank you very much for the education!!
guely55 2 years ago
Literary criticism is for wannabe intellectuals.
dtothediesel 2 years ago
Yes, dolts like T S Eliot, John Updike, Lionel Trilling, Samuel Beckett [ on Proust] and Edmund Wilson.
molloyx 2 years ago
They can't hold a candle to the great philosophers.
dtothediesel 2 years ago
Which proves that literary criticism is for 'wannabe' intellectuals?
molloyxx1 2 years ago
thanks doubled
You did state you hadn't read Bloom [yet?] and so I thought I'd offer a glimpse of his thinking. I'm still puzzled by the notion you offer [ common among deconstructionists, not that I am assuming you are] regarding the ability of the 'dominant culture' to suppress one kind literature while elevating another. Who ARE those with most power and just how do they employ it ?[ I happen to think tenured professors and lit critics weild the most power in this arena]
molloyx 2 years ago
Poetry and Repression gives a deeper look at the mechanism of such deviation, or misprehension, vital to strong poetry...
Ronaldyemaya 2 years ago
I think I like the idea of AOI. I want to read that book. However, I disagree with the Western Canon. I have to read to know more, but based on your explanation, the formation of a canon is just as political as the denial of a canon. So he can't argue against feminism, marxism, and afro-centrism without assuming an aesthetic ideal based on, by default, the dominant culture (whoever that may be). Same problem in the New Critics/Formalists.
doubled7 2 years ago
Bloom doesn't argue against Feminism per se, but rather takes exception to the way universities "...have empowered such covens as 'gender and sexuality' and 'multiculturalism.'" Bloom admonishes to "Clear your mind of academic cant." (Quotations from Bloom's book "How To Read And Why.") Denial of a canon is not necessarily political, I think that it depends upon ones motives. You have made allegations without arguing WHY you believe what you believe--in other words you haven't PERSUADED.
DanielForkbeard 2 years ago
Universities must empower marginalized ideas simply because they are marginalized. This does not mean to give them preference but instead to allow them to exist without being consumed in the dominant discourse. I have argued why I believe what I do because I stated that the creation of a canon is naturally political because it is based on the values of the culture it is being created in, by default, the dominant Western tradition. Again, I've not read Bloom, my response is based on the video.
doubled7 2 years ago
I hear your belief that "Universities must empower marginalized ideas." We could discuss what should be the function of said institutions--certainly. I believe (due to personal experience & the testimonies of others) that "marginalized ideas ARE given preference and are not marginalized in (many) universities, but have become the DOMINANT ideas. If any ideas are marginalized in Universities it would be the ideas of Fundamentalist Christians. (And please; I AM NOT A FUNDAMENTALIST!) To be cont.
DanielForkbeard 2 years ago
Hi DanielForkbeard
I was replying to someone else's comment and reread your comment. I guess you never continued your argument and also I forgot about it. If you wish to continue I can also go into personal experiences I've had that complicate your argument. Too much to discuss on here though, so we'd have to go to another forum. Though only if you are interested. This seems to be a good discussion.
doubled7 2 years ago
If one were to develop a canon re blues or jazz it it would be nearly, but not entirely, absent of white musicians. Most educated people would have no quarrel with this at all [
roseparade1 2 years ago
yes, neither do I but do you need to make a canon of blues or jazz? what is the purpose of making such a canon? I think one would want to argue against your canon of musicians if you assumed their talent was based on their blackness or if you want to entirely exclude white musicians. There is no need for a canon and not all parts of a canon will always remain the same and definitely no one can agree on it objectively. You can try and come close but it is imperfect. The question still is - why?
doubled7 2 years ago
In what sense is the Canon, re Bloom, 'political'? In Novelists and Novels he celebrates the work of such diverse talents as Samuel Beckett and Amy Tan [?}, Ursula Le Guin and Norman Mailer, Philip Roth and Toni Morrison, Paul Auster and Richard Wright. I see here no indication of exclusion based on race, sex or aggressive political instincts. Finally, the dominant culture does not give a sweet shit about great literature.
molloyx 2 years ago 2
hi molloyx
I was making my comments based on the video, I have not read Bloom and I stated that various times. "Political" might not be the right term and any "politics" of a canon are more passive/circumstancial than being fully political, definitely not "aggressive". "Dominant culture" refers to the broader "culture" of those with the most power, not necessarly popular culture or the majority, this varies geographically and historically. I hope this answers your question.
doubled7 2 years ago
Good Job, Oswald Bates......
timnelso 2 years ago
Thank You! Very well done and thought-provoking...I've enjoyed Bloom for a long time
Argentino246 3 years ago
Great post. I'm familiar with Bloom on a name and topic level (I know he is and what he does), but I've never read his work. You've made it sound very interesting, so I think I'll check it out.
bluedusk21 3 years ago
Thank you for thinking. And caring. You give me hope. Harold is something else, huh? His sidekick Camille Paglia is a real treat as well. Two people I've waited my whole life to find. Cheers
jingjang55 3 years ago
Oh man, you have such a diversive view on your discourses. You're presenting views in a way in which people can debate about it, and not just packaging it to appeal to popularity. Oh yeah, and the fact that no matter what you do, someone on the internet will hate it.
But yeah, the interpretation of generations in poetry - especially to its evolution is important, and while it may not have the best results it will factor in a selection process. In centuries we'll decide the best era of poetry
mustrapefoley 3 years ago
i enjdyed your views on Bloom. It encouraged me to dig deeper into yhe world of literature. You seem well read and it insptres me to become a more well read person. People like yourself are becoming rare with Americas dumbing down. Fhank you for sharing your insite.
rebirth1969 3 years ago 2
This is not a negative comment, so please don't be offended. I am just confused how you can accept the notion of the misreading and the relativity of words and also have a video criticizing Derrida. I mean, Bloom definitely has Derridian influences. I can understand that maybe you are unhappy with Derrida's style, but the content is there. Maybe your are misreading the text?
yeldarb205 3 years ago
And what would these Derridian influences be? Are you suggesting Bloom was directly influenced by Derrida or his cohorts, or that in certain instances his view of literature intersects or overlaps with Derridas? My sense is that Bloom celebrates individual genius [ see GENIUS; A MOSIAC] and the language so produced, while Derrida, by pedigree and inclination, seeks to atomize these notions.
molloyx 3 years ago
Hooded,
Thanks for posting something that actually might be important, even though I generally disagree with your opinions. In Bloom's case, he is attempting to use a theory that has been largely debunked (Freudian psychology) in an attempt to psychoanalyze subjects who aren't available for interview on the couch, all with no training to practice psychiatry. Aside from Bloom's elitist views (which he is up front about), this is my prime objection, though the notion is fascinating.
DerangedRanger1 3 years ago
It's so bizarre that I happen onto your video and you mention my ultimate favorite filmmaker De Palma (along with Altman). I don't think that the burden of influence on De Palma is quite the burden that it once was, if you watch his more recent films. Certainly Femme Fatale is a masterpiece - a meditation on fate, will, morality, and dreaming that has very little to do with Hitchcock.
cinemaman3105 3 years ago
funny....bloom was also a somewhat racist chauvinist bastard...but his elegy for literature..if he only he didn't call the "others" disgruntled
dficeman2k1 3 years ago
Great series, Hooded. Keep it going.
ironhills 4 years ago
just look at that level of discourse plummet
godwallop 4 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
I was like you, then I got older. I turned to Kant, math, science and now, well, here I am.
Try Plato to get you out of there, but be careful with absolutes.
Don't forget to love and be humble, and not just write about them.
Unless of course you want to be an artist.
honda1386 4 years ago
Ah the beauty of the confused institutionalized group thinkers. It's a shame those books are going to waste on your floor.
FartheadOgre 4 years ago
great video; i love bloom too; he was very important to me in discovering the importance of character creation, altough i think his afirmation of shakespeare as the responsible for our development as people is exagerated, and i believe this phenomenon was happening at the time shakespeare was alive and he was the first artist to become really sensitive to it.
rafaelmoura85 4 years ago 2
sounds interesting, i like the idea of creativity as misreadings. deleuze does that, creative misunderstandings, and im already a fan of the style - check out my english-language vids.
looks like you arent updating so much, but i hope i come across this place again if you keep it afloat.
barrentree 4 years ago
This is an assertive and responsible thing you're doing, should do more. I'm personally tired of mediocrity all over the net. This Youtube experience could open a new form of discussion by using its means. Also, you could do something more insightful, that is, going deeper in the subject.
cacdmap83 4 years ago 2
Nice job again.
Drew
andrewj1234 5 years ago
Best and most informative video of the three! I watched it because I don't know anything about Bloom except one book which I read which was interesting : "How to read books and why" I think was the title.
parispeter2 5 years ago
I love it! Your video about Bloom was definitely fascinating, and your video about Derrida was fantastic. If you really want to piss off your critics and make your fans swoon, you might want to hit Butler next.
If you decide to do Butler, check out Martha Nussbaum's "Professor of Paraody." She really hit the nail on the head with Judy.
Keep up the good work!
danielsh 5 years ago 2
Hi. I have read quite a few works by Harold Bloom. I fully agree that the books are worthy of reading. If your purpose was to show that some African American males possess an enourmous intellectual capacity, the title is perfect. If you do not mind, I would love to see you comment on this.
smooch0408 5 years ago
Please. I see your tiny brain has easily absorbed flabby French theory. Derrida is hardly revolutionary. His ideas run in convoluted circles to come to the unremarkable and simple conclusion that absolute meaning does not exist. Nietzsche said this a hundred years before! Foucault? Derided by many scholars and academics for his shoddy scholarship with regard to history. Too bad you don't read anything else, cuz the more you read the more French theorists look like mush
Euripides27 5 years ago 2
Anything to say on my favorite: Karl Popper?
usefulmusic 5 years ago
First of all, "brandensc", Derrida is garbage and anyone who's honestly read the stuff he's written knows that. Props to Hooded Negro for this tidy summation of Bloom (in two parts, of course). It's a shame there isn't more from Bloom on youtube, though I guess T.V. interviews and such aren't really his thing.
chomskyfanboy 5 years ago
1 Galleon of Nietzsche's idea of the "contest", ala Plato against Homer
6 Bushels of Freud's patricide thematics
2 quarts of Nothorp Frye on Blake's dialectical gnosticism
1/4 cup of Kenneth Burke's psychology of the poet
5 Teaspoons of Hegel, Paul de Man & company
hartcrane 5 years ago
1. "No new pathos has come from him" - well you are wrong if that is your toehold in refuting Bloom. Read de Man's essay "New Vitalism" an essay which states the refreshing pugnacity of Bloom's (vaguely) mytho-poetic appropriation of literary theory through basically this recipe:
hartcrane 5 years ago