Martin Amis on The Second Plane - John Adams Institute

[@skronked]

Those last comments were scary brilliant!

[@philtovell8204]

I have no problem with Amis's language - ok he tries a bit too hard to be poetic and accurate at the same time, but don't forget he wrote 1 of the funniest books of the 20th C. ('Money') as well as novels about Auswitz and the Gulags (Zone of Interest and House of Meetings)

[@uscbro69]

I wish we all tried as hard as he does

[@elvisleeboy]

​@@uscbro69Yes, there seems to be a streak of philistine resistance to those with a superior grasp of the English language. I notice it more in Americans, and it seems to be a projection of their inadequacy in this area.

[@uscbro69]

@@elvisleeboy yeah, there’s a strong current of anti-intellectual sentiment in America…which is a shame, because if you read Tocqueville, you’ll find that Americans used to be supremely genteel and intellectual…even in the outermost countryside. And to such a degree that it surprised him

[@alexf1179]

@@elvisleeboy Nobody likes to be reminded of their own shortcomings

[@Brandon-tk2rw]

looking at Martin's impressive ouvre (and the noticable dropoff in quality towards the end) it becomes evident that the adage is correct: as soon as an artist gets political, their work turns to sh*t, or vice versa

[@skronked]

We are definitely getting fatter!! going right and left not up!

[@donaldshort1765]

It's called a Dictionary! Enjoy: learn.

[@tylerlately]

43:00 51:40 56:50 1:25:23 1:26:01 something about the way martin speaks is funny and invigorating

[@ericwatts-et2nl]

It's a shame it was cut off. Like Amis himself.

[@nathanrobbin6341]

Lol. Martin a regressive? So quick to place people in boxes.

[@peterdollins3610]

No. Montenegro has the tallest people on Earth.

[@charlespeterson3798]

People eating shit out of boxes trumps the egalitarian spirit in The U.S.A? He is really a Brit to the core. All 5'6" of him.

[@srdahl]

Hard for the common man to digest. Brits love words more than ideas?

[@josephyoung6749]

What a terrible indictment of American minds to see that anyone who speaks plain English is now seen to favor words more than ideas (go read some "french fried philosophy" like Deleuze and the Brits will feel like a sweet haven of clarity), but for the simple fact that the dominant "idea" in American society is neo-liberalism, through which, consequently, the "common man" is starved of the education that his father and grandfather enjoyed with confidence. What can I say, I was born in Florida, a state famous in the Union for having uneducated kids. Yet we never allowed our shame to preempt a change, instead always looking down on our even worse off neighbors (Alabama) to give us comfort.

[@kurisensei]

His name is Amis, not Brits

[@kreek22]

@@josephyoung6749 The idea that educational decline is due to neoliberalism is dubious.

[@alexf1179]

If you struggle to digest, I would suggest you keep eating; you'll find your stomach becomes more efficient and better able to process the 'food'. the knife, fork and plate belong to you.

[@MythsScamsLies]

Britain's greatest living author? I would think there would be several dozen people who might rank ahead of Amis. Then there's the issue of him not living in Britain for decades. He's essentially an American.

[@ItsameAlex]

the regressiveness is driving me bonkers

[@craigharris2731]

ItsameAlex You don't really understand what words mean, do you?

[@ItsameAlex]

I 100% understand what that word means.

[@craigharris2731]

ItsameAlex Define 'regressive', in this context?

[@josephyoung6749]

Regressiveness.

[@chrisjones3901]

Forgive me for only being marginally educated but it would be nice if this man spoke in a language the is more widely spoken in the UK,sometimes I think I know what hes on about then he throws a string of big words in and then I'm compleately lost,no answers to the original question he says he is going to answer lol.he may say it's the queens English, well not everybody speaks to the queen or her cronies we are the people of the land as queenie may class as those people down there. I really interested in chats about 9/11 but he is preaching to his own gang with queens language. If you want to broadcast your views I would of thought you would want as many people to not just hear but really understand you, He to me sounds like he is trying to make his sentences poetry,thus to me sounding quite self centred,pity he not see my point,lol.

[@Arareemote]

There's quite a good phrase that I'll essay to employ here. One that my literature professor would often ironically bludgeon us with. "I'm responsible for what I say; not what you understand." So rather than become disgruntled by your own lack of knowledge, you should see this as an opportunity to learn and expand. The English language is a truly beautiful one. Truly a travesty it is that such free and gaie use of words has been perversely distorted in the public eye. What I've always defended as a passion for language is now seen as elitist, pretentious or as you averred "self-centred." A terrible shame indeed.

[@kreek22]

@@Arareemote His point would be reasonable if his assumption about the intended audience were reasonable. The assumption is incorrect.