There is a whole nother dimension to this you could audit: dignity. There is an indignity to transitioning from one name to another. To subordinating your health or bodily form to a form that fits an aesthetic. Or even your form of death, to something that can be properly consumed by your admirers. I’ve always thought Mishima’s was a story of profound indignity. Maybe it’s prejudice from only having seen the “four chapters” film to inform my knowledge of him.
It feels like an original sin, to have a stage name or to change your name for public consumption in any way. I sometimes consider how vulnerable those who do this feel when they think about people knowing who they truly are. Not only did they craft a public persona – they gave it a name, so that their own achievements are no longer their own, but that of the myth / legend.
The British say “who is he when he’s at home?” and I think you want to be the same person, at the end of the day. To be fundamentally different in public means some kind of retreat.
“To be fundamentally different in public means some kind of retreat.”
Worse than that, I think you have to let go of the real person, which is pretty frightening because there’s no one to return to when you need it.
“To be fundamentally different in public means some kind of retreat.”
Worse than that, I think you have to let go of the real person, which is pretty frightening because there’s no one to return to when you need it.
Dean Sayers
1 year ago
There is a whole nother dimension to this you could audit: dignity. There is an indignity to transitioning from one name to another. To subordinating your health or bodily form to a form that fits an aesthetic. Or even your form of death, to something that can be properly consumed by your admirers. I’ve always thought Mishima’s was a story of profound indignity. Maybe it’s prejudice from only having seen the “four chapters” film to inform my knowledge of him.
It feels like an original sin, to have a stage name or to change your name for public consumption in any way. I sometimes consider how vulnerable those who do this feel when they think about people knowing who they truly are. Not only did they craft a public persona – they gave it a name, so that their own achievements are no longer their own, but that of the myth / legend.
The British say “who is he when he’s at home?” and I think you want to be the same person, at the end of the day. To be fundamentally different in public means some kind of retreat.
jmo
1 year ago
By “transgender females” does he mean men pretending to be women?
By “transgender females” does he mean men pretending to be women?
R Wright
1 year ago
An interesting essay, though perhaps a tad unfair to undersell Mishima given that he went from pathetically physically weak to physical strength through hard work and not solely out of narcissism. I am quite interested that little overt attention was paid to the question of Mishima’s sexuality given how controversial it makes him to certain elements on the right.
While I do find very persuasive many of Joyce’s points, I am more convinced by the defence by Reid. I am less inclined to take Mishima’s Confessions as entirely autobiographical and Joyce’s invective seems in part to be rather cherry picked and based on character attacks. In any event, he is a fascinating figure, but first and foremost a writer and artist.
While I do find very persuasive many of Joyce’s points, I am more convinced by the defence by Reid. I am less inclined to take Mishima’s Confessions as entirely autobiographical and Joyce’s invective seems in part to be rather cherry picked and based on character attacks. In any event, he is a fascinating figure, but first and foremost a writer and artist.
The best article I have read about Mishima was by Andrew Joyce
To find it just google. Andrew Joyce, Against Mishima
R Wright
1 year ago
An interesting essay, though perhaps a tad unfair to undersell Mishima given that he went from pathetically physically weak to physical strength through hard work and not solely out of narcissism. I am quite interested that little overt attention was paid to the question of Mishima’s sexuality given how controversial it makes him to certain elements on the right.
Martin Brumby
1 year ago
I read this hoping for some intelligent discussion of Mishima, but came away very disappointed. It is not clear to me that Mr. Bateman has read much of Mishima’s work and doesn’t even mention the surely significant fact that he committed Seppuku the day after he completed writing “The Decay of the Angel”, the last book of his “The Sea of Fertility” tetralogy, which is usually considered his masterpiece.
I confess that the physical fitness hobby that Mishima had, interests me just about as much as the sexuality of Franz Schubert or of Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti.
As a notable C.20th writer (again his best known and most accessible work, “The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea” isn’t even mentioned) deserves better than this,
Martin Brumby
1 year ago
I read this hoping for some intelligent discussion of Mishima, but came away very disappointed. It is not clear to me that Mr. Bateman has read much of Mishima’s work and doesn’t even mention the surely significant fact that he committed Seppuku the day after he completed writing “The Decay of the Angel”, the last book of his “The Sea of Fertility” tetralogy, which is usually considered his masterpiece.
I confess that the physical fitness hobby that Mishima had, interests me just about as much as the sexuality of Franz Schubert or of Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti.
As a notable C.20th writer (again his best known and most accessible work, “The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea” isn’t even mentioned) deserves better than this,
Jonathan Nash
1 year ago
I didn’t really understand the point of this essay. If the writer means to say that bodybuilding is largely motivated by personal vanity, then I would agree, but it doesn’t seem very interesting to say that.
By the way, the current number 1 heavyweight boxing champion is Tyson Fury, whose physique is best described as a dad-bod. His erstwhile rival, Anthony Joshua, looks like a God but his career is spiralling downwards after successive defeats to a much smaller man who happens to be a much better boxer: Oleksander Uzyk.
Jonathan Nash
1 year ago
I didn’t really understand the point of this essay. If the writer means to say that bodybuilding is largely motivated by personal vanity, then I would agree, but it doesn’t seem very interesting to say that.
By the way, the current number 1 heavyweight boxing champion is Tyson Fury, whose physique is best described as a dad-bod. His erstwhile rival, Anthony Joshua, looks like a God but his career is spiralling downwards after successive defeats to a much smaller man who happens to be a much better boxer: Oleksander Uzyk.
Martin Layfield
1 year ago
Given that he was pretty short and wasn’t taking roids and all the other PEDS rampant today, I think Mishima did a decent job with his strength training
Martin Layfield
1 year ago
Given that he was pretty short and wasn’t taking roids and all the other PEDS rampant today, I think Mishima did a decent job with his strength training
Allison Barrows
1 year ago
I only read the article because I thought it was going to be about a young Anthony Quinn.
Allison Barrows
1 year ago
I only read the article because I thought it was going to be about a young Anthony Quinn.
There is a whole nother dimension to this you could audit: dignity. There is an indignity to transitioning from one name to another. To subordinating your health or bodily form to a form that fits an aesthetic. Or even your form of death, to something that can be properly consumed by your admirers. I’ve always thought Mishima’s was a story of profound indignity. Maybe it’s prejudice from only having seen the “four chapters” film to inform my knowledge of him.
It feels like an original sin, to have a stage name or to change your name for public consumption in any way. I sometimes consider how vulnerable those who do this feel when they think about people knowing who they truly are. Not only did they craft a public persona – they gave it a name, so that their own achievements are no longer their own, but that of the myth / legend.
The British say “who is he when he’s at home?” and I think you want to be the same person, at the end of the day. To be fundamentally different in public means some kind of retreat.
“To be fundamentally different in public means some kind of retreat.”
Worse than that, I think you have to let go of the real person, which is pretty frightening because there’s no one to return to when you need it.
“To be fundamentally different in public means some kind of retreat.”
Worse than that, I think you have to let go of the real person, which is pretty frightening because there’s no one to return to when you need it.
There is a whole nother dimension to this you could audit: dignity. There is an indignity to transitioning from one name to another. To subordinating your health or bodily form to a form that fits an aesthetic. Or even your form of death, to something that can be properly consumed by your admirers. I’ve always thought Mishima’s was a story of profound indignity. Maybe it’s prejudice from only having seen the “four chapters” film to inform my knowledge of him.
It feels like an original sin, to have a stage name or to change your name for public consumption in any way. I sometimes consider how vulnerable those who do this feel when they think about people knowing who they truly are. Not only did they craft a public persona – they gave it a name, so that their own achievements are no longer their own, but that of the myth / legend.
The British say “who is he when he’s at home?” and I think you want to be the same person, at the end of the day. To be fundamentally different in public means some kind of retreat.
By “transgender females” does he mean men pretending to be women?
Yes
He needs to consider the meaning of “female”
He needs to consider the meaning of “female”
Yes
By “transgender females” does he mean men pretending to be women?
An interesting essay, though perhaps a tad unfair to undersell Mishima given that he went from pathetically physically weak to physical strength through hard work and not solely out of narcissism. I am quite interested that little overt attention was paid to the question of Mishima’s sexuality given how controversial it makes him to certain elements on the right.
The best article I have read about Mishima was by Andrew Joyce
To find it just google. Andrew Joyce, Against Mishima
I had a read of that article. Very interesting.
While I do find very persuasive many of Joyce’s points, I am more convinced by the defence by Reid. I am less inclined to take Mishima’s Confessions as entirely autobiographical and Joyce’s invective seems in part to be rather cherry picked and based on character attacks. In any event, he is a fascinating figure, but first and foremost a writer and artist.
I had a read of that article. Very interesting.
While I do find very persuasive many of Joyce’s points, I am more convinced by the defence by Reid. I am less inclined to take Mishima’s Confessions as entirely autobiographical and Joyce’s invective seems in part to be rather cherry picked and based on character attacks. In any event, he is a fascinating figure, but first and foremost a writer and artist.
The best article I have read about Mishima was by Andrew Joyce
To find it just google. Andrew Joyce, Against Mishima
An interesting essay, though perhaps a tad unfair to undersell Mishima given that he went from pathetically physically weak to physical strength through hard work and not solely out of narcissism. I am quite interested that little overt attention was paid to the question of Mishima’s sexuality given how controversial it makes him to certain elements on the right.
I read this hoping for some intelligent discussion of Mishima, but came away very disappointed. It is not clear to me that Mr. Bateman has read much of Mishima’s work and doesn’t even mention the surely significant fact that he committed Seppuku the day after he completed writing “The Decay of the Angel”, the last book of his “The Sea of Fertility” tetralogy, which is usually considered his masterpiece.
I confess that the physical fitness hobby that Mishima had, interests me just about as much as the sexuality of Franz Schubert or of Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti.
As a notable C.20th writer (again his best known and most accessible work, “The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea” isn’t even mentioned) deserves better than this,
I read this hoping for some intelligent discussion of Mishima, but came away very disappointed. It is not clear to me that Mr. Bateman has read much of Mishima’s work and doesn’t even mention the surely significant fact that he committed Seppuku the day after he completed writing “The Decay of the Angel”, the last book of his “The Sea of Fertility” tetralogy, which is usually considered his masterpiece.
I confess that the physical fitness hobby that Mishima had, interests me just about as much as the sexuality of Franz Schubert or of Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti.
As a notable C.20th writer (again his best known and most accessible work, “The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea” isn’t even mentioned) deserves better than this,
I didn’t really understand the point of this essay. If the writer means to say that bodybuilding is largely motivated by personal vanity, then I would agree, but it doesn’t seem very interesting to say that.
By the way, the current number 1 heavyweight boxing champion is Tyson Fury, whose physique is best described as a dad-bod. His erstwhile rival, Anthony Joshua, looks like a God but his career is spiralling downwards after successive defeats to a much smaller man who happens to be a much better boxer: Oleksander Uzyk.
I didn’t really understand the point of this essay. If the writer means to say that bodybuilding is largely motivated by personal vanity, then I would agree, but it doesn’t seem very interesting to say that.
By the way, the current number 1 heavyweight boxing champion is Tyson Fury, whose physique is best described as a dad-bod. His erstwhile rival, Anthony Joshua, looks like a God but his career is spiralling downwards after successive defeats to a much smaller man who happens to be a much better boxer: Oleksander Uzyk.
Given that he was pretty short and wasn’t taking roids and all the other PEDS rampant today, I think Mishima did a decent job with his strength training
Given that he was pretty short and wasn’t taking roids and all the other PEDS rampant today, I think Mishima did a decent job with his strength training
I only read the article because I thought it was going to be about a young Anthony Quinn.
I only read the article because I thought it was going to be about a young Anthony Quinn.
Mishima looks notably unimpressive to me.
Mishima looks notably unimpressive to me.