Tentacles Are Hair You Wear On Your Spleen, Ideally
“You might define the general trend in my work as a synthesis of aesthetics and psychology. Traditionally, in Japan, these are not two different things. Neither is aesthetics in conflict with realism. I believe this is unique to Japan.” – Yukio Mishima
"Dream of the Fisherman's Wife" by Katsushika Hokusai
At the beginning of Henry & June (1990) Anaïs Nin’s character is looking at a postcard of this painting. According to Wikipedia, it earned the film the first ever NC-17 rating. Wonder if that makes this NSFW? Funny, because it’s featured in Bertram Cooper’s office in Mad Men. I once “read” Une semaine de bonté on a train, next to a middle-eastern man – I don’t get prudes, but I do eat prunes for breakfast sometimes. Personally, I think the rating has more to do with the lesbian scene, or the Beaux Arts Ball. But whatevs.
Hokusai (dude who painted the thing) spent most of his life making pretty pictures of waves. For some reason he did this one in 1820, making it an early example of tentacle erotica. Tentacle erotica (especially tentacle rape) is common in hentai, so common that, for no apparent reason, “Dream of the Fisherman’s Wife” appears in both of those Wikipedia articles. So what almost certainly began with an extremely personal fetish, has become a minor cultural symbol which, like all symbols, holds its own set of truths about the seedy underbelly of human nature (that sounds delicious).
"Sarah and Octopus / Seventh Heaven" by Masami Teraoka
Because Teraoka tweaks the symbol here, in order to highlight the shift in Japan’s noodle-gaze toward ladies of the western persuasion (it’s what he does), I will tell you that one of my favorite Japanese films, Tampopo (1985), a self-described “Noodle Western,” confuses the issue of food and sexuality to the point where you may begin to wonder it wouldn’t be better to have beds in our kitchens or kitchens in our bedrooms or dining room tables in our bedrooms or at least more TV trays everywhere sex could be accomplished, which is everywhere, including (and especially) the sea.
Illustration from Baudelaire’s Les Fleures du Mal (Charles Meunier, 1900)
“It is said that with a rope in which are twisted strands of a woman’s hair the mighty elephant may be bound…” – Kenko
Which brings me to why I brought you here, I think, which is that this book, Hair’em Scare’em, looks hot and says a lot. Too bad I can’t afford it.
Tags: baudelaire, hair, hokusai, kenko, mishima, tampopo, tentacle erotica, teraoka
cool post, dude. i enjoy that quote from Mishimi.
Mishima, rather. there was a typo
you’re a fast-ass reader, stephen
the schrader movie about mishima is really good, too.
;)
want to read that “The Sea of Fertility” tetralogy someday. i dug “temple of the golden pavilion” and “the sound of waves”
totes, that quote was pulled from the interview with him on the extras dvd, love that movie
cool post, dude. i enjoy that quote from Mishimi.
Mishima, rather. there was a typo
you’re a fast-ass reader, stephen
the schrader movie about mishima is really good, too.
;)
want to read that “The Sea of Fertility” tetralogy someday. i dug “temple of the golden pavilion” and “the sound of waves”
i really enjoyed the end scene.
mishima was a serious dude.
totes, that quote was pulled from the interview with him on the extras dvd, love that movie
Ten Things I Like About This Post
1) maps
2) thinking about cephalopod mollusks in a whole new way
3) food
4) I added three movies to my Netflix queue
5) I like the word ‘queue’
6) Reminded me of when I swam in the Mediteranean
7) Good Hair
8) Reminded me of the movie ‘Good Hair’ starring Chris Rock
9) foodsexmoviessexfoodsexmovieshumannature
10) foodsexkitchensexfoodtablesexbedfood
i really enjoyed the end scene.
mishima was a serious dude.
Ten Things I Like About This Post
1) maps
2) thinking about cephalopod mollusks in a whole new way
3) food
4) I added three movies to my Netflix queue
5) I like the word ‘queue’
6) Reminded me of when I swam in the Mediteranean
7) Good Hair
8) Reminded me of the movie ‘Good Hair’ starring Chris Rock
9) foodsexmoviessexfoodsexmovieshumannature
10) foodsexkitchensexfoodtablesexbedfood
Awesome art!
Great art! Although the art of a lady and octopus is quite creepy.