American Psycho

[Kerissa]

I think Bret Easton Ellis is a Morrissey fan because I was reading his book 'American Psycho' today and the main character, Patrick Bateman, asks himself "Is evil something you do? Or is it something you do?" And as we all know, these very poetic words come from 'Sister I'm A Poet'. Now, perhaps these words are from another source? I hope, though, that they're all Moz.

[carlos]

> I think Bret Easton Ellis is a Morrissey fan because I was
> reading his book 'American Psycho' today and the main character,
> Patrick Bateman, asks himself "Is evil something you do? Or
> is it something you do?" And as we all know, these very
> poetic words come from 'Sister I'm A Poet'. Now, perhaps these
> words are from another source? I hope, though, that they're all
> Moz.

are you sure you typed the quote correctly?

the words in "sister" are "...and is evil just something you ARE or something you do?"

-c

[Medusa]

I think American Psycho was written after that particular smths song, was'nt it

[IMPOSTER]

> are you sure you typed the quote correctly?

> the words in "sister" are "...and is evil just
> something you ARE or something you do?"

> -c

Kerissa just made a typing mistake. The line in American Psycho is the same as in "Sister."

[Medusa]

> Kerissa just made a typing mistake. The line in American Psycho
> is the same as in "Sister."
you seem to enjoy wandering about the board correcting people, lets here some of your views for a change, or are you afraid that someone nastier than you will log on, or have you no views at all? are you just a critic?

[IMPOSTER]

> you seem to enjoy wandering about the board correcting people,
> lets here some of your views for a change, or are you afraid
> that someone nastier than you will log on, or have you no views
> at all? are you just a critic?

Look Medusa, I'm not correcting Kerissa as such. I am replying to Carlos's question. Stop being so predictable. There's no fight here.

[Medusa]

> Look Medusa, I'm not correcting Kerissa as such. I am replying
> to Carlos's question. Stop being so predictable. There's no
> fight here.

ok, if you stop trying to insult me, perhaps we could go to some anger management groups together. Sorry if I am starting to get a bit menstrual, I'm just stressed out at the moment.

[Kerissa]

I typed the version from the book correctly and I'm also aware of how it's phrased in the song. I assume that Ellis either didn't know about Moz's phrasing of the line or changed it purposely because of plagery issues. Maybe, too, he heard the song and liked the line and decided to use it because he never says in the book that he's quoting Morrissey.

Besides, why get technical? Just because there's a change in punctuation and an added word doesn't make a big difference.

[Medusa]

if you are interested in stuff like that one of the lines from Satan Rejected My Soul is from Wuthering Heights. Its where he says heaven doesn't seem to be my home. And he takes loads of lines from Shelagh Delaney's A Taste Of Honey. And "eveything depends upon how near you stand to me" is similar to lines from a Leonard Cohen song. And "send me the pillow the one that you dream on" is from a Crystal Gale song. Do you know any others? I love finding out where he gets his ideas
from.

[a psycho]

> Besides, why get technical? Just because there's a change in
> punctuation and an added word doesn't make a big difference.

Kerissa, I think the bit that was typed wrong was writing "do" twice instead of "are" then "do". This would make a big difference. I've read the book and it says "are" just like in "Sister I'm a poet".

[voyeur]

> Kerissa, I think the bit that was typed wrong was writing
> "do" twice instead of "are" then
> "do". This would make a big difference. I've read the
> book and it says "are" just like in "Sister I'm a
> poet".

YAWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[carlos]

now i'm confused... some say the reference is a direct quote, some say it's different...

when was the book written?

did anyone like the film? in terms of suspense & thrill, some scenes were good... and it was also quite funny; but overall i think it was not the best, and the ending was a real disappointment. after sixth sense & fight club i'm getting bored with the movie with the big crucial twist at the end. must be a trend...

-c

[The Magic Fairy]

> when was the book written?
The book as PUBLISHED in 1991. Of course, due to the controversial nature of the text, it may have been lying around for a couple of years before it found a publisher. If this was the case however, it is unlikely that Morrissey would have read a copy before it was published. "Sister I'm a Poet" was the b-side to "Everyday is Like Sunday", which was released in June 1988. So Morrissey would appear to have got there first... But maybe they both mined the same original source? Something completely different... Hmm?

Coincidentally, I went to see the film last night. It was flawed, but interesting. The weakest point was Bateman's taste in music. Risible. Would somebody whose life revolved around the fashionable and the hip, REALLY listen to Phil Collins, Whitney Houston, Chris de Burgh and Huey Lewis? I'll concede the character may have had American tastes, which is usually a year or two behind the British, but even so... The film was set in 1987 or so, judging by the footage of Ronald Reagan circa the "Arms to Iran" controversy, so I would have assumed that a fashionable young man would have definitely listened to The Smiths at the time... Maybe Paisley Underground stuff too. REM, Long Ryders, maybe The Go-Betweens, The Swans. I'd also liked to have heard some Anglo influences too. Early Jesus & Mary Chain would have made an excellent soundtrack to the murder scenes. Or The Fall.

What do other people think?

[Kerissa]

The book was written in 1991 and the song was written in 1988.

I personally think that Ellis did lift the line from the song, but (like our mozzer does at times) he changed certain things to fit his purpose.

[Kerissa]

The only other quote i know that Moz used from I book that no one else told me was the line 'pretty girls make graves'. It's a line from THE DHARMA BUMS by Jack Kerouac.

[this charming man]

he was a product of the time. the clothes he wore were what everyone else wore, the restaurants he ate at were the ones everyone else ate at. the music he listened to was what everyone else listened to...top 40.

[Not friend of Patrick's]

> The book as PUBLISHED in 1991. Of course, due to the
> controversial nature of the text, it may have been lying around
> for a couple of years before it found a publisher. If this was
> the case however, it is unlikely that Morrissey would have read
> a copy before it was published. "Sister I'm a Poet"
> was the b-side to "Everyday is Like Sunday", which was
> released in June 1988. So Morrissey would appear to have got
> there first... But maybe they both mined the same original
> source? Something completely different... Hmm?

> Coincidentally, I went to see the film last night. It was
> flawed, but interesting. The weakest point was Bateman's taste
> in music. Risible. Would somebody whose life revolved around the
> fashionable and the hip, REALLY listen to Phil Collins, Whitney
> Houston, Chris de Burgh and Huey Lewis? I'll concede the
> character may have had American tastes, which is usually a year
> or two behind the British, but even so... The film was set in
> 1987 or so, judging by the footage of Ronald Reagan circa the
> "Arms to Iran" controversy, so I would have assumed
> that a fashionable young man would have definitely listened to
> The Smiths at the time... Maybe Paisley Underground stuff too.
> REM, Long Ryders, maybe The Go-Betweens, The Swans. I'd also
> liked to have heard some Anglo influences too. Early Jesus &
> Mary Chain would have made an excellent soundtrack to the murder
> scenes. Or The Fall.

> What do other people think?

Not seen the film but love the book. It's common for shallow types to follow a useless track when it comes to art or culture of any kind. It's all about what others think rather than a honest response to any given work. This is deeply ingrained in Bateman and his like and BE Ellis gets it right. Didn't get anything from hisother books though.

[Kerissa]

I agree with no friend on the topic of the music. The yuppies of the eighties (and even most of them now) reflect how unstylish they are because they sallowed the crap Top 40 of the time.

I loved, however, how it was used in the film because it make you laugh at the people of that time. I mean who else could find deep meaning in the lyrics of 'Hip To Be Square' other than a yuppie?