Question: do you like Lady Gaga? My answer: "Like" does not quite convey my feelings. "Retch at the thought", "refuse to believe we belong to the same race" and "wonder what God meant by that kind of joke" are closer.
Once upon a time Italian-Americans used to produce the great crooners - Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Perry Cuomo. Now they seem to specialize in pseudo-musical slags: Madonna, Gwen Stefani, Lady Gaga. Unfortunately, this seems to somehow mirror the devolution of the mother country, from Alcide de Gasperi to Silvio Berlusconi.
Lanza is only half - half Italian, half a popular singer and the other half operatic, half everything except for one whole talent. But I can't quite claim him the way I can claim those other four, who are fully popular singers and fully Italian.
Work out what the three persons in question have in common and you are apt to have the answer. For that matter, you might mention Jon Bon Jovi. The thing is, Italian-Americans don't have a lock on any genre of music - not even close - the way they seemed to have on crooners, give or take the odd Bing or Vaughn Monroe; with a single exception. Except for Kylie Minogue and Britney, all the prominent pseudo-musical sluts are Italian-American. (Christina Aguilera is a genuinely talented singer who is stupid enough to think that she is doing something defiant by playing the slut. She would be a lot better off with her clothes on.)
Ashcombe's none so far away, Guy's out of the right stable despite it all, and his pheasants want shooting in a friendly manner. (Mind, the idea of poor old Beaton looking down upon what became of the place he so loved is amusing in rather a bittersweet fashion.)
There are some times I wish I could pull off your acerbicity on a regular basis. Then I wouldn't get myself into so much trouble when I do give in to the impulse to blast someone from orbit.
We all have different gifts. But honestly, I can hardly see that even the most extreme of Christian charity should be extended to people who rip every kind of sexual and personal decency to shreds and make millions into the bargain.
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My dear fellow.
Re: My dear fellow.
I suppose so.
Questions
And what about Dion (DiMucci)? Not a crooner, true, but a wonderful singer.
Re: Questions
For that matter, you might mention Jon Bon Jovi. The thing is, Italian-Americans don't have a lock on any genre of music - not even close - the way they seemed to have on crooners, give or take the odd Bing or Vaughn Monroe; with a single exception. Except for Kylie Minogue and Britney, all the prominent pseudo-musical sluts are Italian-American. (Christina Aguilera is a genuinely talented singer who is stupid enough to think that she is doing something defiant by playing the slut. She would be a lot better off with her clothes on.)
I've been through Burke's and Debrett's.
Re: I've been through Burke's and Debrett's.
Nor any sort of one.
Re: Nor any sort of one.
One gets into these habits w neighbours.
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