Whatever Happened to Mr. Bates, the Ideal Family and the Wounded Father?

That little Jack Torrance doll was a Christmas present this year from my youngest son (who is 23 years old) and my first reaction was to ask him if this is the way that he sees me.
He laughed and said no, it was because he knew that I liked Kubrick movies and that 'The Shining' was one of my favourites.

THE LIMINALIST # 139: THE LAND OF THE WOUNDED FATHER (WITH JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER)
Ironically, I had just listened to the podcast above before I had met him and his older brother at my sister's house for Christmas lunch and to exchange presents.
I was doing a minimalist exercise after listening to a podcast about getting rid of things around the house you don't want anymore, and thought my kids being Kubrick fans too might like the

Russian scary clown dolls and the Clockwork Orange figure I bought years ago for my bookshelf, because of the King/Kubrick movies of 'IT' and 'A Clockwork Orange'.

What Do You Give Someone for Christmas Who is into Minimalism?

My youngest son took the clowns and my eldest son took the Alex figure and ironically, I had picked up another plastic figure for my bookcase.
So much for my minimalist exercise, as I just made some space for a new figure to stand in.

To be honest I didn't like the gift of the Jack Torrance doll and felt a little wounded that my son would give me this doll as a Christmas present, as I was recently divorced from his mother after 25 years of marriage, who had set herself up early in my son's life as the good cop to my bad cop routine.
Not that I ever threatened people around the house with weapons and physical violence, but I guess I could sound like Jack if my boys were misbehaving, and I had to play the bad parent/wait till your father gets home type.
Anyway, I can't do much about how people see me ... or not see me, as long as I know who I am as a person and father.
I enjoyed Jasun's conversation with James Howard Kunstler in the wounded father podcast (not that I agree with everything said in it though) and while I haven't read Jasun's book, it does look interesting.

Seen & Not Seen 

is an exploration of a hidden lineage.
It maps how popular culture shapes our identities.

Both searingly personal and socially relevant, it’s not so much a book as a quantum-psychological experiment, with the author as its subject, guinea pig, and scientist all in one.
You are cordially invited to enter the movie labyrinth and participate in this unique experiment.
But keep in mind that your observation will affect the outcome!
Subjects included in the experiment:

What’s a movie autist anyway?

What’s the difference between entertainment and ideology?

What’s the connection between white male angst and The Searchers?

Was Taxi Driver’s Travis Bickle autistic?

Why is Clint Eastwood the worst possible role model for a sensitive adolescent?

What’s the obsession with movie violence all about?

How and when did American movies become weaponized?

At what point does escapism become dissociation?

What’s the difference between Jonathan Lethem and David Icke?

When and how did the Pauline Kael/Clint Eastwood wars begin?

What makes Blue Velvet the movie blueprint for psychological trauma?

Why did critics hate The Counselor so much?

Who was Sebastian Horsley and why did he get crucified?

What does all this have to do with Jimmy Savile?

Why “confessions”?

I think I would have been happier to have got a Col. Nathan R. Jessep doll from the movie 'A Few Good Men' for Christmas instead;-)

The Shinings, Coincidence, or Just a Plate of Shrimp?

I'm not quite ready to minimalise my anger yet, as some things really can't be let go of that easily, I think:-)

The Shining turns 40 in 2[0]17, as Does PSY
Happy 40th birthday for tomorrow too Psy:-)