The Chronicles of Wasted Time -

(no subject)

: northrop_fried; December 31st, 2008

Pac-Man is about Shamanic initiation. Initiate eats sacred meal, "devours" ghosts by absorbing them into himself, wanders through an underworld maze of darkness until he transcends it, getting, as it were, to the "next level." Pac-Man overcomes gender, reborn as "Ms. Pac-Man," whose courtship with Pac-Man is psychic reintegration-- the alchemical wedding of mail and female cosmic principles-- and whose ingestion of fruit represents the acquisition of wisdom in the service of the tribe.

Man.

Happy New Year. Only three to go until Time Machine Go.

(x-posted to

grantmorrison)

( 5 comments — Leave a comment )

max_ambiguity

2009-01-01 12:02 am (UTC)

You should read Lucky Wander Boy.

northrop_fried

2009-01-01 06:26 am (UTC)

I have-- and halfway through this post, I was reminded of it. You realize that what I do on the Middle Ages is "cultural studies" like yo do. There was a deepy muddy mix of "low" and "high" pop culture back then, kept track of by clerks like us.

max_ambiguity

2009-01-01 06:29 am (UTC)

Actually, I didn't know exactly what you do with the Middle Ages, although given your TIHC participation I figured you have an interest in cultural studies. You're allowed to read Lucky Wander Boy in either case though.

northrop_fried

2009-01-01 07:03 am (UTC)

I really enjoyed Lucky Wander Boy. Very innovative and imaginative-- I felt it tapped into the way human beings generate very rich tapestries from meager threads.