Defend the indefensible: smugness and self satisfaction

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These always turn up on ILX (maybe just ILE) as the trump card to rubbish an author/creator or their work. Try to think of work that you like despite the obvious smugness of the author, or the manifestation of same in the work.

or something like that.

― Jaunty Alan (Alan), Thursday, 19 August 2004 09:48 (twenty-one years ago)

Some of my favourite posters on ILE are smug and self-satisfied. Myself included.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Thursday, 19 August 2004 09:51 (twenty-one years ago)

<smug>i thought that might be the place to start</smug>

― Jaunty Alan (Alan), Thursday, 19 August 2004 09:52 (twenty-one years ago)

i quite like the divine comedy

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Thursday, 19 August 2004 09:53 (twenty-one years ago)

The Decemberists, Manowar

― dog latin (dog latin), Thursday, 19 August 2004 09:55 (twenty-one years ago)

RJG.

― Jimmybommy JimmyK'KANG (Nick Southall), Thursday, 19 August 2004 09:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Autechre to thread

― dog latin (dog latin), Thursday, 19 August 2004 09:58 (twenty-one years ago)

Thomas Pynchon, Vladimir Nabokov, the Cohen Brothers, Stephen Malkmus, Aphex Twin all spring immediately to mind.

Is this separate from the concept of 'ideological arrogance'?

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Thursday, 19 August 2004 09:58 (twenty-one years ago)

RJG.

― RJG (RJG), Thursday, 19 August 2004 09:59 (twenty-one years ago)

MDC OTM, but recently the smugness has made me dislike Nabokov and AFX. Still like the Coens, tho'. Perhaps because they can back up their smugness with talent.

― ENRG (Enrique), Thursday, 19 August 2004 10:00 (twenty-one years ago)

Actually, I'd argue that AFX jumped the shark when the smugness overtook the music - ie everything after 1996. Also the entire career of Tom Jenkinson.

I'm a complete hypocrite when it comes to this. Smugness and self-satisfaction is still my favourite stick for beating Kenneth Branagh with.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Thursday, 19 August 2004 10:02 (twenty-one years ago)

Agreed with AFX. The smugness worked just fine when he was good. Now he's just being really lazy, releasing shit albums once every five years and never turning up to shows. That's arrogance taken to the extreme and it fucks me off.

― dog latin (dog latin), Thursday, 19 August 2004 10:05 (twenty-one years ago)

xpost

― dog latin (dog latin), Thursday, 19 August 2004 10:05 (twenty-one years ago)

lots of the time what people call smugness isn't smugness.

'smug' is on my watchlist of words which make me eject my eyes, like a shark, does with its stomach, when reading.

― cºzen (Cozen), Thursday, 19 August 2004 10:14 (twenty-one years ago)

'stop saying things are things when they aren't things.'

― cºzen (Cozen), Thursday, 19 August 2004 10:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Gondry perhaps

― the neurotic awakening of s (blueski), Thursday, 19 August 2004 12:36 (twenty-one years ago)

perhaps Goldfrapp as well

― the neurotic awakening of s (blueski), Thursday, 19 August 2004 12:36 (twenty-one years ago)

Geldof.

― Jimmybommy JimmyK'KANG (Nick Southall), Thursday, 19 August 2004 12:38 (twenty-one years ago)

David Foster Wallace, the ultimate in smugness.

― mcd (mcd), Thursday, 19 August 2004 12:45 (twenty-one years ago)

I agree with Coz. It's a bit like that Dylan Thomas thing about an alcoholic being someone who drinks the same amount as you, but who you don't like. A smug git is someone who's as clever/cleverer than you who you don't like.

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Thursday, 19 August 2004 12:49 (twenty-one years ago)

pretty much OTM but that doesn't mean there doesn't exist those who are truly smug.

― oops (Oops), Thursday, 19 August 2004 14:58 (twenty-one years ago)

frank zappa. yes, i defend him around here.

same can be said about nabokov, too, though i dunno if i'd call him smug.

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Friday, 20 August 2004 04:50 (twenty-one years ago)

zappa smugness defensible b/c (a) he didn't really like writing lyrics anyway (he did so for commercial reasons); (b) smugness aside, some of them are interesting in that they're a take on american culture during the 70s from someone watching it on the sidelines (either while on tour or in the studio) and not really participating directly.

nabokov smugness defensible b/c he could write like a motherfucker.

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Friday, 20 August 2004 04:53 (twenty-one years ago)

WONDERFUL WONDERFUL ME

Oh wait.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 20 August 2004 04:55 (twenty-one years ago)

someone should post a picture of that ventriloquist dummy that was being sold/given away on here yesterday. he looked smug and self-satisfied.

― gem (trisk), Friday, 20 August 2004 05:23 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.scottdecker.com/personal/wrestling_ric_flair.jpg

― daria g (daria g), Friday, 20 August 2004 05:42 (twenty-one years ago)

he looks like he's sulking rather than smug i reckon. maybe he didn't get his own way with the amount of sequins on his get up? or his sleeves aren't puffy enough?

― gem (trisk), Friday, 20 August 2004 05:57 (twenty-one years ago)

DARIA WINS

― dean? (deangulberry), Friday, 20 August 2004 06:08 (twenty-one years ago)

Perhaps because they can back up their smugness with talent.

Like Nabokov couldn't?!

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Friday, 20 August 2004 06:41 (twenty-one years ago)

Nabokov hatas can get bent.

― AaronHz (AaronHz), Friday, 20 August 2004 06:52 (twenty-one years ago)

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