Monday, August 24, 2009

Incongruity

Bagman bounds into the room with renewed energy, carrying his cameras and showing off his biggest telephoto lens. Butler is accustomed to him and barely looks up from the spread of open dictionaries on desk, although Bagman almost surprises me. This spurt of energy seems unusual for him of late and I glance over at Butler and whisper, “Do you think that is a rather incongruous entrance for Bagman?”

Butler consults a dictionary and replies, “Probably not, considering that it is just the way Bagman used to come in every morning. Perhaps his recent bleak quietude has been the incongruity and this entrance is more nostalgic.”

Bagman is leaping up and down, his shirt unbuttoned, his zipper only half pulled up. He is roaring with delight. “Incongruity! Incongruity! I’ve got just the idea for next week’s Friday Hometown Shoot’em up!”

“That’s Friday Hometown Photo Shoot-out,” corrected Butler.

“Shooter pooter!” screams Bagman. “But I know what we’re going to do! We’ll shoot naked women in incongruous places – courtrooms, churches, public intersections!”

“It’s been done already,” I note, explaining that last year somebody broke the World Record for shooting a gazillion naked people in some huge business district street.

“So now it’s no longer incongruity,” says Butler. “Now it would just be art. But you might shoot women dressed in parkas and snowsuits on a naked beach in Cannes.”

Bagman tosses his shaggy head and glares at Butler. “You’re make fun of me! Watch out, Geek boy! Remember who you are messing with!”

“How could I forget?”

I try to defuse the growing tension and say, “It does present a dilemma. Incongruity seems to shift depending on circumstances. And as soon as you take a picture the composition of the photograph turns the incongruity of the subject into harmony…at least if it is a good picture.”

“Then let’s take bad pictures!” yelled Bagman but his roar was beginning to sound a little more like a whine.


”We need more research,” said
Butler. “The Friday Shootouts are getting really complex.”

12 comments:

  1. drat trying to Skype and comment at the same time and hit the wrong button. am getting ready to walk the coast line in Salvador and take photos.... Happy! "And as soon as you take a picture the composition of the photograph turns the incongruity of the subject into harmony" I think I need to talk with you to know what this means - you are way ahead of me.

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  2. Boy, am I coming around for your naked women pictures! Bagman, you are a genius. Wish I had thought of that.

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  3. I agree with Ginger V. How does that happen? I love your style of blogging. Would love to try it but don't want to be a copy cat. Can't wait for friday.
    QMM

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  4. What a delightful discussion! (I love the way you write!)

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  5. I'm sorry when things get really philosophical I get confused...;-)

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  6. You make some good points. I've mulling this over, and always come back to photos I've seen, or artists I admire - but all of their work has already been done on this subject, so I have to think a bit more and comeup with something uniquely my town...

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  7. I still need the dictionary. I am completely and utterly lost. Friday shoot outs are definitley becoming more complex. But I'll be slinging my shoot-em-up thingy. High noon! I'll be there.

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  8. Peter loves the way you write and so do I, but I also love the way Bagman thinks.

    After this teaser for Friday's post, I will definitely be here!!

    Bagman Rules!

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  9. Bagman is back! Yippie Yowl! I can't wait to see what he comes up with. Under no circumstances give the camera to Butler.

    Dorothea wants to run her fingers through Bagman's shaggy hair.

    Si, you had better behave.

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  10. hmm I can't wait to see your photos this Friday, I wan't able to join the Friday shootouts now so I will just be a commenter :-)

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  11. Me too, What is that word again? Incongruity? I am supposed to be an English teacher.

    My entry this week will be short.

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