I had a dream that Howard Roark was a 50 year old red-headed raving lunatic dancing in the street. He was singing that all the art was gone, and he looked strikingly like Dogboy (for those who don't know...Dogboy's head is huge). The funny thing about objectivism, is that just like any other Strong philosphy or Ideology, it immediately lends itself directly to Hypocrisy. Everyone who subscribes to it immediately assumes the role of Howard Roark. (Interesting considering the vast world of strong characters she created in Atlas Shrugged). Well of course you can't be a Howard Roark without a Peter Keating, or else more importantly an Ellsworth Toohey. It becomes a quest to find an adversary. Someone who doesn't understand your art. Why? For the sole purpose of being better than that person. Someone you can discuss as a rival who doesn't understand you, or your pain, or your suffering. The great irony in that is of course Howard Roark never gave a second thought to Ellsworth Toohey. The Objectivist claims...I AM WHAT I AM...and I don't care what anyone says or thinks of me. Meanwhile judging everyone around him as a secondary character with a fictitious name. The real tragedy of the whole thing is that as a dramatic literary figure...Howard Roark isn't even that interesting. The entire book is a one trick pony. He suffers the exact same fate, with different characters acting out the events each time. SO WHAT. I guess why this bothers me so much is that sure...The Fountainhead is an interesting read, with some okay ideas that are nearly impossible to implement, but again so what. My problem is that I meet so many objectivist wannabes in my chosen career path. All of them are identical. They believe wholeheartedly that they are the best at what they do, and admitedly they have all had some considerable talent. But They (like their chosen hero Howard Roark) refuse criticism and refuse to change and grow and get better. They all assume that they are already at the top of their game and have nowhere to go. WHY? I will never understand why Miss Rand created this as such an admirable quality. All objecivists first line of defense toward criticism is the same..."You just don't understand." The catch phrase of our artistic generation. Well, fine. If it makes you feel better to assume I don't understand, why don't you explain it to me...oh that's what you meant...hhhmm that's exactly what I got out of it...so I guess I do understand...and I guess your not at the top of your game quite yet. Lastly...HOWARD ROARK IS FICTION. He's not real. He could never be real. If you must emulate a fictional character in your life, at least pick someone interesting...like Spiderman, or Jesus.
I wonder if Kitty has dreams.