The kernel, the soul—let us go further and say the substance, the bulk, the actual and valuable material of all human utterances—is plagiarism.
The kernel and soul of this text is plagiarism. Or, as the title indicates, what might otherwise be valuably asserted as influence. The question always lingers over any example of borrowed influence: plagiarism or homage? The answer to that question seems impossibly difficult for even experts to answer, yet countless amateurs assigned to a jury have taken upon themselves to determine copyright infringement over the decades.
Sometimes it seems like a sucker’s game: how is that “My Sweet Lord” can be judged a plagiary of “He’s so Fine” but Vanilla Ice is not ordered to pay millions in royalties to David Bowie and Queen? Such questions—though not that one in particular—are at the heart of this examination of the long history of artistic influence. Of course, it is not really fair to say the entire book is devoted to the study of plagiarism, but as one reads essays not specifically having anything to do with that topic, one cannot help but notice things. Certain things that one might not have noticed had the topic of plagiarizing not been so deeply ingrained into its DNA.
Ten and twenty years ago I used to play a minor parlor trick; I wonder if it would still work. When asked my favorite writer, I’d say “Shirley Jackson,” counting on most questioners to say they’d never heard of her.
With this confession, the author immediately diminishes any serous doubts about his taste in literature. One may not necessarily appreciate his writing or agree with his opinions regarding the difference between plagiarism and influence, but here is another little trick anyone can feel free to play. If any lingering doubts persist as to whether another person is worth discussing the finer aspects of literature with, ask them their opinion of Shirley Jackson. If they stare back blankly, just walk away. If they shrug or give the hand gesture meaning they could go either way, just walk away. If they admit Jackson was pretty good, but not great, just walk away. In fact, if they do anything other than agree with Lethem that she is one of their favorite writers, just walk away.
It really is that simple and here’s how this knowledge comes in handy. Lethem provides analysis and reviews of a number of different authors, songwriters, film directors and various other assorted aesthetic and creative types and when confronted with a book in which that is the case, a reader naturally would like to know whether the writer’s opinion can be trust. For no other reason than that he recognizes the peculiarly under-appreciated greatness of Shirley Jackson, the answer is yes he can. By the way, the reason he no longer plays this trick is that he no longer can: time has finally caught up and there just are not that many questioners left who have never heard of Jackson.
The Dark Knight, with its taciturn and self-pitying vigilante, its scenes of rendition and torture, its elaborately leveraged choices between principles and human lives, might offer a defense of the present administration’s cursory regard for human rights abroad and civil rights at home, in the cause of reply to attacks from an irrational and inhuman evil. Poor Batman, forced again and again to violate the ethics that define him, to destroy the world to save it.
The author might well find common ground with fans of Shirley Jackson, the Go-Betweens, and those who have plagiarized in the name of creating a homage rather than theft (or merely pretended to have do so in order to escape indictment), but he is not likely to find himself invited to share his opinions about the middle film in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy among those IMDB voters who have firmly ensconced the film among the top five of all time. One of the pitfalls of writing about entertainment is that it will inevitably serve to make the writer an outcast among a rather huge chunk of society.
Even if one agrees with his opinions on regarding other writers, films and rock bands, it will not be enough to gain redemption among the furiously rabid fans occupying the pop culture cliffs and valleys like those who love their superhero movies, their Star Wars trilogies, their “edgy” binge viewing dramas on FX or Netflix. It is one of the modern travails of writing about entertainment that you can’t please all of the people all of the time, but displease a rabidly passionate fan base just once and you will be marked for life. The only thing that could make his perspective toward The Dark Knight worse if he were wrong.
