Scary Bear

You can see this stuffed bear at the Natural History Museum, which has a collection of old stuffed animals like this one. Like many products of taxidermy, this bear (a grizzly?) is striking a dramatic pose, looking very threatening and downright nasty. I have to confess, I have a soft spot for such display, even though it gives bears (in this instance) a bad rep. I mean, they diet consists mainly of berries for crying out loud! It is true however that bears are not the cuddly soft toys that children (and sometimes adults) love. They can be vicious attackers when provoked, hungry or scared. So this bear may have struck such a pose in real life, but somehow I doubt it. And now he is stuck with it. Still, I love this scary bear and I love him because he is menacing. I'd give him a hug if I could.

A Clockwork Orange and teddy bears

A Youtube video that never ceases to cheer me up and make me laugh. It is a parody of a scene from A Clockwork Orange, obviously done by a big fan of the movie. To parodise something is to recognise its relevance, said someone, I don't remember who. The clip is both funny and unsettling, because it is so close to the original scene, the lines played with the exact tone and beat, with the same background music. Even the white teddy bear looks like Alex! And there is something fitting about the teddy bears: they are innocent just like Alex and like him are also feral animals. Parodies can also be full of symbolism and intertext. Enjoy this one.

The life of a gummy bear

This is a totally random blog entry, as I don't feel inspired much and tomorrow I might not blog in English much (if at all). We received two gummy bears as a gift from my sister-in-law, two after-Christmas gifts. I managed to eat one, but felt terribly guilty, because they look really cute. The other one, pictured left, has remained intact for the last six months. Neither me nor my wife can force ourselves to eat something so cute., therefore until a change of mind it will remain on the kitchen table. We are silly I know, but it looks like a real teddy bear.

Anyway, I have just written a blog entry about a glorified jelly bean. I promise, I will write something deeper this week, something about the state of Quebec's national identity or the absurdity of life and the contingency of human existence.