Sex, Molly Bloom and The Goo
Without Prejudice
I read excerpts from Ulysses last night, James Joyce's important work. It was banned for so long with it's writings of masturbation, anal sex and adultery. I love the stream of consciousness style of writing but not everyone does. Most people can only get 6 pages in to the book before they give up entirely, and yet it is one of the most important works of the twentieth century,
I love some of Joyce's quotes,
"Men are governed by lines of intellect - women: by curves of emotion." And the fact the Molly Bloom is not scared to tell it like it is for most women.
But then I love the Irish intelligence, it's sacred and profane ways of expression. How the strict Catholicism of most of the population as always at war with their need for the drink and their having to express themselves. On the flip side of the coin of their religious fervour is a raw and achingly lovely need for the obscene and the puerile. With "The Drink" on them they can express the human need for sex.
And the next day, they might have "The Goo" which means the "Hair of The Dog That Bit You, and they need more of the drink to express themselves even better.
Here is an explanation of the Goo by Eleanor Tiernan
The Goo: The Goo is a term used by Irish people to describe a sudden, powerful and irresistible urge to go to a local pub and drink a drink. It normally strikes between the hours of 7pm and midnight, but it has been known to occur as early as 8am in some cases. Anyone can get the Goo but it is a predominantly an Irish phenomenon. There is no physical pain associated with the Goo. While perspiration and breathlessness does occur in some cases, the Goo typically comes in the form of a mental anguish. Those who get the Goo describe the feeling as one of restlessness, irritability and discontent. When an individual "gets the Goo" they will typically telephone people in search of another person who has also gotten the Goo so that they may arrange to meet satisfy their Goo together. If no other person with the Goo is to be found then the victim may be forced to go to the pub alone, or they may take the less desirable option of going to the off-license to purchase alcohol for consumption at home. When the Irish government brought official pub closing time from midnight back to 11pm, there was a corresponding shift in the time of occurrence of the goo.
It is the opinion of the medical community that once a person gets the Goo, they should immediately satisfy the urge. Under no circumstances should a person try to resist the Goo. There have been a small number of people who have attempted this with dire consequences. Survivors describe feelings of frustration, increased heartbeat, an inability to sit still, tremors, anxiety, rage, irrational hatred of other people, insomnia, and violent outbursts. It is also said that once the time of Last Orders have passed, the symptoms intensify. Such people are considered to be extremely dangerous and capable of murder. The public are advised to be vigilant, and if they come across a person suffering from the Goo, they are best avoided.
There is a theory gaining credibility, that the Goo is more than just an ailment suffered by the Irish. Such people believe the Goo has a spiritual dimension, that it's a powerful and malevolent supernatural being, which demands to be worshipped in the form of drinking in pubs. They claim that the urge to drink is a call to prayer from the Goo and that the unpleasant feelings experienced are a punishment for denying its wishes. This theory is based on a number of accounts of people who claim to have been visited by the Goo in physical form. A study, "Are ya going for a Pint?: Sightings of the Goo" was undertaken by Dr. Oliver Grundt of the Institute of Metaphysical Research, although this has never been cited by any of the established academic institutions. The descriptions contained therein however are most inconsistent, ranging from "A silhouette of a man... tall and slim... moved fast around the room" to "a growling desperate creature… on all fours with pure evil in his eyes". Bridie McCarthy, the woman who famously was convicted of murdering her husband by tying him up and burning him repeatedly with a Hair Straightener when he prevented her from going to the pub claims to have spoken to the Goo before the attack. In court she testified "The Goo came. He was there in the corner of the bedroom... telling me to do it. I forgot everything... my husband, my kids... I don't know why, but I just couldn't say no to him."
I read excerpts from Ulysses last night, James Joyce's important work. It was banned for so long with it's writings of masturbation, anal sex and adultery. I love the stream of consciousness style of writing but not everyone does. Most people can only get 6 pages in to the book before they give up entirely, and yet it is one of the most important works of the twentieth century,
I love some of Joyce's quotes,
"Men are governed by lines of intellect - women: by curves of emotion." And the fact the Molly Bloom is not scared to tell it like it is for most women.
But then I love the Irish intelligence, it's sacred and profane ways of expression. How the strict Catholicism of most of the population as always at war with their need for the drink and their having to express themselves. On the flip side of the coin of their religious fervour is a raw and achingly lovely need for the obscene and the puerile. With "The Drink" on them they can express the human need for sex.
And the next day, they might have "The Goo" which means the "Hair of The Dog That Bit You, and they need more of the drink to express themselves even better.
Here is an explanation of the Goo by Eleanor Tiernan
The Goo: The Goo is a term used by Irish people to describe a sudden, powerful and irresistible urge to go to a local pub and drink a drink. It normally strikes between the hours of 7pm and midnight, but it has been known to occur as early as 8am in some cases. Anyone can get the Goo but it is a predominantly an Irish phenomenon. There is no physical pain associated with the Goo. While perspiration and breathlessness does occur in some cases, the Goo typically comes in the form of a mental anguish. Those who get the Goo describe the feeling as one of restlessness, irritability and discontent. When an individual "gets the Goo" they will typically telephone people in search of another person who has also gotten the Goo so that they may arrange to meet satisfy their Goo together. If no other person with the Goo is to be found then the victim may be forced to go to the pub alone, or they may take the less desirable option of going to the off-license to purchase alcohol for consumption at home. When the Irish government brought official pub closing time from midnight back to 11pm, there was a corresponding shift in the time of occurrence of the goo.
It is the opinion of the medical community that once a person gets the Goo, they should immediately satisfy the urge. Under no circumstances should a person try to resist the Goo. There have been a small number of people who have attempted this with dire consequences. Survivors describe feelings of frustration, increased heartbeat, an inability to sit still, tremors, anxiety, rage, irrational hatred of other people, insomnia, and violent outbursts. It is also said that once the time of Last Orders have passed, the symptoms intensify. Such people are considered to be extremely dangerous and capable of murder. The public are advised to be vigilant, and if they come across a person suffering from the Goo, they are best avoided.
There is a theory gaining credibility, that the Goo is more than just an ailment suffered by the Irish. Such people believe the Goo has a spiritual dimension, that it's a powerful and malevolent supernatural being, which demands to be worshipped in the form of drinking in pubs. They claim that the urge to drink is a call to prayer from the Goo and that the unpleasant feelings experienced are a punishment for denying its wishes. This theory is based on a number of accounts of people who claim to have been visited by the Goo in physical form. A study, "Are ya going for a Pint?: Sightings of the Goo" was undertaken by Dr. Oliver Grundt of the Institute of Metaphysical Research, although this has never been cited by any of the established academic institutions. The descriptions contained therein however are most inconsistent, ranging from "A silhouette of a man... tall and slim... moved fast around the room" to "a growling desperate creature… on all fours with pure evil in his eyes". Bridie McCarthy, the woman who famously was convicted of murdering her husband by tying him up and burning him repeatedly with a Hair Straightener when he prevented her from going to the pub claims to have spoken to the Goo before the attack. In court she testified "The Goo came. He was there in the corner of the bedroom... telling me to do it. I forgot everything... my husband, my kids... I don't know why, but I just couldn't say no to him."
