Arty recognizes the deep emotional needs of his followers, and like any cult leader, constructs a self-contained, ultimately destructive doctrine with which he can meet those needs.

Yeah, this is a really good point. When I was reading the book, I didn't even notice how readily I accepted what Al and Lily did to their children, as I was charmed by the (relatively) sweet family dynamics of the Binewskis in the opening, childhood chapters.

I'm repeating myself a bit, but other users on this comment thread have done a good job of highlighting the connection between Arturo and Miss Lick, in the sense that they both impose surgery on impressionable people as a way of feeling better about themselves. Arturo conquers whatever feelings of self-loathing and…

Ohh DD……I think I'd repressed the exp0nential gross-out factor of that scene in my memory. I am mentally nauseous now.

I question the notion of viewing Arturo's society as being in opposition to that of normal society, when perhaps it may be be better to view it as a parallel society, albeit one with vastly different standards of what constitutes an ideal human body. A fat, lonely woman seeks Arturan approval by slowly hacking off…

Arturo, that's a really good point about Oly equating Miss Lick with Arty. That hadn't occurred to me when I read the novel, but I now see how Miss Lick and Arty were essentially doing the same thing. Miss Lick and Arty both demand that "normal people" change their bodies in some radical way, in order to buttress…

Agreed, Chubby. Though I would posit that her murder of the Bag Man is when she first realizes how off the track the Binewskis have gone. She immediately retreats back into her medicated shell, but it's a moment when she takes decisive action to protect her loved ones.

Arty creates a system for people to feel beautiful and attain status. The notion of getting a facelift is ultimately no different than cutting off your toes: you're mutilating yourself for approval.

Yeah, Dunn seemed to have lost the thread when it came to the climax. The tossed-off writing for Chick going Tetsuo Shima on the carnival was the weakest element of the book for me.

Elly and Iphy are in conflict with one another from the get-go. They have brutal fights at multiple points in the book, and Mumpo seems to be simply the fatal catalyst. One of the few elements of the book that was well-plotted.

Lil's act seems to spring from joy and a desire to please her audience, which is the polar opposite of Arturo. His utter contempt for the crowds is what makes his act repulsive, and seems to be his chief motivation through the book.

I thought it a brave choice on Dunn's part to make her narrator act as repulsively as anyone else in the book. I found Olympia's near-constant refusal to stand up for her family members in the face of Arturo's abuse in order to preserve her "special" status as Arty's emotional footstool to be, well, frankly despicable.

I like now to think of Val Kilmer as a sort of Norm McDonald of real actors. Someone who intentionally makes bad career choices as a sort of ironic middle-finger directed at the world. That being said, he was awesome in Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang.

Yes, YES! Scarlett Johansson has been consistently awful in everything post-Lost in Translation!

Whatever Ben Stein's faults, he was still funnier than Jimmy Kimmel.

Foxx's stint guest judging on American Idol kinda says it all.

I hope that Steve Martin suffers from a debilitating addiction to cocaine, or underage Indonesian prostitutes, or SOMETHING that forces him to take that Pink Panther money.

Creed and Nickelback are so bad, we had to invent a whole new genre for them:

I'm going to chime in on this Colin Quinn Dogpile of Hate. I fuckin' hate that guy. I mean, maybe he's a nice person and all, but he is the worst Weekend Update anchor in the history of SNL, which is saying a lot. Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers still merit dishonorable mentions, though.

Am I mistaken in remembering the narrative as Hipster-Indie-Universe always having an uneasy, dare I say resentful relationship with Ms. Phair? People were always waiting to see her fail to deliver another Exile in Guyville.