posted on Monday, August 20, 2007 8:12 AM
by
Endie
Interlude from Charles "Comedy" Manson
I was reading about Charles Manson - somewhat gruelling but he's a part of American folklore and pop culture - when I came across this quote. Some of what he says is clearly mad. Some is obviously self-aware. But is he knowingly making a hilarious, dark joke here?
There were these two kids - everybody thought I was cruel because one day he (the youngest boy) fell in a three foot ditch. There was a lot of bushes, the slope was three or four feet above the ditch. Down there it was muddy and he was crying. Others standing around said, 'Help him out', but I didn't. I said, 'Watch'. About twenty minutes passed or so and he stopped crying and started to climb out on his own. And the second time he tried to climb out he fell back down, but kept on climbing out more. Finally when he made it, climbed out, he was really tired, and stood in front of me and smiled.
I pushed him back in the ditch again.
Everyone knows and anticipates the lesson he is apparently teaching - about self-reliance and making someone eschew self-pity - right up until that last line.