Fred Ressler, of Pareidolia fame, turned me on to an interesting website called Urban Dictionary. It is a slang dictionary where readers submit their own words and definitions. Velvis is a word I came up with in 1984, back when sniglets were in vogue. A sniglet is a word that should be in the dictionary, but isn’t.
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Velvis belongs in a class of art by itself. Similar categories would include, but is not limited to, assembly line rug/beach towel prints and paintings of heavy metal rock stars and jungle animals. Generally, you’ll find these items for sale at flea markets, yard sales and high volume intersections (in gas station parking lots), in the urban sprawl. This genre should not be confused with collections of plastic flamingos and anything to do with Dale Earnhart, although in most cases, they are sold side by side. A genuine Velvis is a velvet painting of Elvis. Floyd traveled around the country, including in the ghetto, searching for Velvis paintings to add to his art collection. |
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15 responses so far ↓
pareidoliac // September 22, 2007 at 1:49 pm
Great term “Velvis.” i believe it should be extended to not only include plastic famingos and Dale Ernhart but also 99.99% of what we are exposed to in the name of mechanics, sensuality, power, art, politics, philosophy and religion. We may be witnessing the “Velvisification,” of the universe. This was supposed to be the “millenium” where we entered a spiritual age and “entertainment” was replaced with a spiritual communication. Even in popular music in 1967 spirit entered the field with “Sgt. Pepper.” Can you find any trace of this in popular music since; in this post 9-11 “return to the year 1,000″ type mentality, we have nothing but U-2/You Tube etc. Ayahuasca shamans reportedly sing songs from contact with the spirit world. This is what art should be about. The natural flow of light following the path of least resistence, has been largly subverted by the intermediary flow of $. How many do things that don’t pay. Many even say “why would you, you must be crazy.” Do people today follow their inner spirit? or the 2,400 year old spirit of Plato who said
“The greatest principle of all is that nobody, whether male or female, should be without a leader. Nor should the mind of anybody be habituated to letting him do anything at all on his own initiative; neither out of zeal, nor even playfully. But in war and in the midst of peace- to his leader he shall direct his eye and follow him faithfully. And even in the smallest matter he should stand under leadership. For example, he should get up, or move, or wash, or take his meals.. only if he has been told to do so. In a word, he should teach his soul, by long habit, never to dream of acting independently, and to become utterly incapable of it.” Plato of Athens.
In the immortal words of Nietzsche and every guru “become yourself.”
pareidoliac // September 22, 2007 at 3:07 pm
Even “freedom” has been “Velvisified” with expressions such as “even freedom has a price,” and “freedom isn’t free.”
One can also add the “hippie” saying “do your own thing,” to the last part of my previous statement.
TRANSCEND VELVISIFICATION, was what everyone from Yeshua, thru William Blake and even Dwight Eisenhower was saying about the Rabinical, Scholastic and Military industrial systems (respectively) removing our innate visionary power and replacing it with the un-ideal “platonic-ideal,” of what Blake called the sleep of Newton’s single eyed vision. Native Americans originally only followed their leader to the degree that their own inner vision wanted. Is our current system an improvement? or has it lead to this “Velvisifying” of the world?
Marinade Dave // September 23, 2007 at 9:57 am
Hi, Fred -
I guess I can agree with you on “Velvisification.” Welcome to the wonderful world of mediocresy.The philosophy of the sixties, free love and peace, was usurped by money and power in the end. Spirituality was less embraced and the god of money ultimately prevailed. Too bad. I still feel the way I did back then, but I guess that everyone should have a right to choose their path.
I don’t think we can say what art and music should or shouldn’t be. After all, like beauty, these things are in the eyes of the beholder. I think a velvet painting of Elvis is as trashy as a Big Mac and I have no appreciation of Hip Hop, but who am I to say there is no rhyme or reason for their existence?
In humanity, there seems to be an order inherent in the nature of the beast or there would be no structure. Leaders would not exist and chaos and anarchy would be the prevailing order of disorder. Having leadership is not inherently wrong, and we tend to trust our leaders, but power of this magnitude ruins good men. Power breeds power. We all know it, yet we keep electing leaders for wont of the alternative.
Unfortunately, Big Macs, Velvis and Hip Hop are here for the duration and we must accept them and all the others or else we fall prey to an androidal uniformity where a big brother mindset sinks in.
As in, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” clearly, all forms of government and leadership are the same way. I’m sure even Hitler’s mother loved him. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad may have plenty of detractors, but he has a lot of followers, too.
If there is Velvisification in the world, is it because levels of intellect, desire and appreciation vary between each individual?
Ina // December 2, 2007 at 9:44 am
Velvis is the familyname of my mother, now 83
Marinade Dave // December 2, 2007 at 11:36 am
Hello, Ina! Now, that is interesting. It’s funny how languages are so different throughout the world, but crossover words exist, with totally unique meanings. I wonder if Velvis ever meant something in your native language, like Knechel (or the original spelling) did in German? From your e-mail address, I see you are from Nederland.
Thank you for writing.
Ina // December 3, 2007 at 6:41 am
litterly it would mean skin fish (vel=skin, vis=fish)
Marinade Dave // December 3, 2007 at 7:59 pm
Skin fish. I’m pretty sure my name in German means knuckle. It was originally spelled Knoechel, I believe.
Ina // December 4, 2007 at 1:06 am
Knöchel, (also written Knoechel if you cannot make an umlaut))=ankle or knuckle. Well, an ankle is a knuckle by definition, I suppose. Do you still pronounce the K? Or is your name pronounced ~sort of like~ Nuggle? I always wondered where the k went off to in words like knight, know etc. Confusing! People might want to look you op in the list of N-names.
Marinade Dave // December 4, 2007 at 5:31 am
Here in America, we pronounce the name Nekel, with a soft e, as in neck. My niece, aus Berlin, pronounces it K-N eshel. In college, you’d be amazed at how the professors butchered my name.
Ina // December 4, 2007 at 7:52 am
I can imagine. Are you always up so early?
Marinade Dave // December 4, 2007 at 6:44 pm
Lately, I have been working many, many hours. That’s why I haven’t had a chance to write anything for a while. Hopefully, that will change soon and I will get back to normal.
By the way, I linked to your Ina’s mening blog. Too bad I can’t understand a word of it.
Ina // December 5, 2007 at 1:39 am
Thank you. I hadnot done any blogging for months, but picked it up again. It’s like knitting, I suppose.
Don’t work too hard.
Marinade Dave // December 5, 2007 at 6:01 am
I’ve been blogging over 3 years now and I really enjoy it. I remember this odd fellow I met, a blogger, who said YOU MUST WRITE SOMETHING EVERY DAY! or don’t do it at all. Needless to say, I didn’t hang around his blog for long. It seems he didn’t have any other life and just sat at his computer all day.
Ina // December 7, 2007 at 6:08 am
Sometimes I think I should go walking more than surfing. But then again, its fun!
Have you thought of a X-mass meal yet?
Marinade Dave // December 7, 2007 at 7:00 pm
As a diabetic, I need to do a lot of walking. Actually, I need to do a lot more than I do now, but I enjoy the Internet, as well. Lately, I haven’t had much time to do either.
Usually, on Christmas day, I go to long-time family friends, so I never have to cook anything. Traditionally, they bake a ham and serve it with mashed potatoes and all the usual stuff like green beans. I’ve been doing the same thing for years.
By the way, how was Sinterklaas?