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The REALIST Issue Number 16 - March, 1960 - Page 01 scans of this entire Issue found at: http://www.ep.tc/realist/16 freethought criticism and satire

March 1960 35 Cents No. 16

An Impolite Interview With Albert Ellis

Albert Ellis received his M.A. and Ph.D. de­ grees in Clinical Psychology at Columbia Uni­ IN THIS ISSUE versity. He has taught at Rutgers and N.Y.U.; • A Realist Exclusive: I Tried the Rapid-Shave has served as Chief Psychologist of the New Jersey Sandpaper Test Department of Institutions and Agencies; and over the last decade he has been in the private practice • Jack Paar, TV Censorship, and a Stereo­ of psychotherapy and marriage counseling in New phonic Hoax York City. • Negative Thinking: Some Positive Thoughts Dr. Ellis is the author of several books—in­ on ‘Suddenly, Last Summer'

cluding The American Sexual Tragedy, How to ~ ~~ ■----i ^ r ~— i ~ i ii—i ~ n ~ i ~ ir i ~i ~ i t ~ _ - _r Live With a Neurotic and Sex Without Guilt — as well as more than 150 papers in various profes­ sional journals. His latest book, The Art and Science of Love, will be published this month by Lyle Stuart. Now in preparation, in collaboration with Dr. Robert A. Harper of Washington, is a major work on the theory and technique of ra­ tional psychotherapy. The questions in this interview were posed by Robert Anton Wilson and Paul Krassner.

Q. How would you explain the difference be­ tween rational therapy and psychoanalysis? A. There are many significant differences be­ tween, these two systems of psychotherapy. In fact, the techniques which are most used in classical psychoanalysis are those that are least used in ra­ tional therapy. (Continued on page 9) http://www.ep.tc/realist THE REALIST ARCHIVE PROJECT The REALIST Issue Number 16 - March, 1960 - Page 02 scans of this entire issue found at: http://www.ep.tc/reallst/16

cause if we discuss seduction, they'll think I'm in favor of it." ED ITO REAL I SMS V Yet, two weeks before the Paar walk-out. NBC’s The Two Faces of Jack Poor fConcluded) chief censor. Stockton Helffrich. in his monthly private memo to Continuity Acceptance personnel, wrote: "Who do you think you are—Hamlet?” - from "The Climate of Eden" "What if the so-called taboo areas, deriving from the peculiar nature and the restrictions of network “Jack Paur." writes Henry Morgan (with whom a television and from our culture generally, including the Itealist Impolite Interview is scheduled), "is the oldest fragmentary prressure groups within it. were more little girl in TV and a line reason, if he represents a often ventured with certain obvious qualifications in­ national point of view, for allowing the Russians to cluded? . . . take over the rest of everything without all this talk.... "There are a number of controversial practices and If Paar is even worth attacking, there is something facts and artifacts which yet. in valid context (some­ wrong on I^fayette Street.” times panel discussions, sometimes not', either have We feel, however, that Paar is worth “attacking" been or could he in varying degrees utilized in tele­ precisely because he does represent a national point of vision more often. Utilizing them does not of necessity view. (in fact often to the contrary) mean condoning them. Perhaps the most significant thing ever uttered on But how are the very standards we talk about for the The Jack Paar Show was Fred Dcmara’s crystalliza­ young to be achieved if material affecting these stand­ tion of what he had learned from his exploits as The ards is usually concealed? Creat Imposter. Said Dcmara: "Most people would "The following is not a taboo list,, an approved list, rather be liked than right." or even a suggested list. It merely covers some of the Paar is the epitome of that statement—and of realities and issues extant in the world we cannot com­ what is wrong with our times. pletely ignore or. facing, brush-off as too exceptional V to worry about. Let's examine his actual words on that fateful night "Alcoholism (as in Carney’s exceptional and contro­ when NBC got caught with its Hugh Downs. versial departure ‘Call Me Back') and dope addiction; "I'm leaving the ‘Tonight’ show." Paar said. "There amorality (a surprising excursion into so-called free must be a better way of making a living than this. will was Rod Serling’s A Quiet Game of Cards'); big There’s a way of entertaining people without being business and pr political corruption tin the vein of constantly involved in some form of controversy which everything from ‘Born Yesterday’ to cx-Studio One’s is on me all the time.” two-part ‘The Defender'; the Steve Allen or Sid Caesar or Mort Sahl satiric gems spoofing bonafide psychiatry, The fact that a network official had deleted, from the military, vested interests and play-it-safism gen- the previous night’s taped show, an old joke involving enernllv. ...» the initials W.C.—meaning "water closet" (toilet) and being mistaken for Wayside Chapel ("Yon can go there "Birth control and . . . such matters as unwed only on Thursdays and Sundays”)—was not really the mothers; pre-marita! and extra-marital sex relations; point of controversy. sexual deviation and. as in polygamy, variation: incest: nudity, transvestitism, and voyeurism: momism. mis­ For Paar conceded that NBC had the right to edit cegenation: divorce: the indiscretions of highly pub­ out the anecdote; he was disturbed only because their licized performers and public figures. "not. in some way. telling you the content of it. leaves a terrible impression in your mind." “Sadism, violence, fratri-. infanti-. patri- and sui­ cide; kidnapping; white collar crime, tax evasions; eu­ Jack Paar isn't opposed to the principle of censor­ thanasia. capital and other punishment. Mendacity . . . ship. He is merely Opposed to being weaned from pub­ status motivation (I’ve heard a key fetish behind the lic favor. majority cf adolescent crimes is the owning of an auto­ V mobile); super-catered weddings; the Santa Claus “If you read some of the newspapers." said Paar. myth: adult delinquency and parental irresponsibilities "you’d think that I had committed a terrible obscenity." generally; lip service religion: sectarian denominution- And. of course, he avoids "obscenity.” He boasted alism; irreverence and atheism; inter-faith friction how he had denied guest appearances to. for example. (Martin Luther. Tindale. the Jews and the Crucifixion, Christine Jorgensen—she of the celebrated castration etc. i : spiritualism, reincarnation, extra-sensory per­ complex (resolved the hard wavi because that would cept ion. be in "delicate taste.” "The thing that is intriguing about all of these is This, however, didn’t prevent him. during a previ­ that more of them than you would think have been ous show—upon being told that Christine was engaged ventured both in the motion picture field and on local to be married to a prince— from exclaiming: “Boy. or network television but of course not as frequently won’t he be surprised.” as on the legitimate stage and in literature. . . . On another occasion, though, he interrupted the "What is important is (1) that controversy has not author of a book which had been banned in Texas when been shunned as much as is charged nor. perhaps. (2) he began to explain that his novel wasn’t pornographic risked as often as a nation like ours deserves. just because a teen-aged girl seduces a blind man. . . . "As to that, we need controversy to grow as a na­ But Paar said nothing about "delicate taste." He tion. We need controversy and airing of our troubles asked that his guest change the topic— "Let’s talk to help us live with ourselves as we really are. I think, about something else, pal"—and the reason was "be- speaking from a TV censor's point of view as well as 2 Th* Realist http://www.ep.tc/realist THE REALIST ARCHIVE PROJECT The REALIST Issue Number 16 - March, 1960 - Page 03 scans of this entire issue found at: http://www.ep.tc/realist/16

generally. the increase in controversy if attempted American for berating the bad taste of his program could be cushioned by an accompanying publicity and and then splashing the lurid, lascivious details of the public relations campaign guiding viewers to the most Finch murder trial all over its own front pages. effective uses of television. . . The Journal-American gave more coverage to the Under his initials, Helffrich added: “X of ice . . . Paar walk-out than any other newspaper, but there vacation of sorts following this issue. Too many bon­ was not a word about his comments concerning the fires around right now. . . Journal-A tnerican. And when Paar came back to his show, the Journal- Not for one solitary moment, though, are we de­ American reported that he had gone on “to say in­ fending NBC. correctly that this newspaper has some sort of plot In a letter to Paar, NBC president Robert Kintner to kill any story that deals favorably with Hdward R. rationalized his network’s picayune censorship action, Murrow and that it otherwise suppresses stories or explaining: columns favorable to Paar himself.” “. . . 1 am sure you recognize that we must be But Paar’s specific allegation that a favorable story responsible for everything broadcast over our facilities, about him by Journal-American columnist Jim Bishop had been suppressed—was itself suppressed by the Journal-A merican. V When NBC deleted a harmless bit of double en­ tendre, their act of censorship—like any act of censor­ ship—was arbitrary, and protected no one from “a clear and present danger” (as in the classic case of yelling "Fire!” in a crowded theatre). Actually, anybody who has watched Paar’s program knows that he has ventured into areas of far more questionable taste than the W.C. fields: The Jack Paar Show was indeed one of the "bonfires” mentioned in the above Helffrich memo. And. say insiders, a hoary story involving scatology and religion finally provided an ideal excuse for NBC to clump down on Paar without itself being weaned from public favor. Or so they thought. Only, they neglected (a) to take into consideration the fact that Paar had long been looking for an out, and (/>) to estimate the power of a man whose Pub­ whether it be programs or advertising. . . .” licity Quotient was able to knock off the front pages such news stories as France testing its first nuclear Rut, the question is, responsible to whom? ' bomb, a mystery satellite circling the earth, Caryl This month, George Heimrich—of the Broadcast­ Chessman being denied a stay of execution, an uniden­ ing and Film Commission of the National Council of tified submarine near Argentina, trouble between Israel Churches—said that NBC had canceled plans to tele­ and Syria, peace talks in Algeria and—the Khrushchev vise a play about a Protestant minister who committed version of Our Man in Havana— Mikovan making adultery. He said that he had told NBC that his com­ propaganda hay in Cuba. mittee-made up predominantly of clergymen—would Such is the impact of television—such is the degree “jump all over them" if the network produced the play. of identification engendered by this paarticular in­ He said that NBC had contacted him to seek ap­ habitant of the medium—that the network has. at last proval for the script. count, received some 23,000 pieces of mail. The network had no comment. A day later, an NBC The N. Y. Post—with tongue in editorial cheek—ob­ spokesman denied that a script had been submitted to served that "the furor over Jack Paar is a salutary the committee for approval. This statement was issued: event: if so many people can become so exercised over “The network has no knowledge of the cancellation his right to tell a tasteless joke over TV, perhaps others of any TV play on its facilities involving a Protestant will begin to ask questions about serious violations of minister who commits adultery.” civil liberties in which conscientious men have been The play concerns a missionary in Africa whose sent to jail for defying witch-hunt committees.” wife has leprosy—which, we suppose, is as good an Time magazine twisted this comment by reporting excuse for adultery as any. Whether or not the drama that “a New York /*ost editorial promoted Paar to a will be televised, remains to be seen. But if it’s true lonely maverick fighting for the Bill of Rights.” about all those Communists inhitrating the National V Council of Churches, NBC had better be more careful An advertising agency executive was scheduled to about whom it consults for script approval. speak at a college in Pennsylvania last month. He V thought the meeting was going to be a private one, Nor are we defending the Henrst Press, whose and when he learned that his speech was to be pub­ hypocrisy Paar publicly criticized. licized. he canceled the engagement. Here is an excerpt Specifically, he had criticized the N.Y. Journal- from this speech that was never delivered: March 1960 a http://www.ep.tc/realist THE REALIST ARCHIVE PROJECT The REALIST Issue Number 16 - March, 1960 - Page 04 scans of this entire issue found at: http://www.ep.tc/realist/16

"As long as the object of the mass communica­ Th* list it published monthly, oxcopl for January and July, by tions industry is to deliver a maximum audience at a tha Raalist Association, a non-profit corporation foundad by minimum cost, cultural factors must take a back seat. William and Helan McCarthy, to whom this magaxina is dadicatad. Entertainment, art. culture and enlightenment are only PAUL KRASSNER, Editor means toward fulfilling the economic objectives of the Publication office is at 225 Lafayette St., N. Y. 12, N.Y. mass media.” Subscription ratat: $3 for 10 issues; $5 for 20 issues Jack Paar would have saved himself a torrent of Ten copies of one issue: $1 self-pity if only he had realized that he is but a Copyright 1960 by The Realist Association, Inc. means to an end. He is a commodity—something to be exploited, not T will give you ten thousand dollars now, and twenty loved. thousand more when you do the job.’ He was no more liked by the manufacturer of the "I cannot ask Steve Allen what he would do, be­ "Come Back Jack" buttons than the Nazis were liked cause he doesn't have a growing daughter. I can’t ask by the concurrent manufacturers of swastika pennants, Marlon Brando because he doesn’t have a daughter. (in fact, some of the latter manufacturers are Jewish, Making pictures isn’t Brando’s business. It is chasing and their activities would seem to reinforce the stereo­ broads. He ought to stick to that. What do these people type of the Jew which the Nazis built up in order to know?’’ justify their genocide.) (At least one of the original jurors who convicted Jack Paar is a living, breathing product—to be Chessman says, "I kept thinking, ‘What if it had been marketed as were Dwight Eisenhower. Elvis Presley, my daughter?’ ”—although her duty was supposed to Jack Kerouac, Charles Van Doren—and now Caryl have been only to decide whether or not a man was Chessman. guilty. That ’his’ victim is still in a mental institution It may sound like a science-fiction tale based on because of forced fellatio is as much the fault of her the fall of Rome, but—even as disc jockeys were play­ parents and of society as it was the fault of the "Red ing a new hillbilly record called Let ’im Live, Let ’em Light Bandit”: she had. let’s face it. had seventeen ive. Let 'im Live— bookmakers were accepting bets on years of psychological pre-conditioning.) Caryl Chessman’s fate. You wager even money and "Chessman is a menace,” Cantor continued canting. you take your choice—either that he goes to the gas "But it is all in the Communist pattern. . . . You may chamber at San Quentin or that he is granted a be sure that the dissension in this country and in every reprieve. The betting is brisk. country is largely Communist inspired and directed.” (Tragedy-betting is a common thing, especially by When, after Jack Paar walked out on his show. numbers players. Recent plane crashes enabled them Orson Bean said that the network, like most large to choose three numbers to bet on, since most flight corporations, is a "dehumanized mass institution.” designations have three digits. The numbers on the Hearst TV critic Jack O’Brian wrote that "Bean had wings of wrecked planes also get tremendous play; his little pink say.” likewise, the license plate in an automobile accident, when shown in the wire-service news photographs. If Eddie Cantor ever has a comeback, he can be (Bookies had a bad day when the numbers on the reasonably certain of getting a favorable review from license plate of ex-baseball player Roy Campanella's Jack O'Brian. wrecked cur happened to win.) V V Most people have nothing to talk about—and The The difference between Caryl Chessman and Jack Jack Paar Show does it for them. And, apparently, Paar is that Chessman would rather be right than there’s a way of ‘entertaining’ people by being con­ liked. He is opposed to the principle of capital punish­ stantly involved in some form of controversy . . . but ment, and he isn’t worried about being weaned from there must be a better way of making a living than public favor. This, to the ultimate extent: he is willing electronic megalomania. to die so that the controversy over him personally will Maybe it was just that he felt guilty about having not blur the real issue. upstaged the Saviour when, in Japan, musicians played Ironically, it was. on a national scale, our desire Silent Sight in his honor: at any rate, back once again to be liked rather than our desire to be right—to on the show after a missile-type countdown instead of avoid demonstrations against Ike in Uruguay—that an introduction—he made amends by delivering a ser­ resulted in a stay of execution for Caryl Chessman. mon to newspaper columnists, suggesting that they (Since those demonstrations were held anyway, Chess­ follow the precepts of Jesus Christ. man has obviously had his day.) But this was more than Paar himself was able to By the same ironic token. California legislators do. He objected to Walter Wincheil's reference to his who would rather be liked than right were undoubtedly virility, but—rather than turning the other cheek— influenced to keep capital punishment in their state Paar in turn made reference to W incheil’s virility. because there are so many vindictive voters who con­ The remark was edited out of the program. This time, tend. in the words of that great humanitarian, Eddie Paar was consulted by the tape-worms. Cantor, that: Actually, Winchell—who wouldn’t be above such “. . . it is a mockery of justice not to execute this innuendo—just happened not to have made any refer­ man. I am the father of daughters. I know that if it ence to Paar’s virility in the first place. He had simply were my daughter who was a victim of Chessman. 1 quoted Henry Morgan’s comment—and where have you would go after him myself, or I would wait until he heard this before?—that "Jack Paar is the oldest little got to prison, and I would reach somebody and say, girl on television.” 4 Th« Rcoiiji http://www.ep.tc/realist THE REALIST ARCHIVE PROJECT The REALIST Issue Number 16 - March. 1960 - Page 05 scans of this entire issue found at: http://www.ep.tc/realist/16

The manufacturer of campaign buttons had been In Georgia last month, a four-year-old boy who quite resourceful: he had left a space on top for can’t even read or write yet—but who. along with another line— namely “Wei-*' — so that now the but­ other children, works as a page at $4 a day for the tons read “Welcome Back Jack.” state legislature—had to take an oath that he isn’t The secret behind Paar’s personal success is that, a Communist or sympathetic with its doctrines. combined with a quick mind which is sensitive to This parroting of loyalty points out most vividly humorous possibilities, he has the ability to manipulate the unreasonableness of requiring adults to take those his guests and audience alike so that the program vows. For if an actual Communist were ever to refuse maintains a constant air of expectancy on an adolescent to swear that he wasn't one. he would be destroying level. his usefulness to the Party. He admits that people watch “because they always Meanwhile, in Hollywood. Universal-International expect it to be raided any minute." While Paar was Studio heads were faced with the ludicrous problem away, this flavor was gone. But he brought it back of whether or not to give Dalton Trumbo screen credit with him, seasoned with more spice than ever. as writer of the script for Spartacus—although it’s a Yes, Jack, welcome back, for you provide a nec­ known fact that he did write it. essary sort of public service. The movie is the most expensive ($10,000,000) ever produced by U-I, and they are afraid that merely The Jack Paar Show is, after all. a daily Waiting giving Trumbo screen credit will provoke a boycott for Godot of the masses. and a strong campaign against the film by the Amer­ ican Legion. Big Brotherhood Is Watching You Last month, incidentally, the commander of the There is something tragically funny about a country legion said, at the tomb of Abraham Lincoln, that the which finds it necessary—and simultaneously at that— Civil War President had been a foe of coexistence with to debate the civil rights of its citizens and to celebrate tyranny and injustice. The Legion commander, how­ Brotherhood Week. ever, offered no alternative course for this age of nuclear bombs, nerve gas, and screen credits. If there is one person who has ever been kinder to his fellow man because it was Brotherhood Week, we'd like to hear about it. You either have compassion or A Stereophonic Hoax you don't. A slogan isn’t going to do the trick—not A TV network executive recently told the Realist even if National Slogan Week is declared. that the relationship between advertiser and broad­ But whoever is writing the United States’ script caster is such that “if a sponsor wanted to show a has a delightfully sardonic touch. Last month, together­ couple fornicating, the network wouldn’t prevent it— ness reigned supreme as independent Ku Klux Klan and if the sponsor thought it would increase sales, he’d groups from 17 Southeastern and Southwestern states go right ahead and do it.” combined their memberships, totaling over 42,000, But don’t hold your breath. into “The Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, Inc.” There was this TV viewer down South, see, and Well, almost supreme. The consolidation doesn’t in­ he thought he saw a Negro man kissing a Caucasian clude two other white supremacy organizations—now woman on his 21-inch screen. So he wrote a nasty let­ get these names—“The U. S. Klan” and "The Chris­ ter. threatening never to buy the sponsor’s product tian Knights of the Ku Klux Klan." again. Actually, the kinescope that had run on his Elsewhere, in New York’s Greenwich Village, there local station was defective, and the leading man ap­ was a big fight over the selection of the recipient of the peared to be colored. In truth, like so many leading 1960 Village Brotherhood Award. men. he was colorless. V Now the sponsor was disturbed (in more ways The availability of such products as Man-Tan— than one). He sent an account executive down South an after-shave lotion which dyes your skin—somehow with a projector and a non-defective kinescope, and puts prejudice against vpigmentation into a pretty a private screening was held for the complainant. He ridiculous perspective. was satisfied. And he promised to use the product Since conformity of color could be the solution to twice a day and even more often on weekends. And the whole problem, the makers of Man-Tan might well the sponsor lived neurotically ever after. help to speed up integration by adding to their line the That, by the way, is a true story. The moral is following after-shave lotions: simple: Every stinking customer counts. • For Negroes who want to “pass"—Spade-Fade Now. we’ve never asked subscribers to write to, • For dark-skinned Syrian Jews—Kike-White say, their congressmen, because we figure that if you’re going to write, you don’t need us to tell you—and if • For Orientals who would rather be Occidentals— you’re not going to write, our telling you won’t make Chink-Pink any difference. But, for a honx—well, that’s different. Out of a few Man, That's a Gas thousand readers scattered across the country, there It’s really a shocking thing to wake up in the ought to be enough of you willing to join in to make morning and have your radio tell you that a new nerve this mission of mischief a success. gas has been developed which could render an entire Let’s take what, to us, is just about the worst pro­ population unto lunacy. gram on television—a thing called Masquerade Party But even more shocking is suddenly to come to the —on which a panel (wasting such talent as Sam Leven- realization that maybe it’s already happened! son and Audrey Meadows) has to guess what celebrity March 1960 S http://www.ep.tc/realist THE REALIST ARCHIVE PROJECT The REALIST Issue Number 16 - March, 1960 - Page 06 scans of this entire issue found at: http://www.ep.tc/realist/16

ticle, but the two men do have this NEGATIVE THINKING: thing in common, that they are not running for President. Arthur Miller, for instance, is a writer who is al­ The Doctor With the Frightened Eyes ways running for President. by Robert Anton Wilson Death of a Salesman is to drama what an Eisenhower speech is to “Queegqueg no care what god made him shark . . . rhetoric. There is in it none of the fredder Fcjce god or Xautticket god: hut dc really frightening, terrible, unspeak­ god what made shuck mast he one dam Ingin able quality that makes a great — Herman Melville. Moby Dick. tragedy. Everybody knows why Willy Chapter 66. ‘The Shark Massacre” l.oman sutfered and died; they knew Tennessee Williams’ new movie. Suddenly, Lust Summer, seems before they went into the theatre. Death of a. Salesman offers, really, to have infuriated more wowsers than any literary work since J oy ce’s nothing but a bland uplift. It tolls the Ulysses. From north, south, east and west the impassioned voices Broadway audience what they want resound, declaring that Williams is “sick,” “morbid,” “unwholesome,” to hear, that the liberal left-wing and generally a sad blend of the unhcimUch and the mashvgga. philosophy of the .’80s was true after “Almost intolerably evil,” fulminates Parents magazine. “Clin­ all. It has all of the answers, so it McCall’s. doesn’t really ask any of the ques­ ical, distasteful, morbid, extraordinarily shocking,” howls tions. The weeping and gnashing of teeth from other sources is even more The great writer creates situations heart-rending. One would think that the wisdom of Christ or the so true and so urgently significant immaculate conception of Eleanor Roosevelt had been challenged. that he himself often doesn’t “under­ Actually, all that Williams has done stand before you naked, armed only stand" them. I mean that very seri­ is to confront some of the issues with his questions. ously. When Achilles suddenly weeps, which great tragedy has always Villon is great because he doesn’t in the great interview with Priam at raised, from Sophocles through Shake­ pretend to know what lie doesn’t know. the end of the IHiad, Homer is prob­ speare right up to Melville. Suddenly, What he does know he tells us in ably as surprised as the rest of us. Last Summer, far from being sick, direct language—language so simple Nobody knows why Achilles wept, is Williams’ healthiest work—because that stupid critics have debated sev­ but we all know that he must have it is his bravest. eral hundred years now on what wept; just as we know that Lear It doesn’t see human suffering as makes his poetry so strong. mast have prayed for the “poor an illustration to a theory by Freud What he knows is that hunger hungry wretches’’ that night on the or Marx. It doesn’t pretend that evil makes the wolf devour sheep, and moor. A Homer or a Shakespeare is always due to economics or Oedi­ hunger makes the man kill another creutes such scenes without knowing pus complexes. It will probably not for his money, and that people who why they must be just as they are; be popular with people who think end up on the gallows are not much ami we weep over them without know­ that Arthur Miller, or Maxwell An­ different from those who die quietly ing how we are sure that they are derson, or William Inge, are im­ in bed. He knows these things, in­ true. portant playwrights. timately. and he says them. He knows Suddenly, Last Summer is this kind Like King Lear, this new Williams that most whores are not glamorous of a story. It has no “message,” no tragedy does not pretend to have all but ugly, ami he says that. religious or economic or psychological the answers; but. like King Lear, it Villon doesn’t know a damned thing theory to tell, no relaxing answer to is brave enough to ask all the ques­ about Professor Luftkopf’s essay on the unbearable tensions it creates. All tions. Dr. Kleindcnkcn’s commentary pn it has is mystery and horror and a The difference between a great what Marx wrote to Engels in 1872. lyric poetry that is shot through with writer and a minor one is funda­ Or, if he does know, he doean’tr care pain and wonder. All it has is the mentally this; that the minor writer —anymore than he cares nbotrt Aqqi- pulsating life of the naked soul of always has answers—glib answers, nus' commentaries on Aristotle. a man who is the greatest dramatic slick nns\viA\s, memorably-worded an­ Villon is not really much like Ten­ artist since Ibsen. swers, resounding and pretentious nessee Williams, and 1 really should­ The story is really quite simple. A answers. The great writer dares to n’t have dragged him into this ar­ psychiatrist with an unpronounceable

is dressed in an idiotic costume and mask. Presiding Address your letter to the network, or to the pro­ over this nothingness is Bert Parks, with his usual gram. or to ihe sponsor, or to the agency— it’s up to depressing effervescence. you—use your imagination. Admittedly, this isn ’t very- constructive. It’ you want to be constructive too. then W e’ll pick a specific date—Friday night. April 1st— the next time you see a mediocre program, write to NBC’. 9:30 E.S.T.— but you don’t even have to watch! the sponsor and tell him you w on’t use his product Your job, then: the next day, write a letter com­ again unless ho presents a better show. plaining about the offensive thing that was said on But—hoaxwise—doesn't it give you a nice warm the program. Use your own wording. Bat don't mention feeling inside ju st to picture all these TV officials, anything specific. . sponsor representatives and advertising men sitting The sponsors are; Hazel Bishop (cosmetics), 445 around this screening room in their gray flannel ulcers, Park Avc.. N.Y.; handled by the Raymond Spec-tor ad watching a kinescope of Masquerade Party and trying agency, same address. And the Block Drug Co. (Nytol, to find something offensive. . . . Green Mint, Poligrip), 257 Cornelison Ave., Jersey It’ll be kind o f like a special projective test, what City, X. J.; handled by the Grey ad agency, 430 Park with a whole bunch of harried executives inadvertently Ave.. N. Y. revealing their inner conflicts t<> each other. This is the NBC is at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York. Realist's contribution to Group Therapy.. I • Thu Rualisl http://www.ep.tc/realist THE REALIST ARCHIVE PROJECT The REALIST Issue Number 16 - March, 1960 - Page 07 scans of this entire Issue found at: http://www.ep.tc/realist/16

The island where Sebastian dies Is called Cabezo de Lobo — head of a BACK ISSUES AVAILABLE wolf. The following back issues of the Realist are available at Violet Venable has an insectivorous 25c each; 5 for $1; all 10 for $2. plant, given to her by Sebastian, and □ £1: Articles on interfaith mar­ □ r 11 : The Bombing o'f a Bud­ we sec it being fed in the course of riage, germ warfare, censorship; dhist Mission, Hitler's Disciples, the story. satires on telethons, Trujillo- Negative Thinking on conserva­ The dinosaurs, one character re­ land, clean H-bombs. tives and phallic worship, Santa mark* (inaccurately, but with artistic Claus and the Nuremberg trials. meaning), perished because they wore L! ~7: The Contraceptive Conflict, vegetarians — "the earth belongs to The New Fascism of American □ sc 12: Articles on George Jean the carnivores.” Labor, The Poem That Caused a Nathan’s conversion', sex educa­ Violet’s garden has in it a statue Campus Controversy, Let Us tion for modern liberal adults; a of a winged skeleton, and this comes Declare War on Puerto Rico, column of unintentional satire, a between her and I)r. Sugar at a sig­ Birth Control in Puerto Rico, satirical children’s primer on nificant moment. Psychological Aspects of Dis­ birth control. Finally, the place where Sebastian couraging Contraception. is killed is "the ruins of an old □ Spucc-Theology and Other •temple,” that looked “horrible . . . as Q sS : Articles on the semantics of Misguided Missiles, Are Con­ if it had been the scene of terrible ‘Cod,’ the fallacy of the beat gressional Hearings Rigged?, sacrificial rites.” generation, a stag-party raid; Notes of a Skeptical Mystic, Sebastian is, indeed, a sacrificial satires on beatnik language, the From the Sublime to the Ridicu­ victim, an»i the winged skeleton re­ America)) Medical Association. lous. appears briefly in a surrealistic half­ image on the screen just before the □ sD: The Birth Control Pill. In murder is consummated. Sebastian, Defense of the Beat Generation, □ #11: Articles on Alan Watts, actually, is a self-elected sacrifice, The Unknown Artist, Vim With­ Jack Paar, John Kennedy; sa­ like Christ, testifying to a very non- out Vigoro, The Trial of the tires on religio-politics, Dear Christian vision of God. Contraceptive Cose. Abby, business ethics. That Sebastian had had a “vision of God” we learn very early in the n #10: Articles on a phony psychol­ □ rl5 : An Impolite Interview story. Violet tells us about it, in the ogist, Lady Chat ter leu's Lover, With Lenny Bruce, Confessions longest and most poetic speech Ten­ Norman Vincent Pcale; satires of a Reformed Anti-Gun Crank, nessee Williams has ever written. Se­ on Mr. Clean, veterans’ groups, The Fine Art of Healing — bastian saw God in the Galapagos fallout shelters. Faith wise. Islands at the breeding-time of the turtles.' Every year at this time the female Polish name that he translates as “su- When Cathy is able to remember turtles crawl out of the sea, la­ gar" is offered a fantastic sum of this and tell it to “Dr. Sugar" she is boriously lay their eggs, and, hide­ money to |>orform a lobotomy upon a cured. ously tired, crautf weakly bnyk into psychotic young girl. The woman who This is the whole story. But, of the sea. In a while the eggs hatch and offers the money is Violet Venable, a course, to tell it this way is to ob­ the young come out and begin their “southern lady," mother of a recently literate its significance. The gruesome run toward the sea. dead poet, Sebastian Venable. act of cannibalism which forms the But the great birds of the Galapagos Dr. Sugar interviews the psychotic climax w only the strongest of a series know all about the breeding-time of young girl, Cathy. He decides that he of disturbing images which arc the the turtles and they wait for this mo­ can cure her without resorting to real elements of the dark poem Wil­ ment every year. As the young turtles lobotomy. Through narco-analysis he liams has constructed. * race toward the sea. the birds descend gradually learns what lias driven Ca­ The hospital in which Dr. Sugar from the sky, thousands of them, in thy into the hiding place we call in­ works is called L ion ’s View, for ex­ a great black cloud. They attack the sanity. Cathy, it seems, has seen Se­ ample. infant turtles, turn them over, tear bastian’s death, and it was a gruesome one. Sebastian was a homosexual who had used Cathy as "bait" to attract How Many Coffee Breaks? young men. He did this once too often, the last time on a tropical island Pacifist Ken Putnam placed an ad cs. psychiatrist . and the FBI." Any­ where most, of the population is living last month in the Lfaverford (PaA Col­ one wishing to join "an integrate!! in that state of starvation which is so lege News. It was a satire on mili­ loam" working on all "aspects of mass common ill the world today—and which tarism, and asked for applicants seek­ intimidation" could send a "request for we rich Americans try so hard to blot ing jobs at GLEE (General Lethal En­ brochure, together with loyalty oath, out of our consciousness. gineering Enterprises). celibacy oath, and sobriety oath.” Sebastian “caught” several of the The ad invited applications from en­ Inducements included quick advance­ ragged, ugly, filthy, starving adoles­ gineers. mathematicians and scientists ment when "older men retire to monas­ cent boys on this island, using Cathy to do research on "how to achieve teries or lose security clearance,” and as “bait.” But, with cool selfishness, he greater genocidal efficiency per de­ exciting work on “entirely new con­ used these boys and then carelessly fense dollar” and on the development cepts of mass devitalization.” tossed them aside. They were of primi­ of "a clean, radical-specific, bubonic tive and ignorant people. They finally plague organism.” Readers took the ad seriously, how­ united against Sebastian, came for GLEE would provide, for the prac­ ever. and the editor said he “was him in a mob, took him. murdered tical family man. “comfortable hous­ swamped with letters calling [it] him . . . and devoured his body. ing, conveniently located near chyrch- childish, impractical, and unrealistic.” March 1960 7 http://www.ep.tc/realist THE REALIST ARCHIVE PROJECT The REALIST Issue Number 16 - March. 1960 - Page 08 scans of this entire issue found at: http://www.ep.tc/realist/16

Writers on a Hot Tin Roof the chief feature of organized religion, A Streetcar Named Suppression \ The job of making ‘difficult’ themes and the principle theme of most of Wil­ liams’ works.) The national Legion of Pdcency re­ into popular film fare, states an article views and classifies motion pictures, in Life magazine this month, “some­ Cannibalism is even a characteristic giving “no consideration to artistic, times . . . calls for so much legerde­ of societies, as well as individuals— technical or dramatic values—only to main on the part of the writer and the deplorable conditions of the hos­ moral content and Catholic standards pital where Dr. Sugar treats Cathy director that the audience almost needs of decency." Their ratings serve as footnotes. are depicted unblinkinglv by Williams; guides to many ostensibly secular, self- and anybody at all aware of the treat­ “In Suddenly, Last Summer, writers appointed censors. Tennessee Williams and Gore Vidal ment of the psychotic in this great, Suddenly, Lost Summer is one of circle so far around the subject of lich nation knows that the best that four movies given a special “separate boy-procuring, which is the crux of the most .states do for these unfortunates classification" reserved for “certain plot, that only a truly alert movie­ is precisely as inadequate and horrible films which, while not morally offen­ goer knows what is going on. and the as this movie indicates. Some state sive, require some analysis and ex­ son’s death by cannibalism is almost hospitals are even worse than Lion's planation as a protection to the unin­ equally beclouded. . . I icw. formed against wrong interpretations The only literary work to confront and false conclusions." these issues ai boldly as Suddenly, The other three: Anatomy of o their bellies and devour them. Last Summer is Melville’s Moby Dick. Of the hundreds of turtles that hatch Mtinier, The Cose of Dr. iMttrent and, The classic description of a sea-battle of all people, Adam and Eve. each year, only about one-tenth of one —“men cannibally carving each other’s k. .... percent ever reach the sen. The rest live meat on deck” while the sharks are eaten. , ’ carve the dead meat” of the bodies or bury it—works like Medea, King When Sebastian saw this natural thrown overboard—would be just the Lear, Moby Dick, Beethoven’s Fifth. process he knew in u poetic flash that same if you turned it upside down and Goya’s Saturn Devouring His Children “God is cruel and creation and destruc­ put the men in the water and the and The Disasters of War. tion are the same.” The God he wor­ sharks on deck, “a shockingly sharkish The theological writings of Kierke­ shipped, the God to whom his poems business enough for all parties." Ish- gaard and Tillich make honest at­ are henceforth written, was the God of mael, reflecting on this, considers “the tempts to confront this question; and Melville’s “shark massacre,” the Hang­ propriety of devil-worship,” just as 1 respect these two men more than man God of Joyce’s Ulysses, the sadist­ Williams’ Sebastian does. I respect the banal flow of bilge that ic Nobod add y of Blake’s prophetic po­ While the sharks eat a whale in the issues forth from the “philosophers" ems, the God of Greek tragedy, the water, Stubb eats steak off the same of the American Humanist Associa­ God who, in King Lear, kills men for whale in his cabin. “Go to the meat- tion. sport. market,” Melville tells the reader: (If the Reverend Schnef wants to That Sebastian’s vision of God was “Cannibal! Who isn’t a cannibal?” write to the Realist again and renew a true one is the dark, hidden fear of The all-time classic in this chain of his charge that I am a theologian in every religious person. The non-duul- thought also occurs in Moby Dick, in disguise, I will admit that h e ’s not istic Orient accepts such a thought the great scene where the “grand­ completely wrong—but I’m only a with equanimity: when Ranuikrishna father whale” is harpooned and killed. theologienn in the sense that Antonin saw the goddess Kali give birth and Melville writes: Artaud was.) then devour her own child, he took the “From the points where the whole’s But, is everything completely black vision as a true revelation of the one­ eyes had once been, now protruded and sharkish in Williams’ view of ness of creation and destruction. blind bulbs, horribly pitiable to see. the universe? Well, it has to l>e To Buddhist Tibet, this is the unity But pity there was none. For all his granted that it is not. Dr. Sugar of yah and yum; to Taoist China, the old age, and his one arm. and his blind does, finally, cure Cathy, through that unity of yin and yang. The Occident eyes, he must die the death and Ik* discipline of unmitigated psychologi­ perennially seeks to repress this murdered . . . to light the gay bridals cal honesty which is the essence of thought, and perennially is haunted l>y of men, and also to illuminate the psychotherapy; and a universe in half-awareness of it. solemn churches that preach uncondi­ which such honesty and such cures It is the symbolic meaning of the tional inoffensiveness by all to all." are possible cannot be all bad. scar that bisects Ahab in Moby Dick, We begin to realize that, once these Indeed, the East which accepts the and of the half-obliterated body of “the j- m.*s are raised, it doesn’t really mat­ unity of good and evil, yin and yang, Runner” in Faulkner’s Fable. It recurs s’ aether a man “believes in God” with such equanimity, has never for­ again and again in Euripedes, So­ or not- “God,” after all, is just a gotten that if the evil is omnipresent, phocles, Shakespeare, Joyce and dozens short-hand symbol for our attitude to­ v.hy, then, so must be the good. of others. ward the nature of the universe. And even Melville’s vision—at the With this clue in mind we can see Most soi-dieant “freethinkers" and climax of Moby Dick, when the great that the world of Suddenly, Lust Sum­ “atheists” can’t accept the notion that Whale Armada comes before us—in­ mer does, indeed, belong to the car­ Ultimate Reality is really this shark- cludes the significant detail that, with nivores. fish, anymore than religionists can ac­ slaughter rampant all around them, Shortly after Sebastian’s death, two cept it! the young whales at the center of loathsome relatives turn up to attempt The Hook of Job dares to raise the the school arc copulating and the to scavenge as much of his clothing question—that is its eternal glory— mother whales are suckling their and other possessions as they can get hut then hastily buries it under a cloud young. their hands on. (This type of emotion­ of meaningless rhetoric. Only the “And thus,” Melville writes, “sur­ al cannibalism also appears in Wil­ greatest works of art have dared to rounded by circle upon circle of con­ liams’ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.) stare unblinkingly at the question sternations ami affrights . . . the Sebastian’s homosexuality, we even­ without attempting to smooth it over creatures of the center fearlessly in­ tually learn, had resulted from his dulge in peaceful concernments: . . . mother’s attempts to enforce the neu­ yen. in dalliance and delight.” rotic condition she calls “chastity” Volunteers Wanted A few sentences later. Melville upon him. (This type of cannibalism . . . to help occasionally with filing, boldly declares the Oriental doctrine by parents upon children is, of course. proofreading and stuff. of the undefiled essence: “. . . and 9 The Realist http://www.ep.tc/realist THE REALIST ARCHIVE PROJECT The REALIST Issue Number 16 - March, 1960 - Page 09 scans of this entire issue found at: http://www.ep.tc/realist/16

ALBERT ELLIS others. Rational therapy is probably the main brand of therapy, therefore, (Continued from Cover) When I was practicing classical analysis, and later when 1 practiced which most directly ami forcibly in­ In psychoanalysis*, the most im­ psychoanalytically oriented psycho­ duces people not merely to see and portant procedures involve free asso­ therapy, I found that some of the understand their own basic assump­ ciation, dream interpretation, analysis major analytic assumptions simply do tions and self-assertions but ruth­ of the patient’s past history in minute not work; and many other practicing lessly to question and challenge these detail, and analysis of the transfer­ therapists have independently made assumptions—to beat these assump­ ence relationship between the patient the same discovery. tions over their goddam heads, until and the analyst. The assumption is they no longer are self-dofontingly that if one trots the patient to under­ I found, for example, that you can repeated by the patient. stand how he pot the way he is. give patients loads of insight and they still often do not get hotter. Q. You’ve written about “the A-B-G somehow his newly found insight will of rational psychotherapy” — namely: —rather magically, 1 would say— You can show them exactly how they got to be emotionally disturbed in that “A" is what a person perceives. clear everything up for him and he “B” is what he tells himself about will marvelously change. the first place and again they don't significantly improve their feelings or what he perceives—this is the simple Another assumption is that if he their behavior. declarative or exclamatory sentence works out various difficulties in his you just spoke of—and is the relationship with the analyst, he will And you can work on and work reaction of the person, not to "A" thereby learn to work out similar out all kinds of involved love-hate but to "B." difficulties in his relationships with relationships between the patient and the analyst and, perversely enough, Now then, isn't it possible that af­ many patients still do not generalize ter a while, part "B" becomes elim­ while planets of woe revolve around their analytic transference teachings inated and that—more or less like a me, deep down and deep inland I still and sagely apply them to their out­ Pavlovian-t.vpc reaction—a person will bathe in eternal joy.” side relationships. react to "A" directly with leav­ But Melville was no fatuous op­ ing out “B." the internalized sen­ Because it was found, after several tence? timist, as we have seen. At the end, years of my practicing classical anal­ A hah and whale destroy each other ysis and analytically oriented therapy, A. Do you mean when the person and, in ironic last testimony to the that many of the Freudian and neo- is sick or when h e’s well? unity of the opposites, Ishnmel re­ Freudian assumptions simply do not (1. When h e’s sick. turns to life floating on a coffin. work, I gradually evolved the system A. Yes, when the person is sick And, similarly, Williams’ Dr. Su­ of rational psychotherapy which I this is what he seems to be doing— gar, though he can cure one girl, now employ and which is being in­ automatically reacting to the stim­ has obviously no illusions about him­ creasingly employed by many other ulus "A” (which may be someone’s self or his science. The doctor ha* therapists throughout this country. calling him a nasty name, for in­ frightened egr*. Mongomery C lift’s stance) with his "conditioned” reac­ sensitive portrayal brings this home In the course of rational therapy, the focus is largely on what is hap­ tion, “C” (which may be his getting to us in scene after scene, and two angry or terribly fearful). of the characters remark upon it. pening to the patient during the present, and particularly on what he Actually, however, no such simple . Xietzselu* once wrote: “When you is telling himself about what is hap­ “conditioning" is going on; and 1 gaze into the abyss, the abyss also pening to him. Ilis past history is do not think that Pavlov himself gazes into you.” And the mystic F.ck- briefly considered, and some impor­ thought that it was. He developed a hart is even more direct: “The eye tant aspects of it may be related to theory about what he called the with which I see God is the eye with his present behavior. But this is only secondary signaling reaction which which God sees me." a small part of the therapy. implies that even in the case of his Sebastian Venable spoke of the The main thing is to show the famous "conditioned" dogs, more is young boys he preyed upon as “tasty” patient that nnv so-called feeling or going on than at first meets the eye. and "delicious"; he used them selfish­ emotion that he now experiences is Thus, the dog initially salivates ly, then cast them aside. He could invariably preceded—usually the in­ when he sees and smells the food. only know the carnivorousness of the stant before he experienced this feel­ Then, when a hell is rung just be­ creative principle so well if it was ing—by a simple declarative sentence fore the food is placed before him, within himself—in the depths of his which he tells himself. Not, mind you, he becomes “conditioned" to respond own perverse and poetic heart. a symbolic, vague, or hazy idea or to the bell and salivates as soon as That is how Dr. Sugar understands representation, but a simple dec­ lie hears it, even before the food is his patients, also; and that is why larative—or perhaps I had better say placed before him. This looks, on he, too, has frightened eyes. exclamatory—sentence which he con­ the surface, like automatic “condi­ “All these people who go around sciously or unconsciously tells him­ tioning” — a kind of psychological protesting against the nuclear tests," self. And it is this sentence which magic. a friend of mine once said to me— causes and in a sense is his “emo­ Actually, however, the dog must "they never have the guts to face the tion." Ik signaling himself something when problem in the only place where it In rational psychotherapy, a con­ he learns to connect the bell with the can be handled—by facing the thing siderable portion of the time—which food; and he is therefore—at what I in themselves, in all men, that wants on the whole tends to bp much brief­ call point “B”—telling himself, in his the Bomb to go off." er than the time spent in psycho­ own way, something about the boll This is a far cry from the fatuous analytic therapy—during the thera­ and its connection with the food. Af­ liberalism and optimism of the old- peutic sessions is spent in showing ter this self-signaling takes place — fashioned “humanist" and “freethink­ the patient what his own internalized oven though it may occur within a er," but perhaps the llculist is suf­ sentences specifically are, how irra­ fraction of a second after he per­ ficiently aware of 20th Century his­ tional they are when they lead to ceives the food—he salivates. It may tory and 20th Century psychology to negative feelings, und how they can look like it is the sound of the bell allow it to Ik* expressed by one Nega­ be dearly observed, parsed, chal­ alone — at point “A"— which causes tive Thinker. lenged. questioned, and changed. his salivation; but actually it is his March 1960 f http://www.ep.tc/realist THE REALIST ARCHIVE PROJECT The REALIST Issue Number 16 - March, 1960 - Page 10 scans of this entire issue found at: http://www.ep.tc/realist/16

self-signaling, or his interpretation of His negative self-sentences, at point the reverse of these techniques in the bell and its connection with the “B," would thereby be contradicted many ways. It is true that patients food; and this self-signaling takes both in theory and in practice. become emotionally disturbed largely place at point "B.” Q. Isn’t there a basic flash, sort of. because of their own negative think­ Q. And is this fact—that the "B" which represents a person’s set' of ing or autosuggestion, and that is is still there—is this what allows you assumptions at point "B" — a basic why they sometimes snap out of their to be successful in rational therapy? flash of what you say is an in­ depressions and anxieties quite quick­ If the *‘B" were gone, wouldn't you ternalized sentence? ly—if temporarily—when they are in­ have as much diflicuily as a psycho­ A. Yes. sort of. The individual has duced to do some kind of positive analyst who finds what the original a basic belief system, or system of thinking or autosuggestion. trauma was, but still doesn't do the values, in which ho consciously or un­ But, accentuating the positive is it­ patient much good? consciously strongly believes. And this self a false system of belief, since there is no scientific truth to the A. Yes, if people still, at the time belief system instantaneously flashes, if you want to use that term, into statements that "Day by day in every they came for therapy, did not give his head every time he contemplates way I’m getting better and better”— themselves a hard time at point ‘'B .’’ which was Coue’s creed—or that “Be­ still did not catastrophizc about or a certain feared activity. Thus, in the illustration just given, cause God loves you, you need have childishly rebel against what was no fear of anybody or anything,” happening to them at point "A.” ra­ the individual who fears subway rides may have the basic philosophy, or set which appears to be Nornian Vincent tional therapy would not be able to Penle’s lutterday version of autosug­ help them very much. Because that of beliefs, that it is terrible if people stare at him in a pitying manner. gestion. is what is done in rational therapy: In fact, this kind of pollynnnaism attacking the patient’s false interpre­ And this philosophy, this series of fundamental assumptions that he cun be as pernicious as the negative tations and conclusions at point "B." claptrap which the patient is tolling In addition, however, in rational holds at point “B.” induces him. in himself to bring about his neurotic therapy we insist that the patient not any given case where he contemplates condition. only recognize his self-defeating sen­ taking a subway ride, to "flash" to tences at point “B" and actively chal­ himself "Oh, no! I couldn’t do that!” In rational therapy, there is no em­ lenge them by logically analyzing — which is a logical deduction from phasis on positive thinking or auto­ them, but we also often insist that his perfectly illogical or irrational suggestion, but merely a thorough­ ho got into some kind of specific ac­ premise—namely, that it is terrible going revealing and uprooting of the tion—do some of the things he is if people stare at him in a pitying negutivc nonsense which the patient afraid of and that he falsely believes manner. is endlessly retelling himself. Scien­ would destroy him. We kick the pa­ It is this irrational premise which tifically, this negative nonsense can tient off his ass into direct action, nmst be clearly brought to awareness be analyzed and refuted, since it is so that he thereby helps decondition and persistently and strongly at­ merely definitional in nature, and has himself, from both an ideological and tacked. no empirical evidence behind it. a behavjoral standpoint. <). What do yuu think of condition­ As I tell niy patients in the ver­ ed reflex therapy? nacular, their continually repeated Q. Could you give a specific ex­ A. On theoretical grounds, it has negative thoughts, are invariably bull­ ample of how that works? some points in its favor, since Sal­ shit; and if I can get them objective­ A. Certainly. In the case of an in­ ter. who originated this form of ther­ ly to look at this crap they are tell­ dividual who is terribly afraid, let us apy. induces his patients to go out ing themselves (for example. "I can’t say. to ride in subways, a rational and act. for example, cxtrovertedly possibly ride in the subway." or "How therapist would first get him to see even though they may feel intro­ awful it would be if So-and-so did that his fears consist of some sen­ verted. If he can actually got them not like me”) — then they have no tences such as "I will suffocate if to do this, they help propagandize need for any grandiose views to the I ride in subways,” or “If I go into themselves against their fears of in­ effect that God is on their side or the subway I may feel faint, and troversion since action is one of that everything will happen for the people will stare at me and pity me the very best forms of self-propa- best. and that will be awful." The patient gandization — and thus tend to over­ Another way of putting this is to would then be shown how to chal­ come their fears. say that no matter how often a per­ lenge and contradict his own sen­ Unfortunately, however, most pa­ son tells himself "Every day in every tences: to ask himself “Why would way I’m getting better and bettor" it be so terrible if 1 feel faint in the tients will not go out and act against their fears unless, cooxterminously or "Jesus loves me. therefore I am subway-and people stare at me?" or saved." if he keeps saying to himself, “How will f really suffocate in a sub­ with asking them to do so, the thera­ pist also concretely shows them how much louder and more often, " I ’m way train?” really a shit; I'm no fucking good; In addition to this analysis and to depropugandize themselves ideo­ logically by perceiving, challenging, I'll never possibly get better," all the challenging of his own inner verbali­ positive thinking in the world is not zations. the patient would then In* in- and contradicting their own self-sug­ gested nonsense. Conditioned reflex going to help him. Unless he is force­ duccd. as part of his therapeutic fully led to challenge and undermine "homework," actually to take some therapy, as far as I can make out. his own negative thinking, as he is subway rides; and, in the course of does not properly emphasize this ideo­ logical self-analysis and restructuring led to do in effective rational psycho­ these rides, to observe his specific, therapy. he is still a gone goose. feelings and the sentences behind o'f the patient’s philosophy; hence, its these feelings. results tend to he quite limited. Q. Incidentally, you may recall, a If necessary, lu* would he en­ Q. Would you say the same limita­ couple of issues bark in the Bealist— couraged, persuaded, and practically tion applies to the "positive thinking” this was in regard to my satirical pushed into going on subway rides panacea? thing on the birth control primer and time after time, until he became most A. Definitely, yes. Many people Bob (Wilson’s) piece about the re­ clear as to what he was "bugging” think that rational therapy is closely action to it—the Tolerant Pagan in himself about on such rides and until related to Kmile Couc's autosugges­ his column said something to the ef­ he became habituated to doing what tion or Norman Vincent Beale's posi­ fect that you can express any thought he had previously been afraid to do. tive thinking, but it is actually just without being boorish. Why—by his 10 The Realist http://www.ep.tc/realist THE REALIST ARCHIVE PROJECT The REALIST Issue Number 16 - March, 1960 - Page 11 scans of this entire issue found at: http://www.ep.tc/reallst/16

standards—do you deliberately make rather, a mattert of teaching a person they are to me!” etc.) which they tell yourself out to be a boor? philosophies of living different from themselves at point “B” that really A. Why should I live up to his, or the negative philosophies which now do the damage. When I get them to for that matter any other individual’s, produce his disordered emotions; and, change their own thoughts and in­ standards? My own standard is that through teaching him these different ternalized sentences, these youngsters certain modes of expression, including philosophies, to help him change ra­ arc able to live more peacefully with the use of many of the famous or ther than to control his feelings. some of the most crackpotty parents infamous four-letter words, are un­ As far as children are concerned, you ever saw. usually appropriate, understandable, 1 do not usually see them as patients; (). Would you call this a form of and effective under certain conditions but F recently saw an eight-year-old preventive therapy? and at these times they should be un­ child and decided to try some rational A. Yes — this is, in fact, one of hesitatingly used. Words such as fuck therapeutic techniques with him, just the main reasons why I am in the and shit are most incisive and ex­ to see how effective they might be. process of founding, in collaboration pressive when properly employed. This child, a bright but very dis­ with Dr. Robert A. Harper and sev­ Take, for example, the campaign turbed boy, stuttered quite badly and eral other professional associates, an which I have been waging, with re­ was not only upset because of the Institute for Rational Living, which markable lack of success, for many stuttering but because his friends and is to have, as part of the Institute, years, in favor of the proper usage relatives kept teasing him about it. a regular grade school. In this school, of the word fuck. My premise is that I was able to show the hoy that it we would start children in kinder­ sexual intercourse, copulation, fuck­ really wasn’t very important if others garten and, in addition to the regular ing, or whatever you wish to call it, teased him and that he need not— school subjects, keep teaching them is normally, under almost all circum­ at point "B”—upset himself about rational philosophies of living in the stances, a damned good thing. There­ their teasing by telling himself how- course of the regular curriculum. fore. we should rarely use it in a awful it was that they were doing There would be group discussions negative, condemnatory manner. In­ it. I quoted him the same nursery with all the children, at least once a stead of denouncing someone by call­ rhyme that I often quote my adult week and perhaps more often, in the ing him “a fucking bastard” we patients — Sticks and stones / Will course of which they would bring up / should say. of course, that he is “an break your bones / But names will their problems of everyday living — unfucking villain” (since bastard, too, never hurt you — and I insisted that including, as they grew older, their is not necessarily a negative state he need not be hurt by the teasing of sex-love problems — and these would and should not only be used pejora­ others and that he could stop upset­ be discussed in much the same way tively). ting himself if he recognized that as the problems of adults are now Q. Isn’t the apparently inconsistent these others had their own problems discussed in the group therapy ses­ use of the word fuck due to the fact and that their words really didn't sions which I hold every week with that it actually has two meanings? matter very much. some of my regulur patients. One. it means intercourse. The other, It was amazing some of the things My hypothesis is that such chil­ it means screw—you know, like in that this boy said back to me after dren, by the time they completed business—“I fucked him." the third session I had with him — grade school, would be significantly A. You’re right. But since the word showing how- he had really under­ less emotionally disturbed than a screw has the same two meanings, stood what I said and that he was control group of children who hud and since screwing is (in my un­ beginning to see that no. he need not not had the benefit of rational educa­ jaundiced view) equally enjoyable to be upset by the words and gestures tion. fucking, I would want the usage to of others, and that it really didn't Similarly, when the Institute for be "I unscrewed him,” when we mean matter that much when he was teased. Rational Living gets going full blust, that I outwitted him or gave him a By the end of the fourth session, a group of children who arc now at­ rough lime. he was not only much less disturbed tending public or private grade schools Q. How about the famous Army about being teased, but actually was will be seen once or twice a week for saying, "Fuck all of them but six and stuttering a lot less and he has con­ group sessions; and a study will be save them for pallbearers.” There, tinued to make remarkable improve­ made to see if they turn out to be fuck means kill. ment, even though I have sees him significantly less disturbed than a con­ A. Yes, and it is wrongly used. It only occasionally. Apparently, bright trol group of children who are at­ should be “L'nfuck all of them but eight-year-olds can also benefit from tending the same kinds of school but six.” Lots of times these words are rational psychotherapy — sometimes, are not having the benefits of ra­ used correctly, ns when you say, “1 in fact, more than their more diffi­ tional group psychotherapy. had a fucking good time." That’s cult and prejudiced elders. My bet is that the rationally-helped quite accurate, since fucking, as 1 I ’ve also tried rational methods with children, including those who come said before, is a good thing; and a young adolescents in several instances from disturbed homes, will develop good thing leads to a good time. But and I have frequently been able to considerably saner and more efficient by the same token you should say show them that, whether they like it techniques of handling their reality "I had an unfucking bad time.” or not. their parents are disturbed problems than will those who are (). I can see this, you know?—In crackpots, that they don't have to not benefiting from rational therapy. the subways, two or three centuries take these parents too seriously (par­ In many respects I am more inter­ from now: “Unfuck you!” on the ticularly when the parents are highly ested in working with children in Hunt’s Tomato posters, say. negative toward the children), nnd these ways than I am with adults, A. Why not? I t ’s fuckingly more that they don't have to get upset just since I feel that it is far better to logical that way, isn't it? because the parents are disturbed. raise individuals so that they do not Q. Speaking of being logical—at Here again, I show these adolescents become seriously disturbed in the first what age can you begin to teach a that it is not what happens to them place rather tliun trying to get them child to control negative emotions in a at point “A” (their parents’ negativ­ over their already well developed dis­ logical, rational way? ism) which really hurts them but turbances in the second place. A. It is not a matter of teaching their own catastrophizing and rebelli­ Q. I think that, in many ways, ra­ a child, or an adult for that matter, ous sentences (“How could they do tional thcrap> is similar to General how to control his emotions. It is, that to me?” “How terribly unfuir Semantics. A lot of what >ou tell March 1960 )1 http://www.ep.tc/realist THE REALIST ARCHIVE PROJECT The REALIST Issue Number 16 - March, 1960 - Page 12 scans of this entire issue found at: http://www.ep.tc/realist/16

your patients to do — to determine philosophy of life, and not just the faces and changes the internalized the irrational interpretations which things that happen to him in the sentences, or philosophies of living, they communicate to themselves — is course of his life, which importantly which cause and sustain these reac­ what Korzybski told people to do affect his personality development. tions. One still has to force oneself when he said they should extension- But the Existentialist therapists, into physical counteractivity. alize what’s actually happening in while clearly revealing to and analyz­ Thus, if one tends to become nause­ terms of actual physical events rather ing for the patient his world view, ated because one is telling oneself than high abstractions about what and showing him how it relates to his that a certain kind of food is disgust­ they feel about their situations. I)o emotional disturbances, are very nam­ ing, one will not automatically begin you think your system is close to that by-pamby when it comes to helping to like this food if one merely de- of General Semantics? him change this view and thus undo propagandizes oneself in regard to its A. 1 think that in theory w e’re his neurosis. Like the classical psycho­ "disgusting” quality. One must also, very close. 1 had very little knowledge analysts, they apparently believe in on several occasions, while attacking of the General Semantics people until the magic power of insight— while o n e ’s own negative internalized sen­ I started using rational therapy. Then the rational therapist believes that tences about the disgustingness of the 1 was informed of what they were self-understanding must be applied food, force oneself to eat this “dis­ doing and began to subscribe to their before it can be expected to lead to gusting” food. As a result of both Journal. Etc.; and I find that their behavioral change. processes, self-depropagandization and views are much to my liking. Existentialist therapists usually for­ motor counter-activity, one finally I have read Wendell Johnson and bear from attacking and undermining ceases to he nauseated. the patient’s childish, irrational as­ other leading semanticists -and I In rational therapy, in other words, sumptions; and in this respect they haven’t as yet found any of them the main emphasis is often on coun­ are relatively ineffective in ' helping who has thought out and applied a terattacking o n e ’s own self-vorbalized thoroughgoing system of psychother­ him. apy based on their own principles. In attitudinal sets; but there is a strong Q. Doesn't the Adlerian school of subsidiary or concomitant emphasis fact, I would say that my own sys­ therapy also closely overlap with ra­ tem of rationul psychotherapy is pret­ on counterattacking motor behavior tional therapy? as well. I am not sure what Dr. Rus­ ty much the answer to much of A. Yes. Adler, too. pointed out, and General Semantics theory — which sell Meyers* position is in this con­ in fact was one of the very first to nection. their group still largely theorizes point out, that it is the individual’s about and which I, for one, actually mode of life, or irrational goals, Q. A psychiatrist told me once that practice. which induce him to become and to the reason the Freudian method often doesn’t work is because no abreaction Q. Well, Wendell Johnson is just stay emotionally ill. And the Adleri- one of the General Semanticists. There ans are more vigorous than most occurs — the patient remembers, but are others with different approaches. other therapists in attacking the pa­ he doesn’t relive the experience—and A. Yes, 1 am sure there are. And tient’s poor life plan. he said that this type of emotional much of what I do is implicit in the But many Adlerians still tend to be abreaction has to go along with the ideas of Korzybski and some of the more analytical than persuasive in remembering. other General Semanticists. But their approach; and they overempha­ A. I vigorously disagree. I think whereas they are somewhat vague size, in my opinion, social interest that what is normally called ubreac- and general, I really do get at my rather than enlightened self-interest tion is often one of the greatest patients’ specific irrational, over-gen­ as a worthwhile goal. The human in­ wastes of time in therapy, because eralized. and vague thinking; I prac­ dividual can only be effectively inter­ merely reliving an original traumatic tically force these patients to look at, ested in others after he has, out of event may help the patient see bet­ to parse their own internalized sen­ pronounced self-interest, rid himself ter, get more significant insight in a tences; and, what is more important, of his superfluous negative thinking— sense, into his problems; but it still to change them for more efficient, of his needless anxieties and hostili­ will not necessarily help him to at­ more logical internalized sentences. ties. tack his basic irrational philosophies When I spoke about what I do to Q. Dr. Russell Meyers, the neuro­ of life which are actually causing his a group of the General Semantics surgeon, has a theory he colls atti- disturbance. people here in New York a few tudinal sets. He says that people re­ It must be remembered in this con­ months ago, they were very cordial spond to stimuli with complete atti- nection that it never was, in the first on the whole—much more cordial, in­ tudinal sets, by which he means they place, an original traumatic experi­ deed, than a group of my fellow have a sentence — one of your in­ ence that made an individual dis­ psychologists often are. The psychol­ ternalized sentences — and they re­ turbed, but his attitude toward this ogists are sometimes hostile to my spond in a physical reaction to which experience — at what I cull point theories because they tend to have the whole organism responds, accord­ "B.” Thus, if someone makes a pub­ highly biased, unscientific Freudian ing to a pattern of attitudinal sets lic laughing stock of you when you views; and many of them could ben­ that they’ve learned as they’ve grown are a child, it is not the experience efit considerably from General Se­ up. itself, but your idea that it is hor­ mantics teachings. You don’t emphasize the bodily as­ rible to l>e laughed at, which really Q. There were Humanists, too, at pects as much as he does, I gather. upsets you at this time; and most of the meeting of the General Semantics You’re just after the verbalization your so-called traumatic experience is society which you addressed, weren’t that people make inside themselves? really this idea. there? A. Yes, I mainly emphasize the in­ Therefore, abreacting this experi­ A. Yes, the Humanists are one of dividual’s seeing and attacking his ence many years later will hardly the main groups which overlap to own self-verbalizations, because you help you to change this idea, unless some extent with the General Seman­ never really change his bodily reac­ in the course of reliving the experi­ ticists. The Existentialists, too, or at tions unless you help him rid himself ence you also sec that it is not hor­ least some of them, overlap with this of these internalized verbalizations. rible to be laughed at, and that nei­ kind of thinking and with major parts But I also admit that bodily reactions, ther originally nor in the present of my own views. They see, for ex­ or motor behavior patterns, do not need you have got upset about this ample, that it is clearly a person’s automatically disappear when one experience. 12 The Realist http://www.ep.tc/realist THE REALIST ARCHIVE PROJECT The REALIST Issue Number 16 - March, 1960 - Page 13 scans of this entire issue found at: http://www.ep.tc/realist/16

It must also be noted that many their patients to be true individuals therapist (particularly if she is a fe­ patients, when they relive past ex­ in their own rights, and not to give male therapist) keeps pleasingly pok­ periences, get so much satisfaction too much of a damn what others ing him often enough, Jones is quite out of their abreacting — have such think of them and their individual likely to start saying to himself: n dramatically good time in the pro­ tastes and preferences—there, I and "Well, what do you know! Sex c a n ’t cess — that they actually get dis­ the Jungians compatibly overlap. be so wicked after all.” And he may tracted from their real problem, Q. What do you think of Wilhelm actually lose some of his inhibitions which is to change their still existing Reich? and unhinge some of his character ar­ irrational philosophies of life. A. Do you moan as a sexual the­ moring. In a few cases, the patient not orist or as a therapist? The question is, however: Is it only abreacts but, in the course of do­ Q. Well, Reich felt that if you had really the Reichian pokings that are ing so, somehow says to himself: n so-called perfect orgasm, you could helping the patient or is it the new "Jesus Christ, now I see clearly how meet any problem — you could with­ ideus that these pokings are giving I got upset about things in the past. stand any difficulty that arose during him? But I don't have to be similarly up­ the day. Q. Rut d o n ’t you do much of the set now about the same king of thing. A. This particular Reichian theory, same thing in your rational therapy, Who the hell wants to go on acting, I am afraid, consists of some of the though without the aspect of positive in this childish way? I had damned worst bullshit over written, since no transference which the Reichians or well better stop this crap.” orgasm, perfect or otherwise, is really Freudians may employ? In other Under these circumstances, the pa­ going to solve an individual’s major words, d o n ’t you induce your patients to get their sex relations outside of tient may well get better—not be­ personality difficulties. In fact, as I have said on several occasions, so- therapy. Instead of during the thera­ cause of his abreaction, but because peutic process? of what he tells himself about his called sex problems are almost in­ A. Right. Quite honestly and open­ abreacting experience, and because of variably the result rather than the how he changes the ideas (with or cause of basic problems of thinking ly, I frequently (though not always) without his therapist's help) that and emoting—of personality disorders. will work with a sexually inhibited individual and will frankly induce him originally produced most of his trau­ Lot me hasten to add, however, that Reich wrote an excellent book, to try masturbating or having inter­ ma. course—outside the therapeutic rela­ Q. I'd like to get your opinions on called The Sexual Revolution, which is very liberal and enlightened and tionship. And I induce him to have some other schools of therapy. What these relationships not because he do you think of the Jungians? loves or hates me, but because it is A. On theoretical grounds, I would REPORT OBSCENE better for him to engage in such re­ be opposed to much of Jung’s writings, MAIL TO lationships, and because I am able to since he is quite mystical, believes in YOUR POSTMASTER bent his negative, puritanical ideas a racial unconscious, and often recom­ over- the head, so that he then has mends religious observance to bis pa­ (he thrives on it) the freedom to enjoy himself sexually. tients. On the^other hand, in his book Reichians ami other therapists of­ on The Practice of Psychotherapy he contains some good material. Unfor­ ten do the same thing as 1 do—but frankly states that his own technique tunately. he also wrote an incredibly quite indirectly and inefficiently, I is a combination of the Freudian and bad book, The Function of the Or­ would say, ami with a certain amount Adlerian methods; and I get the im­ gasm. which has highly perfectionist of attached hypocrisy. And hypocrisy, pression that he is actually more Ad­ notions of what a "normal” orgasm or lying to oneself. I need hardly re­ lerian than Freudian when working should be, and which has helped thou­ mind you, is one of the very main with patients. sands of males and females to be cores of emotional disturbance. My main criticism of the Jungians more sexually and generally disturbed Q. I can just see a patient of yours is that when they do what I would than they otherwise would be. saying, in the afterglow, "Dr. Ellis call effective psychotherapy — which Reich’s original idea of the indi­ would be so proud of me for doing some of them certainly do — their vidual’s acquiring a character armor, this.” practice does not really stem from and consequently also developing mus­ A. Yes, this actually happens at their theory and they are being prag­ cular and visceral tensions and ar­ times — but in spite of. and not be­ matic rather than theoretical. Similar­ morings, has a certain measure of cause of, what I do — because I am ly, muny so-called Freudians do ef­ truth in it. Ho took this idea, how­ not at all interested in patients do­ fective therapy; but they invariably do ever, to ridiculous extremes; and end­ ing anything for me. but only for so because, consciously or unconscious­ ed up by believing that if the thera­ themselves; and I teach them that ly, they are ignoring Freud’s views on pist massages and manipulates the even when they do things to please technique and are empirically discover­ patient’s bodily zones, he will break me, they still haven’t solved their ing for themselves what the patient up the patient’s armoring and there­ own problems. needs in order to help himself. by loosen his neurotic traits. More Once, for example, I saw- a patient Whenever 1 address a group of psy­ bullshit, I am afraid. who had had five years of analytic chotherapists. someone in the audience What the Reichions do not seem to therapy before I saw him and who invariably arises to state that what I understand is that if one massages wasn't getting far with his current call rational therapy is pretty much and masturbates a patient — which analyst because when he went out what he does in his own practice. is essentially what Reichian therapists with girls he never had the guts to Yes, 1 reply; but I do it on the basis will do if they strictly adhere to their put his arm around them, let alone of my theory of rational therapy, own theory — even -though o n e ’s make any other sexual passes. He while you do what you are doing on physical manipulations are largely came to me, after his analyst had the basis of your own common sense worthless, one is unwittingly depro- thrown in the sponge, and said: and in spite of the therapeutic theory pagandizing the patient of some of “What shall I do?” in which you say you believe. his sexual puritanism while doing “Very simple,” I replied. "You To get hack to the Jungians, Carl o n e ’s poking and massaging. make a regular date with the girl Jung should be given due credit for Thus, if John Jones irrationally you have been interested in for some emphasizing the idea of individuation. thinks that sexual participation is a time and take her to a movie. In Ami where Jungians attempt to get wicked business, and his Reichian the movie, you sit next to her—say, Morch I960 U http://www.ep.tc/realist THE REALIST ARCHIVE PROJECT The REALIST Issue Number 16 - March, 1960 - Page 14 scans of this entire issue found at: http://www.ep.tc/realist/16

on her right. Now, if necessary, you also to assume that this outside inter­ truly interested in them. It is altru­ take your left hand in your right est must consist of loving others. As istic but not particularly self-sacri end you push- yes, push—it over to I explain to my patients on many fieing: since, at bottom, the loving her.” occasions, anyone with reasonably individual enjoys and likes himself Said he: “You really mean that?” good grain cells os not likely to be »nd has no need to sacrifice his own “Absolutely. Y ou ’ve just got to stop very happy in life if he does not major interests to win the approval your shilly-shalling and make some have some definite vital absorption. of others. physical move toward her.” But absorption may mean being dis­ Q. Would you agree or disagree ••O.K.," he rather reluctantly said. tinctly concerned about (a) people, or with the proposition that altruism is “I’ll try.” (b) things, or (c) ideas, or (d) any the highest form of selfishness? So he called up his girlfriend, took combination of (a), (b), or

a doubt is that radio sells records. . . .“ Accordingly, honest payola is now on the agenda. The station will sell the I to 5 p.m. time period. Monday thru Saturday, . . . ad nauseam to record companies and distributors, and their records “Who knows? Your next promotion may well be will be played for a price. due to the kind of shirts you buy now. . . ft e * from a M ncy’s M en’s Store ad “Some birds eat 25', of their own weight every day. but Who Ever Heard of a Constipated Bird? No •'The women in Richard Nixon’s life are quite a One! Constipation is unknown among birds outside of trio: One wants him to gel a new job (but not the captivity. . . job you think), one wishes he were a baseball player, -ad for Natulax laxative tablets one overrules him on a vital domestic matter—who’s ft 5 ft to press his trousers! “Wonderful”—Darwin '*. . . an article called ‘The Nixons at Home’ is as “Miraculous” I.ineus full of surprises as anything you’re likely to come “Amazing”—Richards across on the Republican’s leading candidate. (We’ve | •*. . . Instructive for Children! Youngsters especial­ printed it because the personal lives of such public ly will enjoy growing these exotic plants. And if. some­ figures are of particular interest to women who may how. you can convey the thought that many of life ’s (as has been predicted) outnumber men at the polls most alluring enticements can prove to be traps, you in November. . . . " / will have made a truly priceless investment! . . . ’’ - -ad by the Ladies' Home Journal ad for Venus Fly Trap * * * Parliament boasts of “the world’s most experienced “Rock ’N’ Roll Singers wanted. Experience & train­ filter people." And. of course, the filter people smoke ing not necessary. Call. . . .” cigarettes that think for themselves. ad in the Villa tie Voice » ft * « ft « The Federal Trade Commission is experimenting Photograph of man in deep, worried thought. Pon­ this month with a form of bribery. In order to persuade ders the text: “Who knows what goes on inside the firms to refrain from misleading advertising and other soul of a man. . . .” Ad is for Fred Astaire Dance improper practices, the FTC is eliminating two-thirds Studios. “Why.” it asks, “hadn’t he learned to dance?” of its press releases. c e o Formerly, a company charged with an FTC viola­ Radio station now gives its call letters thusly: tion had to contend with three releases to the press: “W.I.N.S.—loves you!” when a formal complaint was made; when the charges » « « were answered; and when the firm consented not to en­ gage in the activity. If making capital out of dishonest advertising be­ comes a trend, we can soon expect the following TV Under the new method, the first two press releases commercial: will be dropped, in the hope that business concerns will discontinue “questionable practices” immediately. Announcer holding up two glasses of beer, one with sturdy head, other with weak head. “Notice how the * « * head on Brand X is weakening, yet the head on Brand Ads for Rallantine’s English Gin feature an ink­ Y is still sturdy. Of course, the head on Brand Y is not blot illustration. Copy reads. "Imagine this splotch is really beer foam, i t ’s soap suds. Yes, Indies, Panacea blue . . . it represents the mood of the man who does Detergent gives you sturdier soap suds than any other not ’martini-it’ with . . .’’ etc. The ‘artist’ actually signs detergent. So. for a cleaner, whiter wash. . . .” the splotch, though. It is one in a series of splotches. # * * * •» * The Willows Maternity Sanitarium in Kansas City, Newark. X. J. radio station W XTA’s manager says: Mo. caters, according to its stationery, to “the better “One thing that the ‘payola probe’ has proved beyond class of unwed mother.”

i ( ISANDPAPER TEST I 1 pid-Shave could do the job — if a might have thought it had nothing power-grinder were substituted for a to gain from this inquiry, neverthe­ (Continued from Page 16) razor. (The blades 1 used, incidental­ less did gain a customer. The writer’s an adjoining section of sandpaper, ly, are now worthless.) this time omitting the Rapid-Shave. wife, Who watched the Sandpaper It, too, was definitely smoother, al­ Even though I was up to my ears Test, now uses Rapid-Shave. “It ’s in shaving cream by this time, I like shaving with whipped cream,” though not as damp. added one more control to the test: Next I attacked the coarse sand­ she said. shaving with plain old-fashioned bar Which would seem to have com­ paper. After twelve strokes, my ra­ soap. zor was still jumping over the sand­ pleted the cycle, since the K.T.C. has paper like a bicycle over trolley In both cases—fine and coarse sand­ also revealed that a certain TV com­ tracks. paper—soap worked just as well as mercial had used shaving cream on The results this time were less Rapid-Shave. cake l>ecause it photographed prettier happy. There were bits of loosened ami held up better than the actual sand on the paper, but not even Ted A footnote to the Rapid-Shave Sand- product. Palos & Company coold call that pa j*er Test: Will the real Cake Frosting stand sandpaper “shaved.” Conclusion: Ra- The Colgate-Palmolive Co., which up, please. . . . Morch 1960 15 http://www.ep.tc/realist THE REALIST ARCHIVE PROJECT The REALIST Issue Number 16 - March, 1960 - Back Cover scans of this entire issue found at: http://www.ep.tc/realist/16

tion that there might be rough going ahead. A Realist Exclusive: “The kind you use when you shave sandpaper,” I replied. I Tried the Rapid-Shave Sandpaper Test She called the manager (and, for by Marvin Kitman all 1 knew, the police). He, too, seemed to think I was pulling his Some 7,000 teletype machines, property of United Press Inter­ beard. Without bothering to single national, started clacking simultaneously In newspaper offices, radio out the precise kind of sandpaper and TV stations, and two or three pool halls across the nation one Colgate-Palmolive used when it proved morning in January. Letter by letter, a message was spelled out: the test worked "beyond any doubt,” I paid for two pieces and fled. THE COLGATE PALMOLIVE COMPANY TODAY INSISTED For the pubescent, or itcachfuzz- THAT ITS SHAVING CREAM CAN SHAVE SANDPAPER AS type beard, I found that I had bought ADVERTISED. . . . a standard-sized 9"xl0" sheet of Im­ What once might have been a bald porate image—what were consumers perial Flint Paper (fine), manufac­ plug for a shaving cream had meta­ doing? For the most part, they either tured by Minnesota Mining and Man­ morphosed into solid news because didn’t know what all the fuss was ufacturing Co., whose slogan, record­ a day earlier the Colgate-Palmolive about (televiewers are notorious for ed on the back of the sandpaper, is (you’ll wonder where the Peel went) not watching commercials), or else “Where Research Is the Key to To­ Company had been hit in the face by they were muttering into their beards morrow”—a comforting thought when a wet towel tin own by the Federal that all advertising was crooked. o n e ’s wife is shrieking, “You're out of your mind!” Trade Commission. But, so weakened is the spirit of These soap-toothpastc-and-shave-ac- For the mail with heavy growth, Inquiry in the U. S. today, few went or blackbeard, I had a similar sized ccssorics people were guilty of using to the trouble of finding out where sheet of Indian Head Flint Paper a piece of plexiglass sprinkled with truth lay. As fur as is known, 1 was the first kid on my block—if not (coarse), made by the Carborundum sand to simulate sandpaper in the Company. No slogan. company’s ubiquitous—at the time— the only one in the entire country— Various procedural questions arose •*Ilapid-Shavc Sandpaper Test" tele­ actually to try the Rapid-Shave Sand­ as soon as I sat down with my can vision commercial, it was revealed.! paper Test. of Rapid-Shave, razor, blades and Although the F.T.C. did not recom­ Anarchus once said, “The market is sandpaper. How much shaving cream mend jail sentences—only thut of­ the place set aside where men may does one put on sandpaper before fenders cut that kind of stuff out— deceive each other.” A conviction that shaving it? How long does he let it the principals worked themselves into this need not be so if consumers soak in? Does he rub it in? How a lather. would take commercials more seri­ many strokes of the razor are cricket Said Colgate-Palmolive: “Sufficient ously has frequently driven mo to in a sandpaper test? r< search was conducted to prove be­ answer challenges like the Sandpaper Frequent screenings of the Rapid- yond any doubt to the company and Test. Shave Sandpaper Test on TV over the advertising agency which created My Luckies, for example, habitual­ the months had left me ill-prepared, this commercial that sandpaper can ly fell apart in the “Tear and Com­ scientifically speaking. So I used my lie shaved as demonstrated.” pare Test” several seasons back. A common sense and shaved the sand­ Said the advertising agency, Ted grave little note to the American To­ paper as I would my face. Kates & Co., limiting itself to a bacco Company always brought a After I lathered up the five sand­ $2:1,57-1 full-page advertisement in the carton of cigarettes as balm. paper, held my breath, twisted my New York Times, as well as the I l ’aW neck a little—and shaved sand/taper Street Journal: “We used an artifice I ruined my first ball point pen, for the first time, ever—nothing sig­ no more deceptive than make-up....” too, writing underwater in the bath­ nificant seemed to be happening on tub. No restitution there, however. The ad blamed sandpaper’s unpho- the sandpaper. So I shaved it again. togenic surface for the substitution. On the face of it, the Sandpaper And again. The sandpaper industry—for the mo­ Test figured to he the easiest of all By the twelfth stroke (there didn’t ment looking like a cuckold in the my laboratory tests. All I had to do, seem to he any point to quitting shaving cream mess—has reportedly as the TV commercial said, was put earlier in the game) 1 was ready to assigned its researchers to perfect a shaving cream on sandpaper, and study the sandpaper: the shaved sand­ sandpaper that can ’t be shaved. shave. paper was definitely milder—I mean While big business and its six-ar­ "What kind of sandpaper do you smoother. ea criers were desperately trying to want?” my hardware salesman, a wo­ As a control, however, I also shaved save face—that is, to regain cor­ man, asked. This was the first indica­ (Continuer! on Page 1.7)

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