On War, Erotic Allusions, and Other Cliches

No ducks were harmed during the writing of the novel or this blog.

Critics and other ne’er do wells often warn writers against over-use of erotic allusions, cultural stereotyping, and political incorrectness. Sorry, when used with grace, modest abandon, and a slight twist, I am a sucker (cliché) for exposed lust-filled thoughts (erotic allusions), tearful heroines (gender specific language), maudlin love scenes (come on, keep it real) and semi-heroic bad-boy figures (sexiness and a challenge for all women to tame) often portrayed in Literature and Art.

One of my favorite movies, perhaps clichéd, based on a true-story, is Taking Chance. Man or woman, if you do not cry while watching this story, check yourself for a heartbeat, you may be beyond redemption. As we know, redemption is a must 99.9% of the time.

Another of my favorite movies is Apocalypse Now. Talk about political incorrectness: the hateful Vietnam War, the incorrectness of "I love the smell of napalm in the morning," or lusting after Playboy Bunnies in Vietnam . . . these scenes are definitely not worthy of political correctness although I personally embrace them myself. As for the slaughtering of innocents, all I can say is thank God for all the Politically Correct politicians we had and have (only the names have changed) in Washington D.C., Hanoi, and other centers of political power.

Actress Teresa Denton . . . Susan
in Forrest Gump

Being a romantic, one of my favorite “character-characters” of all time, most beloved to me, is Lt. Dan’s (actor Gary Sinese), for story-line purposes, modestly sweet Asian fiancée Susan (cultural stereotyping) seen in the movie, Forrest Gump. If I remember correctly, she says two words, “Hello Forrest,” and has a three-second close-up with ten seconds of screen time. Think about her character, within the context of the story, and if you are a romantic, you will instantly fall in love with her, as I did.

The hope for me, besides the dual purposes of entertainment and escapism, is that you, Dear Reader, will find a character in Drunken Duck that you will fall in love with, too.