Friday, January 07, 2005

Disclaimer

"The disclaimer is a tragically underused literary device."

The literature of misbehavior — of low living and high bar tabs, of fast sex and languorous narcosis, of chain-smoking and binge drinking and unchecked gambling and general self-vandalism — can be ferociously inspiring, yet while even episodes of "Jackass" and "South Park" kick off with a stern warning, this literature, wrapped in its innocent, just-us-books-here packaging, can catch you unaware. Its influence only becomes apparent as you rub your eyes upon emerging from a 10-year beer bender, your bookmark nestled right where you left it in that Bukowski collection.


Actual disclaimers published on actual books:
"Both the author and the publisher of this work must insist that none of the self-destructive lifestyles or poor decisions or sordid situations in this work be imitated."
"If you cause yourself unwanted harm because of something you read in this book, then you are an idiot."

(Via Media Dragon.)

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

One of my favorite disclaimers ever was from one of the single issues of Carla's comic (which she didn't carry over to any of the graphic novels, unfortunately):

WARNING: This comic contains language strong enough to knock a buzzard off a shit-wagon.