Overheard in the Clementine: Ovation, deep thoughts, art

Setting: Clementine's Coffee Bar off Manor Road. Monday afternoon. It's crowded. Two schlubbish-looking guys in their early-30s (both wearing Chuck Taylors) sit across from one another and discuss their views intently on art, music, life and Austin.

Scene.

Raven-haired guy: Have you ever heard of Ovation? Ugh, I'm so pissed they don't have it in Austin.
Brunette guy: No, um. Wha-what's Ovation?
Raven-haired guy: It's this really great arts and like, music channel on TV. And, well, Grande doesn't carry it. Which is total bullshit and sucks.
Brunette guy: Yeah. So dude, what is it?
Raven-haired guy: I just really love that channel. I just started watching it. It just sucks I can't get it here in Austin.
Brunette guy: Yeah.
Raven-haired guy: Like, nobody knows about it. It's really cool. I watched this documentary on Andy Warhol and saw this movie on Basquiat. It like, totally opened my eyes. I had never really liked either of them. But the films totally changed my view.
Brunette guy: Really? What?
Raven-haired guy: Yeah dude, like Warhol growing up in Philadelphia- and the time he was living in- in the 1960s, art went so far. And I never got his whole thing with his hair- and I totally understand how he was how he was with the way he grew up. And he was into marketing first. It was cool to finally appreciate him because I'd always had difficulty appreciating his contributions. And also the fact that being in New York brought [Jean-Michel] Basquiat home. He was living in a box in Compton Park- which I know exactly where that is. Oh my god- lower east side.

End Scene.

Kate on AIM (right after I had relayed this conversation to her):

What cracks me up is the ads on Ovation...most of them are obviously directed toward some seemingly-highbrow audience...but then there are like at least two commercials about debt consolidation and credit law reform per commercial break. It's hilarious. I wonder what that says about their audience?

Ed: Ovation is awesome. So is the Andy Warhol documentary and the 1996 film Basquiat (which is what those dudes were talking about). Warning- stay clear of anything on that channel titled A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese- it will suck you into a vortex of colorless commentary.


(In Italian, Basquiat 1983. Acrylic, oil paintstick, and marker on canvas mounted on wood supports, two panels.)