Importance of the Jimbo Scene

[Artiste]

Then, will you take off what I find offensive?

[Mandy21]

Thank you, Chrissie and Lee, both for your thoughts on the topic of this thread and for your efforts to stop this thread going into other directions.  

IMHO, I believe that the first bartender was maybe 70% being derogatory/insulting towards Jack, perhaps because he'd heard of the results of the day or perhaps because he didn't agree with one man buying a beer for another or perhaps because he knew Jimbo better than Jack did, I don't know, and 30% trying to be friendly, giving Jack possibly an alternate suggestion that he hadn't considered.  I believe that the second-night bartender, as one of you said, was much more friendly towards Jack simply because Jack was then asking about a beautiful girl, instead of chatting up a rodeo clown man.  I think Mr. Lee changed bartenders specifically, even though bartenders in a small town would generally stay the same from one night to the next, so that we could see the dichotomy of each of these men's pieces of advice and information towards Jack.  Do we know for sure if either of those bartenders had an opinion about homosexuality?  No, we don't.  All we do get to see is one of those bartenders maybe sort of semi-sneering at him, and one of those bartenders goading/enticing him along, as he can see Lureen is already well on her way to making her move.  Perhaps that's the only lesson we're meant to learn from those particular two scenes, is that every person has a different background and basis of knowledge, and some people feel the need to inflict it upon others, with or without their consent.

I truly believe that Jimbo picked up on Jack's half-hearted attempt at flirting, and was scared from it, and walked away.  And I think that Jack, after having lost that day so badly, accepted it.  And I think that, after having won on the second day, he walked back in there cocks-a-blazing, ready to stand up to anyone who looked at him funny.  And God love him for having that bravery in his soul.  Not many people would have, would they, after being humiliated so badly just a night before?  Doesn't really matter to me whether his relationship with Lureen turned out successful or not.  Least he had the balls to step up to the plate.

[Penthesilea]

Ok, this thread is locked for now. It will be re-opened in a few hours.

The last two posts about pedophilia will be moved have been moved to Artiste's blog area. Everyone who wants to discuss the pedophilia topic is welcome to continue the discussion there.

[Penthesilea]

This thread is now unlocked again.

[Lynne]

Let me stretch the clown/jester a bit more...

Maybe (Jester Jimbo's role is to tell (Prince) Jack truths that no one else is allowed or able to?  Can anyone expand on this?

[Brown Eyes]

Let me stretch the clown/jester a bit more...

Maybe (Jester Jimbo's role is to tell (Prince) Jack truths that no one else is allowed or able to?  Can anyone expand on this?

Well, it certainly seems true that clowns in general have a long history within literature and playwriting (Shakespeare, etc.).

The origins of clowns may go back as far as the Dionysian rituals of ancient Greece. This major diety was called the Liberator (Eleutherios), freeing one from one's normal self, by madness, ecstasy, or wine. Clowns serve an important purpose in art because they meet some deeply rooted needs in humanity: violation of taboos, the mockery of sacred and profane authorities and symbols, reversal of language and action, and a ubiquitous obscenity.

Fear of clowns is widespread enuff to have a name, it is called coulrophobia.

When Jack approached Jimbo at the bar, Jimbo was still wearing some of his whiteface makeup.

And, it would be interesting to think more about Lee's comments here too.  I wonder how our brief glimpse of Jimbo at the bar fits into the definition of the clown described in Lee's post above?  I think it's significant that while Jimbo may have some make up remaining on his face, he's mostly completely out of costume.  We wouldn't probably immediately know he's a clown if not for Jack's comments and by the use of his nickname.  I wonder what Jimbo's real name is.  I've always assumbed that Jimbo was his clown name.

[Mandy21]

Well, it certainly seems true that clowns in general have a long history within literature and playwriting (Shakespeare, etc.).

And, it would be interesting to think more about Lee's comments here too.  I wonder how our brief glimpse of Jimbo at the bar fits into the definition of the clown described in Lee's post above?  I think it's significant that while Jimbo may have some make up remaining on his face, he's mostly completely out of costume.  We wouldn't probably immediately know he's a clown if not for Jack's comments and by the use of his nickname.  I wonder what Jimbo's real name is.  I've always assumbed that Jimbo was his clown name.

One of the things I was curious about was how did Jack even recognize Jimbo as the clown who helped save him?  I mean, he was racing away from a marauding, angry bull at the time.  How can you match up a person in full clown costume and makeup, to a guy sitting across from you at the bar later?  I'm sure the announcers of the event gave the names of the rodeo clowns at the beginning, so perhaps Jack recognized the name Jimbo from some other event, do you think, and then put two and two together when he saw him at the bar?  I can only think that Jack had seen Jimbo without his clown makeup at some time in the past, and took this one rescue as an opportunity to advance their prior meeting.  Thoughts on that?

[Artiste]

Lynne, can you detail ?

[Front-Ranger]

I suddenly realized one reason why Jack reacted so strongly when the bartender suggested he try calf-roping!! It was because he flashed back to the time on the mountain when Ennis told him his dad was a "fine calf-roper." Even though Jack didn't know about the horrible incident with Earl yet (he wouldn't find that out until the reunion) he still knew enuff about Ennis' dad to hate him and his ilk. Does this ring true for anyone else?

[Monika]

I suddenly realized one reason why Jack reacted so strongly when the bartender suggested he try calf-roping!! It was because he flashed back to the time on the mountain when Ennis told him his dad was a "fine calf-roper." Even though Jack didn't know about the horrible incident with Earl yet (he wouldn't find that out until the reunion) he still knew enuff about Ennis' dad to hate him and his ilk. Does this ring true for anyone else?

why do you think Jack hates Ennis´s dad even before he knew about the Earl incident?
does the "fine calf-roper" line have some hidden message?