The elephant in the room / metaphysical fly in the ointment

[jgiffin]

If the Dude were real, there's no way he'd be sufficiently motivated to join and/or regularly post on this-a-here website. Sure, I get it. This thing isn't about being or becoming the Dude. Agreed. But all or most of us appear to agree he embodies or represents a certain, uh uh, mindset at the heart of Dudeism. Is there a reconciliation here? Is one necessary? Does it just emphasize that we're all struggling to reach Dudevana? Is our attempt to commune in an effort at Dudeliness essentially self-defeating?

Well, Dude, we just don't know. But I'd be interested in hearing others' thoughts on the apparent conundrum.

[Caesar dude]

The question has been asked before...in a different way perhaps...hell...someone nearly broke the board (in a good way) by posting the umpteen Myers-Brigg questionnaire....

The result: Well fuck that no one really cares...

Peace dude..

[Yeti]

If the Dude were real, there's no way he'd be sufficiently motivated to join and/or regularly post on this-a-here website. Sure, I get it. This thing isn't about being or becoming the Dude. Agreed. But all or most of us appear to agree he embodies or represents a certain, uh uh, mindset at the heart of Dudeism. Is there a reconciliation here? Is one necessary? Does it just emphasize that we're all struggling to reach Dudevana? Is our attempt to commune in an effort at Dudeliness essentially self-defeating?

Well, Dude, we just don't know. But I'd be interested in hearing others' thoughts on the apparent conundrum.

I think you're overstating The Dude's laziness. He didn't appear to want to work, but he did manage to join a dedicated bowling team, attend his landlord's whathaveyou, call Brandt back, pursue his rug (this is obviously not in chronological order). I could see him joining a message board.

A friend liked to talk about some gigantic message board dedicated to jam bands. He said it had grown so big that few of the participants were even discussing the scene anymore - it was a free for all. I could see The Dude joining something like that, but I couldn't see him being interested in a fringe religion.

[meekon5]

If the Dude were real...

WHAT! the Dude is real man!

The Real Lebowski.

Blasphemy!

(I would suggest stoning him but that will just be intentionally misinterpreted in the wrong way by certain less mature individuals).

[Rev. Gary (revgms)]

I'm all for stoning, I'll get a J ready, we gonna stone him but good.

[jgiffin]

Good points on the character's motivational aspects. And since he is "real" and could, therefore, join isn't it high time we extend an invitation? I'll front his initiation fee. Mine was quite modestly priced.

By the way, I'm envisioning his computer as an '86 Tandy 1000 with green screen and cigarette ashes between the keys.

[BikerDude]

If the Dude were real, there's no way he'd be sufficiently motivated to join and/or regularly post on this-a-here website. Sure, I get it. This thing isn't about being or becoming the Dude. Agreed. But all or most of us appear to agree he embodies or represents a certain, uh uh, mindset at the heart of Dudeism. Is there a reconciliation here? Is one necessary? Does it just emphasize that we're all struggling to reach Dudevana? Is our attempt to commune in an effort at Dudeliness essentially self-defeating?

Well, Dude, we just don't know. But I'd be interested in hearing others' thoughts on the apparent conundrum.

This is our concern Dude.
I will concede that pure Dudeliness does produce in the Dudite a certain state of grace or perhaps serenity but the real question is where does that lead in a real world outside the movies. IMO without a healthy dose of walter this here human tragedy does not reward the Dudely at heart. There is an endless supply of Nihilist, Human Paraquat and Jackie's to harsh your morning mellow.  This does not in any way speak to the validity of Dudliness only to it's utility.
I doubt that most Buddist's monks who have spent years in quiet contemplation could be said to have developed valuable job skills in the mart of competitive commerce.

[Yeti]

If the Dude were real...

WHAT! the Dude is real man!

The Real Lebowski.

Blasphemy!

(I would suggest stoning him but that will just be intentionally misinterpreted in the wrong way by certain less mature individuals).

[sperging]

The Real Dude is actually two men - Jeff Dowd and Peter Exline. The history, current lifestyle (60's activism and life as a barfly in Seattle) and physical appearance of The Dude is based on Dowd, while the camaraderie between The Dude and Walter ("Big" Lew Abernathy in real life, one of the two inspirations for Walter), his dedication to an amateur sports league (softball in real life), and many of the events in the movie are based on Exline. Most people don't know about Exline because he appears to want nothing to do with the movie and the subsequent celebrity - in fact, a page on his website is called "Not the Dude". The page seems to insinuate that the Coen's "took his stories", although I don't know if that's a serious accusation on his part.

http://peterexline.com/dude.htm

[/sperging]

[meekon5]

[sperging]

The Real Dude is actually two men - Jeff Dowd and Peter Exline. The history, current lifestyle (60's activism and life as a barfly in Seattle) and physical appearance of The Dude is based on Dowd, while the camaraderie between The Dude and Walter ("Big" Lew Abernathy in real life, one of the two inspirations for Walter), his dedication to an amateur sports league (softball in real life), and many of the events in the movie are based on Exline. Most people don't know about Exline because he appears to want nothing to do with the movie and the subsequent celebrity - in fact, a page on his website is called "Not the Dude". The page seems to insinuate that the Coen's "took his stories", although I don't know if that's a serious accusation on his part.

http://peterexline.com/dude.htm

[/sperging]

good points nice info.

I did not know that!