Happy Weekend!
On this day in 1949, George Orwell published Nineteen Eighty-Four, the classic dystopian novel that would later lend itself to extreme misinterpretation by those who only ever read the Cliff’s Notes version. People who would go on to believe that its primary lesson was that other people criticizing them for being complete assholes (“doing wrongthink”) is what totalitarianism is, while ignoring literally everything it was actually about.
It is also World Gin Day, which feels appropriate given the “Victory Gin” of it all. It’s also a great excuse for me to have some gin and tonics, which I was probably going to do anyway.
So! For your present this week, I bring you the very first movie adaptation of the book, starring Eddie Albert, from Roman Holiday and also Green Acres, as Winston. Enjoy!
Also too, here is a clip of Oingo Boingo performing their song “Wake Up (It’s 1984)” on a television special called Good Morning, Mister Orwell that aired on New Year’s Day 1984. The special was described as an “international satellite ‘installation’” by South Korean artist Nam June Paik, often considered the first “video artist.”
The whole thing is not available on YouTube, but it is available over here on the Internet Archive, should you be curious.
And here is just a very good song about gin!
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