And the commercials would have sickened a goat raised on barbed wire and broken beer bottles.

Television is just one more facet of that considerable segment of our society that never had any standard but the soft buck.

I belonged in Idle Valley like a pearl onion on a banana split.

LA doesn't have the heart of a paper cup.

It's fairly obvious that American education is a cultural flop. Americans are not a well-educated people culturally, and their vocational education often has to be learned all over again after they leave school and college. On the other hand, they have open quick minds and if their education has little sharp positive value, it has not the stultifying effects of a more rigid training.

The keynote of American civilization is a sort of warm-hearted vulgarity. The Americans have none of the irony of the English, none of their cool poise, none of their manner. But they do have friendliness. Where an Englishman would give you his card, an American would very likely give you his shirt.

The modern film tries too hard to be real. Its techniques of illusion are so perfect that it requires no contribution from the audience but a mouthful of popcorn.