A Book You’ve Read That Changed your Views on Something
Not so extreme as changing my views, but reading this man’s entire body of work definitely changed me in some way. It’s so unique, and twisted, it’s really something special to take in. I seriously read Lullaby in a day, and Diary in two. Reading Palahniuk’s work also compelled me to read the work of his inspiration, Kurt Vonnegut. For anyone who hasn’t read either of these author’s works, it is highly recommended.
Panic! At The Disco Loves Chuck Palanhuik
Panic! At The Disco’s 1st CD, A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out, makes a lot of references to pop culture. Writer Chuck Palanhiuk is one of the most prominent references. Here are all of the references I could find in the CD (as you can tell, I’m inCREDIBLY bored):
The opening track (obviously not counting the introduction), “The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide is Press Coverage,” is a direct quote from Chuck Palanhiuk’s novel, Survivor. The song in itself is not a recount of the novel; the title is the only direct reference to the book.
The following track, “London Beckons Songs About Money Written By Machines,” borrows a literary device Chuck uses in the novel Diary. Any devout reader of Palanhiuk’s work will recognize that he uses recurring phrases in his novels, a unique technique of his. In Diary, he repeats the lines, “Just for the record” (used for irony) and “The weather today,” (used to denote emotion). Panic! uses both of these lines together: “Just for the record, the weather today is slightly sarcastic with a good chance of A: indifference and B: Disinterest at what the critics say…”
The 5th song, “Camisado”, may be stretching interpretation (Ryan Ross dedicated the song to his deceased father, a victim of alcoholism), but it can be argued that the song makes references to Fight Club, especially in its catchiest lines: “Can’t take the kid from the fight, take the fight from the kid.” It may be a stretch, but it’s probable.
For anyone who read Invisible Monsters, it is blatantly clear that ”Time To Dance” is totally based off the novel. From the verses involving blood on the floor, to the two direct references from the book, this connection is impossible to pass. “Boys will be boys, hiding in estrogen and wearing Aubergine Dreams,” the first reference that is a central plot point for the book. The second reference is another one of Chuck’s signature recurring phrases: “Give me…” insert emotion on the ellipses. Similar to Diary, it foretold emotion, and is used as such: ”Give me envy, give me malice, give me your attention.”
The final concrete connection is in the song, “Build God, Then We’ll Talk,” is a direct quote found in Choke. The sexual deviants described in the song may also be inspired by the novel.
