Wave Bye-Bye to the Bureaucrat: loved openly, loved secretly
Wave Bye-Bye to the Bureaucrat remains Mario’s favorite of all their late father’s entertainments, possibly because of its unhip earnestness. Though to Mario he always maintains it’s basically goo, Hal secretly likes it, too, the cartridge
Context
The theme's test case, stated flat. One cartridge, two registers: Mario loves the unhip earnest film openly, without embarrassment, "possibly because of its unhip earnestness"; Hal loves the same film but must call it "basically goo" to Mario's face and can only like it "secretly." The object is identical; the difference between the brothers is exactly the difference between a self that can love earnestness in the open and a self that can only love it in the closet, behind a protective dismissal. Sincerity is equally available to both — Hal even projects himself into the bureaucrat's story — but only one can afford to admit it, and the anhedonia essay (135) will name the cost of the mask that makes Hal lie about what he loves.