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From the line, watching, three things are striking: (a)…

“From the line, watching, three things are striking: (a) what on TV is a brisk crack is here a whooming roar that apparently is what a shotgun really sounds like; (b) trapshooting looks comparatively easy, because now the stocky older guy who's replaced the trim bearded guy at the rail is also…” quote by David Foster Wallace
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““From the line, watching, three things are striking: (a) what on TV is a brisk crack is here a whooming roar that apparently is what a shotgun really sounds like; (b) trapshooting looks comparatively easy, because now the stocky older guy who's replaced the trim bearded guy at the rail is also blowing these little fluorescent plates away one after the other, so that a steady rain of lumpy orange crud is falling into the Nadir's wake; (c) a clay pigeon, when shot, undergoes a frighteningly familiar-looking midflight peripeteia -- erupting material, changing vector, and plummeting seaward in a corkscrewy way that all eerily recalls footage of the 1986 Challenger disaster.””

David Foster Wallace

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The description contrasts the cinematic sound of a shotgun with its real, chaotic noise, highlighting how reality can be more intense and unpredictable.

In simple terms: Real shotgun sounds are chaotic, unlike the clean TV version.

Key Takeaway

Recognize that reality often exceeds media portrayals.

Themes

perception media vs reality sound chaos

Mood

critical analytical

Type

descriptive philosophical

When to use this quote

  • hunting practice
  • film production
  • sound design

Key Concepts

audio perception media distortion reality check

Questions to Reflect On

  • How does media shape our expectations of sound?
  • What can we learn from the disparity?
A Different Perspective

Media depictions can simplify complex phenomena, leading to misconceptions.

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