22 — Wednesday, February 15, 1989 - North Shore News

Art of publicist’s seduction revealed

HAVE YOU been seduced lately? The reason | ask is that
I've been thinking at some length this past week about the
art of seduction and about how we, this gentle genus of lit-
erate homo sapiens, are not as far removed from the natural
order of things as we might choose to believe.

Take (blush) pollination for ex-
ample: flowers erect the most
alluring and effective structures
conceivable, drawing insect and
avian suitors by scent and sight in-
to intimate contact for a tryst
which only incidentally benefits
the unwary recipient of their
favors.

Now when we witness these lit-
tle enticement stratagems through
film or experience, do we chuckle
at the flowers’ duplicity, the ease
with which their prey succurnb?
Of course, but do we ever, even
for a moment, consider the
parallels in our own lives? Do we
even remotely suspect that we too
are charmed and tempted, that we
are the beguiled?

According to the BOOKS NOW
Guide To The Birds and The Bees
(sold in better bookstores some-
where), our book-buying behavior
is analogous to that observed in
natural relationships.

With apologies to George Page,
please join us as we venture into
the hitherto unexplored world of

MIKE
STEELE

book reviewer

book sales and observe the com-
plex courtship rituals of the
domestic publicist.

The publicist is a devious and
cunning creature which, although
primarily diurnal, is seldom seen
by its quarry. Instead the pubiicist
employs bright, colorful lures
known as books with which to
ensnare its victims. Although ag-
gressive and believed to be car-
nivorous, competing publicists are
capable of uneasy co-existence in
colonies commonly called
‘bookstores’. There, rival
publicists vie unceasingly for ter-
ritory, each engaging in a mer-
ciless and brutal battle for su-
premacy.

Book-buyers are initially at-
tracted to the bait by either color
or image or a combination of the
two; since book-buyers are of
diverse tastes, some publicists ex-
hibit a high degree of craftiness by
actually extending the same lure in
a variety of colors so as to increase
their chances of success.

Having secured the attention of
a potential book-buyer, the
publicist reinforces the attraction
through word cues, primarily but
not exclusively sexual or violent in
promise, according to the
perceived predilection of the
hunted. These word cues are
known as ‘titles’, ‘review ex-
cerpts’ (which the book-buyer
believes are written by superior
members of its own species but
which some authorities now
believe may be a parasitic form
employing sophisticated camou-
flage) and actual brief exampies of
interior content, the most daring
ploy of all. The following quota-
tion, recently spotted in use, was
taken from At The House On Pine
Street (Macmillan of Canada; 201
pp.; $19.95 in hardcover):

“If one woman, even an ex-
nun, is living in the house on Pine
Street, ata man’s house, a writer's
house — that notoriously immoral
breed — one must suppose...if
two women, one of whom is an
ex-nun, live in the house on Pine
Street, one must suppose that all is
well. The Anglo-Saxon religion of
privacy makes the menage a trois
inconceivable.”

Note the subtle attractants
wielded by the publicist in this
case. Sexual but couched in fiter-

ate terms, these send an irresistible
message to book-buyers as this
combination denotes safe sex and
is therefore non-threatening and
even acceptable to the book-
buyer's social group.

The prime objective of the
publicist, while monetary, does
however occasionally offer some
benefit to the book-buyer; were it
otherwise. the relationship of
game and hunter could not long

m 241 Seymour River Pi.
HARBOURVIEW

710 Queensbury
FR &

1900 Lonsdale Ave. 988.1148
JUBILEE SERVICES INC.
ae 1234 Marine Dr. 984-0486
m KEY SERVICES LTD

#3-820 Marine Or.

3171 Mountain Hwy.

Did you know ....?

NORTH VANCOUVER

(A division of Stewart/Vincent/Stewart Ltd)

endure. ~

In this particular case, the
book-buyer would find the book-
lure to be a highly stimulating, ex-
ceedingly well-written and adultly
humorous work that would leave
him or her wryly amused.

While this in itself is a trap (the
book-buyer would fee! compelled
to consume other lures from the
same source and rightly so), both
predator and prey have achieved
their respective goals.

Thus ends our little story for the
day — and may | be forgiven for
taking liberties with readers’
presumed expectations and a
superb novel by Canada’s own
Shaun Herron.

WEST INSURANCE SERVICES LTD.
1035S Marine Dr. 987-9356
ANTHONVSENMETT INSURANCE AGENCIES LTD.
540-333 Brooksbank 980-7298
BLD CLARK & DEFIEUX LTD.
1668 Lloyd Ave. 935-0581
INSURANCE SERVICES LTD.
1442 Pemberton Ave 987-220:
ATWATER INSURANCE AGENCIES LTD. SE S
Capilano Mall 988-5261
443 Lonsdale Ave. 985-3161
CREST INSURANCE AGENCY LTD. US
#101-2609 Westview Drive 988-8399
DAVIS INSURANCE ACERCIES LTD.
142 W. 15th St. 980-3655
INSURANICE AGENCY LTD.
1407 Bewicke Ave. 986-5265 ;
INSURANCE ACERCY LTD. TO DA ¥ é
387 N. Dollarton Hwy. 929-3494

GEO. B. ANDERSON INSURANCE AGENCY

929-0229 INDEPENDENT
aes [Lie eran Ages

Vistas on the Bay serves

gold-medal meals accompanied
by Hive music berween
ILam and 2pm.

Reservations suggested.

&H

(133 Wost Hasangs Street
Vancouver. BCL. Canada VOR 973
Telephone: (60 1 O89 921]
Bans (O04) 080 1358
A VORREE OF AEH WORT AOTELS NTEANATIONAL

NEW WORLD

HARBOURSIOE

Do you have
adequate coverage?

MCPHERSON INSURANCE AGENCY-LTD. Ex
#106 East 14th St. 985-3185

MITTEN MSURANCE AGENCIES LTD.
928 W. 16th St.

Ste, 10°-1247 Ross Road

NORCU INSURANCE SERVICES LTD.
1014112 Lonsdale Ave. 986-4321
PEAKE & RICHMOND LTD.

561199 Lynn Valley Rd.
S & D INSURANCE BROKERS & CONSULTANT
#712-3711 Delbrooke 988-8841
VARCOUVER GENERAL INSURANCE AGENCY

3066 Edgemont Blvd. 985-7404

WEST VANCOUVER

ART LANGLEY INSURANCE AGENCY LTD.
1345 Marine Or. 922-6102

OTTO & ASSOCIATES INSURANCE AGENCY LTD.
2448 Marine Or. 922-8932

PEAKE & RICHMOND LTD.
2435 Marine Dr. 922-0181

PORTER & HOWAT WEST VANCOUVER LTD.

2005 Park Royal South 92541201
SLINGER INSURANCE SERVICES LTD.
759 North Park Royal 922-9321 gg
STUART NOTT & ASSOC.

926-8666

764 Marine Dr.

KEEP THEM SAFE. DRIVE DEFENS
lan

Official Mark

Your Autoplan coverages relates to the use of your vehicle. If your vehicle is used for purposes other than

those specified on your insurance papers, you may not be covered in case of an accident. Check with us
to be sure your vehicle is rated correctly.

ey