Catullus and Brangelina

In Novembers issue of Life and Style, the cover story is about the struggling relation of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Life and Style claims that Brad is "sick of feeling ignored as Angelina frequently leaves him in the dust." Apparently, at the Beowulf Premiere, Angelina was quick to leave Brad as she talked with reporters and other friends. Brad began feeling neglected as everyone was fawning over his spouse. This tift reminds me of Catullus' poem 8. Carmen 8 is when Catullus and Lesbia are breaking up. "Nunc iam illa non vult...nec quae fugit sectare, nec miser vive" which is translated "Now she desires no more...and do not chase her who flees, nor live in unhappiness". This is exactly the situation that Brad feels as though he is stuck in. Brad and Catullus feel that "she" is sick of them and both are tired of chasing as well as living in such depression. At the end of Carmen 8 Catullus decides to break up with Lesbia and tells himself, "At tu, Catulle, destinatus obdura" which means "But you, Catullus, be resolute and stand fast." This is what Brad needs to tell himself as well. Maybe next month Brad will have told Angelina "Vale puella"

Catullan Theme in The Hills

In the October issue of Seventeen Magazine, there is an article with the Hills star Lauren Conrad. In it she discusses her life and the many relationships she has been in during the years. At one point she focuses on her previous relationship with a boy named Jason. Her ex has been arrested a few times since they broke up for problems with drugs and alcohol. She was asked if she suspected that there were problems when they were together with this or if she just choose to look the other way. In response, Lauren said that in the beginning it wasnt so bad but when it escalated into alcohol abuse she was just so in love that she didnt really care. At the time she felt that it was better to be with him and be unhappy than to be alone, which she admits was incorrect.
This story reminds me of the first Catullan poem we read: Carmen 51. In it Catullus talks about how much he is in love with Lesbia. Lines 5-8 say, "dulce ridentem, misero quod omniseripit sensus mihi: nam simul te, Lesbia, aspexi, nihil est super mivocis in ore" which is translated as "your sweet laughter, which robs a miserable me of all feelings: for as soon as I look at you, Lesbia, no voice remains in my mouth." This just shows that love can make people do many strange things. Catullus feels so in love that just a look from Lesbia leaves him numb. Just like this when Lauren and Jason were together just being with him made her overlook his big problems.
Love can make you do things you normally wouldn't such as lose your voice or overlook a large problem as well as see someone in a different way than they actually are.

Introduction - September 7, 2007

For the next nine months, this blog spot will focus on the theme, "what happens when 'love' falls apart". Each month I will read a new magazine that focuses on the love relationships of current Hollywood stars. I will compare their situations with those of Catullus in his set of poetry entitled: Catullusne Lesbiam amat?