Seven aggrandizing years of naval gazing and misrepresented self comparison…what the fuck! Many of us (myself included) were enthralled early on by the sight of David Duchovny (as Hank Moody), living out the post contemporary version of Tom Kapinos (Writer/Producer) brand of Bukowski. Through Karen Moody’s literary draw to the acne scarred icon, as seen by her reading a few titles, or by the subjugated name derivative of our main character and beloved pedophile, Hank Chinaski…I mean Moody, the series grotesqly evolved into misdirected Bukowski worship. Creator Tom Kapinos, like many shallow Bukowski fans, underscores the vulgarity and debauchery of this beat-nick era author, who exploited vulgarity as an art form.
What is sadly overlooked is that Bukowski, was not merely a drunk old pervert with a penchant for dropping F-bombs in churches or shitting in alleyways when inebriated beyond human capability. Charles Bukowski was a man branded by the torture of social rejection, and afflicted with transient class alcoholism. As a teenager he was horribly deformed by acne. His condition along with a psychological disposition for insubordination prevented him for being drafted (luckily) during the Vietnam War. Not a handsome man, or socially gifted by any means, he led a relatively solitary life until his mid thirties. He was and still is the voice of Los Angeles skid row poets.
As one may defend the already idolized show Californication, that it is a mere derivative, not intended to truly portray a revisited likeness of Henry Chinaski, it should be made very clear that Hank Moody, in no way of character, remotely resembles either Henry Chinaski as a character, or the author and former Postal Employee, Charles Bukowski. Charles Bukowski worked incredibly hard, through the unattractive affliction of real alcoholism. An everyman by even sub-ordinary standards. He worked. He drank. He wrote. He wasn’t well received by women until he was well into his literary career.
By character portrayal Hank Moody gets laid by looks alone, although his charm is a force multiplier. And as prolific a writer as Bukowski was, Hank Moody appears to be weak on the vine, in a vain attempt to compete with the volumes as referenced by his blog, a sore imitation of Bukowski’s Notes From a Dirty Old Man. Despite being raised (Moody) by a relatively loving but philandering father, his life has no follow-through of hardship. That Mr. Kapino was compelled to let Moody go down the Polanski path of questionable sex offender and Megan’s List applicant; one can only wonder what lurks in the recesses of that dirty old screenwriter. If there is any way to save Hank Moody as a character whose persona alludes to a kinship with the iconic Charles Bukowski, Mr. Kapino should either let David Duchovny actually get fat, losing that pretentious physique like a real drunk, or have Hank Moody deploy to the middle east as a free lance journalist to redeem himself and have a real excuse to drink and fuck like he’s on death row.
While it's not a far fetched contrast like Donald Trump against Mahatma Ghandi...Hank/Duchovny or Kapinos, are a very distant stretch from Charles Bukowski.
M. Cordoni (ashamed but self professed Califonication and Bukowski fan)
photo courtesy of city lights books/ San Francisco California Circa 1972
http://citylights.com
