Hamlet's Soliloquy, Updated

Want a good laugh? Here's a hilarious version of Hamlet's famous speech "to be or not to be" as performed by the talented impressionist Jim Meskimen --



Watching this reminded me of a post I did a few years ago (back in the days before anyone actually read this blog, LOL) about a modern poem which paraphrases the same soliloquy. So what the hell, I'm into recycling -- here's that post again:

                               BBRNT2B? 2BORNOT 2BEE?
                               BBRNO2B? BBORNOT BEBE?
                               2BRNT2B? 2BRNTOB?
                               2BORWAT? CNTDCYD.
                               NDCISV. SLINGS. ARROWZ.
                               SEA OF TROUBLZ.
                               TODIE. PRCHNCE 2DREEEM.
                               YACKITY YACKYAK.
                               ITHINK 2MUCH. SHOULDI
                               MAYYBEE JSTDOIT?

                                                --Daniel Nussbaum,
                                                   from PL8SPK (HarperCollins, 1994)

Isn't this a great 20th century reinterpretation? Each of the poems in PL8SPK were written entirely from words and phrases contained on registered vanity plates in California. When I first read this poem 20 years ago, it seemed extraordinarily weird (if fascinating). It took me some major deciphering to be able to read it. But now in a culture of texting and even (dare I say it?) lolspeak, it looks pretty darn normal and hardly unusual. In fact, now it's easy to read! And it's still funny!