I thought it was a trick question (like “Dorian Gray” is a Benjamin Moore Paint color*, “Dorien Grey” is the character or something like that). But yes, I would have gotten that and I wasn’t even an English major.
*That would be kind of cool, though. Paint your your home a certain color and never age, so long as you were willing to live with the walls peeling, bubbling, and crackling.
I got the impression Dorian might have swung both ways; he was an opium addict and led several of his friends into the same vice, and we all know what those junkies will do for a fix, wink wink nudge nudge knowwhadimean? But at least one girl early in his career killed herself because of him, too.
I liked that, but what do I know.
Was the book published?
And he was trying to go straight (wink wink, nudge nudge) at the end, giving up the hedonist lifestyle to settle down with a good woman, but things didn’t quite work out…
Would it have been more obvious if you’d said “picture” or “portrait” or “painting” rather than “photo”?
Yeah, you can’t be that obscure if you get alluded to in The Far Side (and elsewhere).
Yes. But without that exchange.
I expected this to be a poll listing celebrities and asking who’s aged the best! I would expect any reasonably well-educated native English speaking person to have heard of Dorian Gray and his mysterious lack of aging.
You may be confusing Dorian Gray with his creator, or with one of the other characters in the book. Both the artist Basil Hallward and his friend Lord Henry express more admiration for Dorian’s looks than one might expect from heterosexual men. Dorian is involved with the actress Sibyl Vane for a good part of the book, and is interested in other women as well.
As Marlitharn says, it’s possible to read between the lines and conclude that Dorian was up for anything, but he can’t have been gay. Bisexual, maybe, but he did like the ladies.
I’ll have to go with he’s bisexual then. Like I said I didn’t read he whole book, so I didn’t know if he eventually dropped the women all together.
The first time I heard of Dorian Gray was in a Phyllis Diller comedy routine (that I heard on a record). She was talking about riding on a cheap airline (this was in the 60’s) and about how old the stewardess was:
"You’ve heard of those little crow’s feet? This broad had mastodon tracks!
She looked like she had been carried out of Shangri-La.
At least twice.
By Dorian Gray."
How many stand-up comics have two literary references in one quick comedy bit?
Roddy
Phyllis Diller never wasted a sentence. Everyone had comedic content.
It was a great performance by Hurd Hatfield in the film. And the film also illustrates how pretty Angela Lansbury was (a far cry from the old bat in Murder She Wrote).
Would you reveal the book, if possible?
I suppose this is another sign I’m growing old, because I’m honestly surprised at the notion someone would actually have to google Dorian Gray.
Incidentally, The Picture of Dorian Gray is often mistitled The Portrait of Dorian Gray. It was Oscar Wilde’s only published novel.
I have tried so hard, so many times to read that damn book. I like the idea of Dorian Gray. But, the book is just booooooring.
I feel the same way about Lord of the Rings. I tried, many times.
I read the book in high school. 47 years ago. :eek:
I don’t think Lord Henry would like me, I’m a person with principles.
Some kind of cologne, or maybe a sexual act.
Oooh, how embarrassing. I thought we were supposed to post our guess without looking at the poll options. At least I guessed the poll correctly.
Weren’t those stone tablets heavy to carry around?