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Lil, and added that Murray's view could be applied to the law; in fact
his
trip to Washington had shown that the sociological carry-over into
law had in effect reduced the moral difficulties of law immeasurably.
Murray said that he didn't think of sex as sociological. "Sociology is
what happens after the behaviorists get finished. Understanding hu–
man actions, especially group action,
is
the psychologists' business.
The sociologist puts down in his notebook the kind of hors d'oeuvres
served in a group. For the sociologist the great question is: are we or
are we not a stuffed mushroom group?"
Then Murray introduced a game called "Psychology." "Someone
goes out of the room," he explained, "one of the group is 'it,' and the
person excluded is called back and must identify the one chosen by a
series of associational questions. For example, you might ask:
'If
this
person was a fruit, what kind would he be, or if he was on a desert
island, what five books would he take.' The same question is asked
of all, so there are conflicting answers. Through the pattern of re–
sponses the person who is
'it'
can be guessed."
Everything went along all right until Lil went out. She asked:
"If
this person was a movie actor who would he be?" Merle was
"it." Merle is a kind of relaxed kid, Crosbyish, who surprises oc–
casionally with sharp Spencer Tracy-like perceptions. Everybody gave
Lil
a tough time, saying things like Mickey Rooney, Donald O 'Connor,
Jack Lemmon, when Lil came out with a crazy remark: "One of you
must be Wendell Corey."
That stopped the show. Murray guffawed. "You mean all of us
must be Wendell Corey. How is that for a group label?"
Tibby asked in her bright, flat upstate accent, "Who is Wendell
Corey?"
"I
was 'it,''' said Merle, "and
I
see myself as Gerard Philipe.
Wendell Corey never made love to anybody. Always that sour, pinched
tace, like he's getting ready to take a crap any minute."
"Maybe that's how Lil sees the world," Murray said, "constipated
non-lovers." Murray thought that was funny, but Lisa gave
him
a
stony look.
Lil said, "Actually I don't know why it came to me, but I hear
he's a big fairy."
"I saw Jimmy Stewart in Washington," Larry said, "with some
finky right-wing group. You know, the Hollywood hero acting out the
role of patriot.
It
made me sick."
