Selected Rumors

This is not the place to explain what situationism is all about. It is enough, for now, to know that it is a movement in contemporary thought, in much the same way as surrealism, dadaism, existentialism, etc.

— Pierre Puttemans, La Gauche (12-10-62)

This movement, dedicated to revolutionizing our era, was born in 1959 in a cellar in Schwabing. ... Their “ideas” (?) have crossed borders to find disciples, and situationist groups are soon to be created in Paris, Zurich, Brussels and Tel Aviv.

— M. Sch., Germinal (3-6-62)

Their principal activity is an extreme mental derangement that soars like a rocket. ... In the maximum number of languages the Situationist International sends letters from foreign countries filled with the most filthy expressions. In our opinion the Munich court gave them too much credit in condemning them to fines and imprisonment.

— Vernissage #9-10 (May-June 1962)

In foreign lands, (Debord) is still hawking his wares like Bernard Buffet ...

— Cahiers du Lettrisme #1 (December 1962)

With the same intransigence, Trocchi suicides his own talent ... No doubt there are all sorts of hallucinations and fits of passion on this Raft of Medusa to which every son of Cain clings; but if humanism can survive amid the vacuum-packed barbarity this will probably be thanks to them... there is something pathetic and almost respectable about the clumsy but authentic effort of young American writers to stand by surrealism in spite of it all.

— Jacques Cabau, L’Express (7-6-62)

These quotes, nominated for the Oscar for Fantastic Confusionism, which the SI will get around to presenting one of these days, are drawn from contexts that don’t even approach intentional humor.