In a stroke of good fortune, a good number of my favorite bands have put out new albums in the past few weeks. This is a remarkable circumstance given the fact that I tend towards overproduced, melodramatic, progressive/virtuoso music, and the bands that produce this type can't be bothered to put out new material until they've finished patting themselves on the back for their previous releases. As a result, my favorite bands put out albums only once every 2-3 years or so. This year has simply witnessed a convergence of these intervals.
As human beings we naturally define ourselves in large part by the things we like - hence why we love to do things like compare favorite movies or place certain books in prominent positions on our shelves. For me, this means of self-actualization comes through music. The right musical performance can make you sense the world in a way that nothing else can. Perhaps because we live in a world of chronic desensitization, this experience has become even more of a premium.
I often notice that the best indicator for whether I will get along with someone is how closely our musical tastes align. I believe this to be the case for me especially because I listen to some pretty obscure bands, and quite frankly there aren't many people in this country who share my musical preferences. Unfortunately, this means I'm caught in the awkward position of trying to find like-minded fans - and by extension, new friends - while seeking to avoid sounding like an arrogant snob.
Similarly, my open disdain for today's Top 40 hits precedes me. I have always found it astounding that so many people accept what is presented to them as the best of all possible options. I am equally surprised to see how unwilling they are to listen to something different. After all, I listen to their music nearly every day of my life: in stores and restaurants, in bars and clubs, in movies and on television, from cars racing down the street and from ringtones. And you know what? It sounds terrible every time. I hope those people realize that doing the same thing over and over won't change the outcome. That, as Einstein said, is the true definition of insanity.
All of this returns to my main point, namely, that I treasure music so much that it sometimes selects my friends for me; conversely, the music I don't like serves to exclude others from that category. Ironically, while the overall poor quality of today's music makes finding similar souls much more difficult, it acts to strengthen ties by uniting those of us who despise it.
Of course, I also realize that, for the most part, the people who listen to whatever MTV is currently selling aren't really music fans at all. They're fans of trends and pop culture, which is a simillarly undesirable category but one that at least doesn't incriminate music. For these people, being seen doing things that they feel they ought to be doing is their primary mode of expression and social interaction. Such music, though intrinsically devoid of any redeemable characteristics, provides the perfect avenue for people with obsequious personalities and no opinions to associate with others of their ilk and to gain the psychosocial comfort this arrangement offers. This setup also provides society an overall benefit by keeping them away from those of us who actually decide our preferences.
I don't believe that they feel today's pop music is truly good music - that conviction would require lowering my expectations of humanity beyond which I'm prepared to do. Instead, I'm reminded of the classic Candid Camera episode where actors were stationed in an elevator, all of them facing away from the door. In this bit, a test subject would enter the elevator, notice that everyone was facing the wrong way, and in every instance would eventually turn around to the face the same direction as them. This scenario is the only explanation I have for why the billboard charts are dominated by "musicians" who can't sing, write music, or play instruments. The fact that no one seems to mind is the true mystery.
As you can probably tell, I've upset a lot of people - including myself - by arguing over music. But when something is that important to you, you stand to lose so much more by putting up no fight at all.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
The Valiant
I remember reading a recent study which suggested what types of movies are the most effective at making people cry. It noted a clear distinction between those films which caused women to tear up and those which prompted men to do the same. For women, the movies tended to be what you might expect: romantic tails of love gained, love lost, and lost regained. Think Nicholas Sparks adaptations.
For men, the culprits were, perhaps unsurprisingly, quite different in nature. The study found that men became most emotional over films involving the bonds shared by men in times of crisis. Movies about war were especially potent in this regard.
As a longtime fan of this type of movie, I must admit that I agree with this finding. One of my favorite genres of film is war, and one of my favorite war films is Saving Private Ryan. In the spirit of July 4, I decided to rewatch this classic and couldn't help but feel moved by the strength and resolve of the characters. With both of my grandfathers having contributed to the war effort in their respective ways, these movies have become that much more personal for me.
War is unique in that it requires one to put absolutely everything at stake for what is most important to one's country. As I watched Spielbergh's frighteningly realistic (by all accounts) depiction of D-Day, I understood at once the sacrifices that were made by those brave few for the rest of us. After the movie, though, I couldn't help but feel like we are letting those men down.
When I gaze out on the cultural landscape of this country and compare that to what was given up in return for it, it's hard not to feel disappointed in all of us. A casual sampling of the radio or television or magazine rack confirms this fear. Was it worth it for this? A world where we bury the lead on scientific advancement in favor of a celebrity police blotter? A billboard chart where the most mundane and simplistic tunes preside over progressive and intricate and ones? A box office where the same recycled tripe reigns over experimental film? A politcal arena where the adulatory candidates prevail over the resolute? For this we exchanged our best and brightest?
Critics will insist that we have fought (and are fighting) for the ability to make these choices and not the choices themselves. This is an equally discouraging proposal. It means that we have sacrificed the most valuable things for the right to the least valuable ones. As clips of yet more war-bound troops flash on the television and bystanders thank them and wish them luck, do those people think to themselves, "if it wasn't for these brave young men and women, I'd never have my People subscription"?
Of course, I'm making many assumptions about value here. That, after all, is what people do - especially opinionated bloggers. And it's true that we all have our guilty pleasures, myself included. But I hope to distinguish those exceptions from what appears to be an alarming cultural trend. For the first time in our history, our society seems to have made a conscious choice of the lowest common denominator. There has always been, in every society, an "idiot subculture," an undercurrent of imbecility darting through the various layers of our social fabric. Now, however, this undercurrent has somehow erupted to the surface and smothered virtually everything, from entertainment to politics to the little things we do every day. Out of all the people in all the history of the world, you and I have the most choices. The paradox of pairing this feat with the present results is nothing less than astounding.
For my own part, I have tried to make what I feel are the right choices - those that I feel I can both enjoy and justify. I try to do things to improve myself, to make myself smarter and stronger and overall a better person. I try to associate with people and things that have earned some sort of permanency and won't be soon forgotten. And, this column notwithstanding, I have attempted to do this while withholding judgment of those who have succumbed to the subculture. Sometimes I succeed in all of this. Sometimes I don't. But after watching a movie like Saving Private Ryan, I know that I have to try.
On this Fourth of July holiday, I hope that you consider, even for a moment, all that's been given, all that's been lost, and all that's left to do.
For men, the culprits were, perhaps unsurprisingly, quite different in nature. The study found that men became most emotional over films involving the bonds shared by men in times of crisis. Movies about war were especially potent in this regard.
As a longtime fan of this type of movie, I must admit that I agree with this finding. One of my favorite genres of film is war, and one of my favorite war films is Saving Private Ryan. In the spirit of July 4, I decided to rewatch this classic and couldn't help but feel moved by the strength and resolve of the characters. With both of my grandfathers having contributed to the war effort in their respective ways, these movies have become that much more personal for me.
War is unique in that it requires one to put absolutely everything at stake for what is most important to one's country. As I watched Spielbergh's frighteningly realistic (by all accounts) depiction of D-Day, I understood at once the sacrifices that were made by those brave few for the rest of us. After the movie, though, I couldn't help but feel like we are letting those men down.
When I gaze out on the cultural landscape of this country and compare that to what was given up in return for it, it's hard not to feel disappointed in all of us. A casual sampling of the radio or television or magazine rack confirms this fear. Was it worth it for this? A world where we bury the lead on scientific advancement in favor of a celebrity police blotter? A billboard chart where the most mundane and simplistic tunes preside over progressive and intricate and ones? A box office where the same recycled tripe reigns over experimental film? A politcal arena where the adulatory candidates prevail over the resolute? For this we exchanged our best and brightest?
Critics will insist that we have fought (and are fighting) for the ability to make these choices and not the choices themselves. This is an equally discouraging proposal. It means that we have sacrificed the most valuable things for the right to the least valuable ones. As clips of yet more war-bound troops flash on the television and bystanders thank them and wish them luck, do those people think to themselves, "if it wasn't for these brave young men and women, I'd never have my People subscription"?
Of course, I'm making many assumptions about value here. That, after all, is what people do - especially opinionated bloggers. And it's true that we all have our guilty pleasures, myself included. But I hope to distinguish those exceptions from what appears to be an alarming cultural trend. For the first time in our history, our society seems to have made a conscious choice of the lowest common denominator. There has always been, in every society, an "idiot subculture," an undercurrent of imbecility darting through the various layers of our social fabric. Now, however, this undercurrent has somehow erupted to the surface and smothered virtually everything, from entertainment to politics to the little things we do every day. Out of all the people in all the history of the world, you and I have the most choices. The paradox of pairing this feat with the present results is nothing less than astounding.
For my own part, I have tried to make what I feel are the right choices - those that I feel I can both enjoy and justify. I try to do things to improve myself, to make myself smarter and stronger and overall a better person. I try to associate with people and things that have earned some sort of permanency and won't be soon forgotten. And, this column notwithstanding, I have attempted to do this while withholding judgment of those who have succumbed to the subculture. Sometimes I succeed in all of this. Sometimes I don't. But after watching a movie like Saving Private Ryan, I know that I have to try.
On this Fourth of July holiday, I hope that you consider, even for a moment, all that's been given, all that's been lost, and all that's left to do.
The Journey
It's often said that all great journeys begin with one step. Rarely mentioned, however, is the fact that that one step may be in any direction. Most of us begin by stepping forward, but sometimes it becomes more productive to move in another direction. Taking a lateral step allows us to view our path from a different perspective, and this can make all the difference as to how we proceed. Even stepping backwards has its advantages, for the best way to know where we'll end up is to sense where we've been. This choice is especially valuable for those who have neglected to fully prepare for the journey.
In the end, no one will remember how many steps you've taken. Instead, the success of any journey may be judged by three important qualities. The first of these characteristics is your destination. It is not so important to end up where you planned as it is to end up where you feel most comfortable. Second, your condition at arrival is also significant. The best destination is no better than an average one if you are in no capacity to enjoy its benefits.
The third quality, however, is by far the most important. Neither your desination nor your condition will be as important as the things you've brought with you. For some journies this will include only experience and memory... but these "trifles" are the only things of which we can never be divested. And for those friends, family, lovers, pets, and other acquaintances we've invited along, we do so with the understanding that, for the truest of them, what matters is not where we are but where they are. In this way, we are defined by what we retain and by what we release.
*********************
While it is tempting in my first post to summarize my identity and life story here for you, I find that it is more rewarding for the reader - if he is so inclined - to piece together this information for himself. I have no illusions about this column other than I hope that the reader will obtain some level of enjoyment out of it. By the same token, I see no reason to limit myself to any particular topic considering I have no idea where this project will take me. All the same, I'll try to keep things interesting for you.
In the meantime, I hope that this journal of a journey takes you wherever you want to go.
In the end, no one will remember how many steps you've taken. Instead, the success of any journey may be judged by three important qualities. The first of these characteristics is your destination. It is not so important to end up where you planned as it is to end up where you feel most comfortable. Second, your condition at arrival is also significant. The best destination is no better than an average one if you are in no capacity to enjoy its benefits.
The third quality, however, is by far the most important. Neither your desination nor your condition will be as important as the things you've brought with you. For some journies this will include only experience and memory... but these "trifles" are the only things of which we can never be divested. And for those friends, family, lovers, pets, and other acquaintances we've invited along, we do so with the understanding that, for the truest of them, what matters is not where we are but where they are. In this way, we are defined by what we retain and by what we release.
*********************
While it is tempting in my first post to summarize my identity and life story here for you, I find that it is more rewarding for the reader - if he is so inclined - to piece together this information for himself. I have no illusions about this column other than I hope that the reader will obtain some level of enjoyment out of it. By the same token, I see no reason to limit myself to any particular topic considering I have no idea where this project will take me. All the same, I'll try to keep things interesting for you.
In the meantime, I hope that this journal of a journey takes you wherever you want to go.
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