8/29/11
Today in class we talked about taste cultures and why people like what they like. This caused me to do a self-evaluation of what I appreciate and why I appreciate it. Why do I hate reality shows? Why is Bob Dylan my hero? Why do I have less respect for my friends who watch Jersey Shore? Why do I enjoy listening to albums on vinyl? Why do I hate Justin Beiber? Why do I love Madmen and Arrested Development?
After some contemplation I came to the conclusion that I appreciate intellect and intelligence. I like things that take thought, creativity, intelligence, and that may require more thought and contain a deeper meaning. I enjoy listening to albums that you have to listen to a few times through in order to fully understand or appreciate. I like songs that have deeper meaning, where the lyrics can be taken out of the song onto paper and still be beautiful. I enjoy artists that write their own music, play their own instruments, and that put thought into their music. I enjoy shows that require historical knowledge. I enjoy comedy shows that require thought and knowledge in order to understand the jokes.
With this said, I hate the majority of things that are popular, because they are quite the contrary. I hate the fact that uneducated morons are paid millions of dollars to be on television while partying and flexing their muscles in their tight wife beaters. I hate Snookie. I hate the fact that the typical “hit” on the radio is usually written by someone then passed to someone else with a pretty face with no artistic ability who then claims that the song is theirs. These untalented people are then praised and go on to become millionaires. I hate reality TV and the fact that people think that it is actually real life.
I don’t hate these things because I am cynical. I hate these things because they require no deep thought and no intellectual ability. We as a society are putting our values into things that are absolutely worthless, and that disturbs me. American culture is taking a major turn for the worst simply with the things we choose to put our time, value, and money into. I think it’s a matter of lack of self-respect.
If you’re reading this, you’re most likely too smart to be sinking down to Snookie’s level. So stop. It’s that simple. Stop contributing to the downfall of our society by putting your values into trash.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Attention Seekers Within Religions
Today I was walking on campus and I heard someone shouting. At first I panicked because it sounded to me like someone was hurt, or in some sort of trouble. Upon turning around I realized it was an evangelical Christian, Bible in hand.
Before I start my rant, I think it should be understood that I truly have the utmost respect for people who stand up for what they believe in. No matter what they are standing up for, it really does take a lot to truly believe in something and to stand up publically for it. This does not even apply only to religion. Look at Rosa Parks. She believed in something firmly. It was not easy standing up for equal rights, as shown by her time and jail and constant reticule, but her name is still remembered today because she stood up for what she believed in.
I have no problem with anyone who is strong in their faith. Actually quite the contrary. People who are strong in their faith impress me a lot. It gives people a set of codes to live by, and people who practice what they preach are usually pretty predictable people, a quality we all want in a friend.
I do, however have a problem with what I saw on campus today. This man was targeting people who were walking by, calling them sinners, shouting out that they were going to go to hell. I have a problem with this on many levels.
The man is distorting and casting a dark shadow on Christianity as a whole. That is something I take very personally as a Christian. The Christian faith is the only faith that promises salvation to any and everyone that accepts Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. When you look into the scripture, salvation is the bottom line. The Christian faith accepts the fact that we all sin and that none of us are worthy. Through Christ and his endless mercy, the sinner is saved. When you think about it, it’s actually quite an uplifting message, though it’s often distorted to be about guilt and hell and not being worthy. There is no telling how many people walk by who may be on edge about the Christian faith who get completely turned off for good with this mans absurd and offensive message. If this was the first thing I had ever seen of the Christian faith, I would have been completely turned off too. It’s ludicrous.
To me, it seems like these evangelical morons are looking for self-attention, and are using Jesus and God to gain attention while simultaneously turning people off to the Christian faith who do not know any better. I personally see religion as a private matter and it is not something I talk about a lot. I instead try to live the best I can every day, attempting to be the best I can be. With that said though, I have no problem with someone who wants to stand outside and read the Bible and talk to people about their beliefs. I think things like that are healthy, and in the end makes everyone more confident of those beliefs, no matter what those beliefs are.
To me, these men are very similar to the Muslim terrorists. They are a very small minority that are totally distorting entire religions. These religions are full of great people who could not disagree more with what these extremists are doing. These extremists unfairly cast a bad shadow on the religion as a whole. There are always going to be crazies, and these crazies must be overlooked because giving them too much attention is very dangerous. These men on campus want attention or else they would not be out there. Every time I see one of these people on campus, very unholy thoughts come across my mind of what I would like to say to them, but refrain because attention is what they want.
Before I start my rant, I think it should be understood that I truly have the utmost respect for people who stand up for what they believe in. No matter what they are standing up for, it really does take a lot to truly believe in something and to stand up publically for it. This does not even apply only to religion. Look at Rosa Parks. She believed in something firmly. It was not easy standing up for equal rights, as shown by her time and jail and constant reticule, but her name is still remembered today because she stood up for what she believed in.
I have no problem with anyone who is strong in their faith. Actually quite the contrary. People who are strong in their faith impress me a lot. It gives people a set of codes to live by, and people who practice what they preach are usually pretty predictable people, a quality we all want in a friend.
I do, however have a problem with what I saw on campus today. This man was targeting people who were walking by, calling them sinners, shouting out that they were going to go to hell. I have a problem with this on many levels.
The man is distorting and casting a dark shadow on Christianity as a whole. That is something I take very personally as a Christian. The Christian faith is the only faith that promises salvation to any and everyone that accepts Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. When you look into the scripture, salvation is the bottom line. The Christian faith accepts the fact that we all sin and that none of us are worthy. Through Christ and his endless mercy, the sinner is saved. When you think about it, it’s actually quite an uplifting message, though it’s often distorted to be about guilt and hell and not being worthy. There is no telling how many people walk by who may be on edge about the Christian faith who get completely turned off for good with this mans absurd and offensive message. If this was the first thing I had ever seen of the Christian faith, I would have been completely turned off too. It’s ludicrous.
To me, it seems like these evangelical morons are looking for self-attention, and are using Jesus and God to gain attention while simultaneously turning people off to the Christian faith who do not know any better. I personally see religion as a private matter and it is not something I talk about a lot. I instead try to live the best I can every day, attempting to be the best I can be. With that said though, I have no problem with someone who wants to stand outside and read the Bible and talk to people about their beliefs. I think things like that are healthy, and in the end makes everyone more confident of those beliefs, no matter what those beliefs are.
To me, these men are very similar to the Muslim terrorists. They are a very small minority that are totally distorting entire religions. These religions are full of great people who could not disagree more with what these extremists are doing. These extremists unfairly cast a bad shadow on the religion as a whole. There are always going to be crazies, and these crazies must be overlooked because giving them too much attention is very dangerous. These men on campus want attention or else they would not be out there. Every time I see one of these people on campus, very unholy thoughts come across my mind of what I would like to say to them, but refrain because attention is what they want.
The Beauty of NOT Being Main-Stream
I think there is a lot of beauty in something that is great, but that does not become “main-stream.” I know it’s very cliché to say, “I’m not into main-stream music dude.” I would be one of these cliché people but if it helps I will provide some explanation.
Quite simply, the majority of mainstream music is horrendous because the majority of people want music that is catchy, talentless, and meaningless. Americans want a song they can listen to once and that they immediately enjoy. The majority of radio hits aren’t lyrically deep, they’re simply catchy.
Because of the “typical” radio tunes, I enjoy listening to music that is not as well-known and accepted by the masses, but that is rich in lyrical and musical content. This is not to say that either you are popular and untalented, or talented and underground. There are many that cross over into both or neither genre, but in general this is usually the way things go.
There is beauty in meaningful art that is not main-stream. There are many artists who make profound work up until a certain point in which main-stream America wraps their screaming teenage hands around the artist’s throat and literally force them to produce shit. It is hard for artists to become popular without becoming “too” popular. It’s hard to make catchy songs without making them “too” catchy or “poppy.” It is hard to sell out large venues without having at least 20% of the crowd being drunk and inconsiderate jackasses who care nothing about the band they just bought tickets to see.
The bottom line is that it is easy to “sell out” and become popular when you are talented. In actuality, it is very hard not to. The Avett Brothers are still making profound music, but upon signing to a major record label, have become much more popular and my experiences at their more recent shows have been extremely different than the first times I saw them live. The first time I saw them was in 2008 at a small bar called The Soul Kitchen in Mobile, AL. There were probably 30-40 people there and it was one of the best concerts I have seen. The crowd was intimate and the sound quality was great. I just saw them at Tuscaloosa’s new Amphitheatre and the experience was quite different. From trying to fend drunk guys off my girlfriend, to trying to understand the lyrics from so far away, to trying to shush people during the quiet songs, I lost my interest in seeing the Avett Brothers live (this being my 10th show).
I don’t think the Avett Brothers said, let’s sign with Columbia and sell out. I think they’re a talented band who makes great music that appeals both to music lovers and casual fans. When you reach popularity on this level, you’re going to have to start catering to a different crowd with bigger venues and sometimes different style music.
I respect bands that can reach massive appeal without losing the aspects of what they started with. Wilco is a band that has done a fabulous job with this. They have been around for over 15 years and are still playing very similar style shows to when they started. Their fan base has definitely grown (with their own record label and music festival) but they have managed to keep the level of “douche-bag-ness to a minimum, which is something I completely respect because it is very hard to do.
Quite simply, the majority of mainstream music is horrendous because the majority of people want music that is catchy, talentless, and meaningless. Americans want a song they can listen to once and that they immediately enjoy. The majority of radio hits aren’t lyrically deep, they’re simply catchy.
Because of the “typical” radio tunes, I enjoy listening to music that is not as well-known and accepted by the masses, but that is rich in lyrical and musical content. This is not to say that either you are popular and untalented, or talented and underground. There are many that cross over into both or neither genre, but in general this is usually the way things go.
There is beauty in meaningful art that is not main-stream. There are many artists who make profound work up until a certain point in which main-stream America wraps their screaming teenage hands around the artist’s throat and literally force them to produce shit. It is hard for artists to become popular without becoming “too” popular. It’s hard to make catchy songs without making them “too” catchy or “poppy.” It is hard to sell out large venues without having at least 20% of the crowd being drunk and inconsiderate jackasses who care nothing about the band they just bought tickets to see.
The bottom line is that it is easy to “sell out” and become popular when you are talented. In actuality, it is very hard not to. The Avett Brothers are still making profound music, but upon signing to a major record label, have become much more popular and my experiences at their more recent shows have been extremely different than the first times I saw them live. The first time I saw them was in 2008 at a small bar called The Soul Kitchen in Mobile, AL. There were probably 30-40 people there and it was one of the best concerts I have seen. The crowd was intimate and the sound quality was great. I just saw them at Tuscaloosa’s new Amphitheatre and the experience was quite different. From trying to fend drunk guys off my girlfriend, to trying to understand the lyrics from so far away, to trying to shush people during the quiet songs, I lost my interest in seeing the Avett Brothers live (this being my 10th show).
I don’t think the Avett Brothers said, let’s sign with Columbia and sell out. I think they’re a talented band who makes great music that appeals both to music lovers and casual fans. When you reach popularity on this level, you’re going to have to start catering to a different crowd with bigger venues and sometimes different style music.
I respect bands that can reach massive appeal without losing the aspects of what they started with. Wilco is a band that has done a fabulous job with this. They have been around for over 15 years and are still playing very similar style shows to when they started. Their fan base has definitely grown (with their own record label and music festival) but they have managed to keep the level of “douche-bag-ness to a minimum, which is something I completely respect because it is very hard to do.
Sinking to Snookie's Level
“I hate that I watch this show, but it’s so addictive.” That is the comment that my roommate made this morning when he turned on the show Jersey Shore. It is a known fact within my household that I despise the majority of popular television, and I guess he felt the need to attempt to justify as to why he would turn this atrocious show on.
I looked deeper into this issue and began to focus on why he would even feel the need to justify watching one of the most popular shows on TV. After all, everyone has their own tastes, and those tastes cannot always match up. I came to the resolution that my roommate is a smart guy and he feels the need to justify it because he knows that it is complete shit. I would even go a step further, and argue that even though millions of Americans watch this show, they too realize that it is complete shit, and contributing to the downfall of American culture. Look at what we glorify.
America is putting value on trash, and is consciously doing so. If more smart people (like my roommate and many others) would put themselves above the trash that is displayed on MTV and stop watching it, television would be forced to cater to people on a more educated and productive level. Instead, we have college kids who lower themselves to the level of Snookie and whoever else is on this sorry excuse for a show.
It truly depresses me that my generation will be remembered for things like Jersey Shore, and music artists like Ke$sha. This is coming from a total lack of self-respect. People are lowering themselves to watch and listen to complete garbage when they are capable of comprehending and processing so much more. If more people actually thought about what they were taking in I think that it would force television to put better things on TV.
It is important to know that I am not coming at this from a moral point of view. I could not care less what language is used or what body parts are depicted. I simply think that we are putting so much value as a society on completely uneducated morons and idiots. There is a show on MTV that glorifies people that are “16 and pregnant.” What the hell people? This means we have 15 year olds watching this show saying to themselves, “If I get pregnant, I may be able to be on this show!” HOW IS THIS HELPING US AS A SOCIETY? Hint: It’s not!
Excuse me for ranting, but the 60s got the Beatles, and I’m left with Snookie! And if you’re naïve enough to think that I believe Snookie will have any lasting effect on anyone’s mind after a year or two, you need to keep reading this journal because you have a lot to learn.
I looked deeper into this issue and began to focus on why he would even feel the need to justify watching one of the most popular shows on TV. After all, everyone has their own tastes, and those tastes cannot always match up. I came to the resolution that my roommate is a smart guy and he feels the need to justify it because he knows that it is complete shit. I would even go a step further, and argue that even though millions of Americans watch this show, they too realize that it is complete shit, and contributing to the downfall of American culture. Look at what we glorify.
America is putting value on trash, and is consciously doing so. If more smart people (like my roommate and many others) would put themselves above the trash that is displayed on MTV and stop watching it, television would be forced to cater to people on a more educated and productive level. Instead, we have college kids who lower themselves to the level of Snookie and whoever else is on this sorry excuse for a show.
It truly depresses me that my generation will be remembered for things like Jersey Shore, and music artists like Ke$sha. This is coming from a total lack of self-respect. People are lowering themselves to watch and listen to complete garbage when they are capable of comprehending and processing so much more. If more people actually thought about what they were taking in I think that it would force television to put better things on TV.
It is important to know that I am not coming at this from a moral point of view. I could not care less what language is used or what body parts are depicted. I simply think that we are putting so much value as a society on completely uneducated morons and idiots. There is a show on MTV that glorifies people that are “16 and pregnant.” What the hell people? This means we have 15 year olds watching this show saying to themselves, “If I get pregnant, I may be able to be on this show!” HOW IS THIS HELPING US AS A SOCIETY? Hint: It’s not!
Excuse me for ranting, but the 60s got the Beatles, and I’m left with Snookie! And if you’re naïve enough to think that I believe Snookie will have any lasting effect on anyone’s mind after a year or two, you need to keep reading this journal because you have a lot to learn.
Technology and Human Interaction
Today in class we entered into a discussion about media, and specifically how relevant it is to our culture today. We also went into discussion about how it can be applied to and intertwined with religion. It really got me thinking a lot about the extent to which technology in general interferes with human interaction.
In class I shared a story about how when the TV was removed from the main room in my apartment, it increased human interaction and my roommates and I talked drastically more. This lack of technological interference created a whole new type of interaction.
Today it is so easy to zone out. Zoning out takes no effort and takes no thought. You simply pull out your phone and are able to zone out for as long as you want for as long as you want. I got on the transit after class today and was paying a lot more attention to how much technological devices actually steal human interaction away from people. I was on a full transit back to Creekside, a few people were even forced to stand because of lack of seats. I decided to take out my earphones and observe what I saw and heard.
As far as what I saw … phones. Lots of phones. People on their phones, people listening to music, people texting, tweeting, playing games, and everything you can think of. As far as talking, there was one guy talking to the girl next to him and by the end of the bus ride he actually got her phone number, no joke. That in itself goes to show how when technology is put away for a while, how much can be accomplished in its place.
I love my iPhone, iPod, and Apple computer as much as anyone does, but I do think that people today are becoming a little overly excessive with the amount of time that they use them, and the amount of time they take from interacting with others.
I spent a semester in Spain and it was the best semester of my life. This is mainly because no one over there had phones so people were forced to get to know one another, instead of constantly being in touch with those we left behind at home. Here people were forced out of their comfort zone. Friends were no longer a text away. People had to talk, interact, and learn about each other. There were no cell phone games to be played to kill the awkward silence between you and whoever was on the bus beside you. Instead, you asked their name and made friends.
I now live with a friend I met in Spain, and I would make the argument that if either of us had had our cell phones with us on that trip, there is a good chance I would be living with someone completely different. Just something to think about. Put down your device and talk to someone. It will get you somewhere.
In class I shared a story about how when the TV was removed from the main room in my apartment, it increased human interaction and my roommates and I talked drastically more. This lack of technological interference created a whole new type of interaction.
Today it is so easy to zone out. Zoning out takes no effort and takes no thought. You simply pull out your phone and are able to zone out for as long as you want for as long as you want. I got on the transit after class today and was paying a lot more attention to how much technological devices actually steal human interaction away from people. I was on a full transit back to Creekside, a few people were even forced to stand because of lack of seats. I decided to take out my earphones and observe what I saw and heard.
As far as what I saw … phones. Lots of phones. People on their phones, people listening to music, people texting, tweeting, playing games, and everything you can think of. As far as talking, there was one guy talking to the girl next to him and by the end of the bus ride he actually got her phone number, no joke. That in itself goes to show how when technology is put away for a while, how much can be accomplished in its place.
I love my iPhone, iPod, and Apple computer as much as anyone does, but I do think that people today are becoming a little overly excessive with the amount of time that they use them, and the amount of time they take from interacting with others.
I spent a semester in Spain and it was the best semester of my life. This is mainly because no one over there had phones so people were forced to get to know one another, instead of constantly being in touch with those we left behind at home. Here people were forced out of their comfort zone. Friends were no longer a text away. People had to talk, interact, and learn about each other. There were no cell phone games to be played to kill the awkward silence between you and whoever was on the bus beside you. Instead, you asked their name and made friends.
I now live with a friend I met in Spain, and I would make the argument that if either of us had had our cell phones with us on that trip, there is a good chance I would be living with someone completely different. Just something to think about. Put down your device and talk to someone. It will get you somewhere.
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