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My soapbox issue of the year 2002-02-17 - 4:15 a.m. 
There's something fuckably wonderful about degeneration. Talk shows, 'Survivor' offshoots, the news, a brand new war against 'evil' spearheaded by our arisen Presidential Christ. Most folks would say it's the "kill 'em, fuck 'em and eat 'em" mentality. The preacher man says the end of the world is here. We're just falling further and further, enjoying life breathed through the diaper of an infant.This isn't what I see. If you look at it all on the surface, sure, alot of it can be sickening. But looking deeper to why people want...no, need these type of messages, it gives me a sense of hope, optimism almost. I'm not being sarcastic or evil; hear me out. I think tragedy and loss remind people of what they have, not how much better off they are than someone else. I think sitcoms are popular because the extreme and fantastic are put on display and squashed or criticized. Hell, I even think that jokes and comic strips are by far more popular than riddles or games because it taps into a need to define bullshit and proper behavior. Everything that people say is degenerate filth reinforces our values system. Watch any show about torture, infidelity, murder, incest, black magic, cannabalism or CNN's year long documentary on sexual misconduct and sperm. You see deviancy being sized up, blown out of proportion, pointed out, detailed and dealt with accordingly. The Moral Right is full of shit; sociologists are full of shit; every country that points to America and calls it some form of Satan is full of shit. Our 'degenerate filth' keeps us (I can only speak for America) in tune with what we should, ought, and have to do in our society as moral beings. We laugh because, frankly, we enjoy what isn't right all the while holding on to what truly is. No this isn't a plea for thinking more, or differently, or even at all. My opinion isn't informed or even well-argued. I just want people to see that maybe we're a hell of alot better off than we are BECAUSE we laugh and pay attention to horror and tragedy. Fuck, look at September 11th. The Jingoism is like a circle jerk gone mad, with countries left and right joining around the USA and the tortilla it threw down onto the floor. So, when you see someone being shot on television or another Friend's episode involving some quirky twist on mating and children, think about what they blow out of proportion and/or joke about. We're outraged or entertained because we care, not because we're beasts. Hey, it's effective, isn't it? |
