2006 RIP
So this is the time of year when all sorts of media outlets start their year end lists. Time magazine tells me that I'm the Person of the Year (as long as I have a computer that is) because of my power to blog about my meaningless opinions or put videos of teenagers falling down on YouTube. It's a glorious world we live in. Time may have as well have named us all Person of the Year for having opposable thumbs.
I'm not much into year end reflections, though. My music taste is stuck in some timeless vacuum, and my haircut and fashion sense are usually best appreciated if you pretend I live in a group home somewhere. So current trends in pop culture don't interest me much. But since it's a reflective time of year I find myself drawn to humanity as a whole and how far we've come in this our 7th year of the new millennium. And I don't know what this says about me, but I'm usually fascinated by the progress we HAVEN'T made. For example:
I've said this before, but do you know when "The Jetsons" was supposed to take place? 2002! Yes, 2002! Where are our flying cars? WTF? We're such failures. And I'm obsessed with the fact that we still use toilet paper. This is the best idea we've come up with in 2006? Really? (and don't tell me about bidets. Bidets are only used by French people, so they don't count.)
I'm amazed that we're still debating evolution. I'm amazed that we're still debating the nature of homosexuality. And I'm amazed that I've been forced to say Howie Mandel's name in 2006. That guy was annoying in 1986! Who dug him up?
I'm interested in our collective relationship with authority. Iraq and Katrina may be minor bumps, but we still look to people in authority for answers on everything. I find this especially true in male cultures-or at least cultures that have been traditionally male-the military, sports, government, the church, ect. We're always looking for father figures. Authority is not to be questioned in any of those areas be it the captain, the coach, or the priest (who is called "father", by the way). Patriarchy rules. Listen to any male country singer and he'll tell you some homespun nugget that his "daddy" told him like he was reciting gospel. Imagine a grown man talking about his "daddy"! What is that shit?
How did this start? I realize that back when we all lived in caves some people were able to gather more meat than others and maybe got a bigger cave for himself. But how did we go from that to the divine right of kings? How did we go from one person having a bit more wealth and property to "I get to fuck your wife if I want to and if you don't like it I burn down your shitty little piece of land."
Laugh if you want, but we're still doing the same thing. Look at CEOs making 500 times the money as his employees. Look at our corporate-owned government, which has been selling off our health care, environment and futures to the highest bidder. And we still, STILL look to these people for answers. "What is the Democrats plan for Iraq?" "Who has the best health care plan?" Are you kidding? We get what's left over. We get what they want to give us. No matter who is in charge. The people who REALLY want to change things are marginalized-or killed-LONG before they get to a place where they can really make a difference.
It's no different from "I'm the King. I get to fuck your wife or I burn down your hut"
Speaking of authority, let's talk about the ultimate authority-God. I think our relationship, and concept, of God is ridiculous. We laugh at "primitive" people and their idea of God (or gods). We laugh that they think that God makes it rain, or thunder. But our own beliefs are barely a step away from that. If you break it down we still think in an old man who lives in the sky who listens to our prayers the way a father might listen to his kid asking for more allowance. And Father always knows best. So whatever the result, it was "God's will." We rationalize when these prayers are not answered. We still believe in a god that lives just outside of our visual universe who interferes with human affairs when he feels fit. Now I'm a believer, but I also use my brain in my contemplation of God and I can't imagine how this idea of god seems viable. If God were able to intervene with human affairs why wouldn't He prevent the slaughter in Darfur? Or get some people out of New Orleans before Katrina?
People are still looking for a father figure in God. People are looking for answers, for a way out, for help, for a miracle. They're looking for God to step in and set things straight. Well God hasn't stepped in ever-except for some stories that are over 2000 years old. I'm not talking about faith. I'm not knocking faith. I AM a person of faith. What I think is upsetting is the hope that we're all gonna be bailed out and saved from whatever our affliction is. It's not gonna happen. I believe in God, but the God I believe in is a grace and a love that we aspire to. I call myself a Christian because I believe that Jesus Christ embodied that grace and love. But I don't believe in a God that's gonna step in to lend a hand. All we have is each other, folks. We've got to learn to deal with one another. God is staying out of it.
I know. People say don't talk about politics or religion, and what have I done? It's just been on my mind, I guess.
Happy 2007, everyone. Question everything. Always.
So this is the time of year when all sorts of media outlets start their year end lists. Time magazine tells me that I'm the Person of the Year (as long as I have a computer that is) because of my power to blog about my meaningless opinions or put videos of teenagers falling down on YouTube. It's a glorious world we live in. Time may have as well have named us all Person of the Year for having opposable thumbs.
I'm not much into year end reflections, though. My music taste is stuck in some timeless vacuum, and my haircut and fashion sense are usually best appreciated if you pretend I live in a group home somewhere. So current trends in pop culture don't interest me much. But since it's a reflective time of year I find myself drawn to humanity as a whole and how far we've come in this our 7th year of the new millennium. And I don't know what this says about me, but I'm usually fascinated by the progress we HAVEN'T made. For example:
I've said this before, but do you know when "The Jetsons" was supposed to take place? 2002! Yes, 2002! Where are our flying cars? WTF? We're such failures. And I'm obsessed with the fact that we still use toilet paper. This is the best idea we've come up with in 2006? Really? (and don't tell me about bidets. Bidets are only used by French people, so they don't count.)
I'm amazed that we're still debating evolution. I'm amazed that we're still debating the nature of homosexuality. And I'm amazed that I've been forced to say Howie Mandel's name in 2006. That guy was annoying in 1986! Who dug him up?
I'm interested in our collective relationship with authority. Iraq and Katrina may be minor bumps, but we still look to people in authority for answers on everything. I find this especially true in male cultures-or at least cultures that have been traditionally male-the military, sports, government, the church, ect. We're always looking for father figures. Authority is not to be questioned in any of those areas be it the captain, the coach, or the priest (who is called "father", by the way). Patriarchy rules. Listen to any male country singer and he'll tell you some homespun nugget that his "daddy" told him like he was reciting gospel. Imagine a grown man talking about his "daddy"! What is that shit?
How did this start? I realize that back when we all lived in caves some people were able to gather more meat than others and maybe got a bigger cave for himself. But how did we go from that to the divine right of kings? How did we go from one person having a bit more wealth and property to "I get to fuck your wife if I want to and if you don't like it I burn down your shitty little piece of land."
Laugh if you want, but we're still doing the same thing. Look at CEOs making 500 times the money as his employees. Look at our corporate-owned government, which has been selling off our health care, environment and futures to the highest bidder. And we still, STILL look to these people for answers. "What is the Democrats plan for Iraq?" "Who has the best health care plan?" Are you kidding? We get what's left over. We get what they want to give us. No matter who is in charge. The people who REALLY want to change things are marginalized-or killed-LONG before they get to a place where they can really make a difference.
It's no different from "I'm the King. I get to fuck your wife or I burn down your hut"
Speaking of authority, let's talk about the ultimate authority-God. I think our relationship, and concept, of God is ridiculous. We laugh at "primitive" people and their idea of God (or gods). We laugh that they think that God makes it rain, or thunder. But our own beliefs are barely a step away from that. If you break it down we still think in an old man who lives in the sky who listens to our prayers the way a father might listen to his kid asking for more allowance. And Father always knows best. So whatever the result, it was "God's will." We rationalize when these prayers are not answered. We still believe in a god that lives just outside of our visual universe who interferes with human affairs when he feels fit. Now I'm a believer, but I also use my brain in my contemplation of God and I can't imagine how this idea of god seems viable. If God were able to intervene with human affairs why wouldn't He prevent the slaughter in Darfur? Or get some people out of New Orleans before Katrina?
People are still looking for a father figure in God. People are looking for answers, for a way out, for help, for a miracle. They're looking for God to step in and set things straight. Well God hasn't stepped in ever-except for some stories that are over 2000 years old. I'm not talking about faith. I'm not knocking faith. I AM a person of faith. What I think is upsetting is the hope that we're all gonna be bailed out and saved from whatever our affliction is. It's not gonna happen. I believe in God, but the God I believe in is a grace and a love that we aspire to. I call myself a Christian because I believe that Jesus Christ embodied that grace and love. But I don't believe in a God that's gonna step in to lend a hand. All we have is each other, folks. We've got to learn to deal with one another. God is staying out of it.
I know. People say don't talk about politics or religion, and what have I done? It's just been on my mind, I guess.
Happy 2007, everyone. Question everything. Always.
VIEW 22 of 22 COMMENTS
i'm glad you liked it...thanks for the sweet comment!
xo
RS
My 2007 has thus far been quite agreeable. I'm not much looking forward to this apparent snow we'll be receiving in Seattle this evening, but so be it. I had hoped I'd left that damned white stuff behind when I moved here. Apparently, if I wanted mild winters, I should have moved back to New Jersey, though!
How's your new year been?