I have a progressively regressive way I spend any Saturday that has not been pre-scheduled with social obligations or family visits. Though far from glorious to any outsider, it is completely glorious to me. It encapsulates all I love about being an unattached, moderately youthful, easily amused (aka inconspicuously self-indulgent) female. Which is, quite simply, the ability to be alone and engage in some very specific, self-determined version of 'Nothing.'
Now, on occasion, small attacks of ambition come over me, and I endure some nagging notions that I really should try "doing something" during my Saturday. But this threat is almost always swiftly disarmed just before I finish my cheerios, as I quickly find some concept which deserves my serious reflective musing, and ergo, makes DOING anything completely out of the question.
Sometimes this brings me to reading Michael Lewis books, or re-reading Chuck Klosterman books, or simply re-stacking all of my books to better reflect my current world-views to any visitor who comes to my apartment and wishes to peruse said books (which is really no one, ever).
But usually, I just end up half-reading several articles from the Atlantic (typically about the depressing state of our economy), internally replaying any moments of emotional consequence from my previous week, and then (predominantly) spend my afternoon trying to discover some new music on The Spotify.
Quick Disclaimer. Despite my growing tendency to want to appear as an adult who should chiefly listen to The Decembrists while alone at work, and JayZ while driving my friends out for drinks, my adoration for all things pop music (I'm talking the kind that's scattered, smothered, and covered in deep fried pop drippings) makes my full transformation into musical adulthood completely impossible. I think I literally listened to Katy Perry's "Roar" each day this week on my way to and from work... at least 3 times ...each way. That is not to say that I don't listen to the sort of stuff you'd hear at burning man (if burning man were still cool, which it is not), but I also refuse to deny the greatness of those things that make me dance at characteristically non-dance-y moments.
Regardless, after first spending my morning reveling in some new Janelle Monae, as any good American hipster should, I ran across what seemed to be a serious article expressing praise for the new Ariana Grande album "Yours Truly." For those of you not versed in the world of child-star to pop-star assembly line production, Ariana Grande is an obnoxiously attractive 20 year old who has been sown from the soil of the Nickelodeon wheat fields. She released her first single this year ("The Way"), which was a substantial hit, however, since its video did not include 1. naked women 2. furry suits, or 3. partially naked women in furry suits, it didn't really make a cultural dent. Even I, who openly enjoyed the song, failed to recognize it as anything revealing any particular exceptionalism on the part of Ms. Grande.
Now, maybe it was all the result of my hardy breakfast of redbull and wheat toast…. Or perhaps my joy at recognizing that the autumnal spirit has been awakened through the annual resurrection of the starbucks pumpkin latte. Either way, I listened to the album, and was thoroughly blown away. I then did what I do whenever I think I discover something surprisingly impressive, but questionably cool, and emailed all my least judgmental friends with the recommendation, and hoped that at least one would replay back (as of 1:00 pm, no replies).
And then I did the other thing that I do whenever I discover something surprisingly impressive - try to stretch it into a metaphor for some politically relevant sentiment of the moment… and voilà:
The public's view of pop music is (sorta/kinda) like it's views of our government in general. Everyone has no choice but to experience it. Mostly everyone disavows its respectability. And a huge portion refuse to believe they REALLY consume it ("My government funded college scholarship was something I earned" sounds a lot like "I was into Mumford and Sons before they became mainstream").
That isn't to say the citizenry disdains all pop music simply because its popular. A large portion of the population believe Drake is a serious artist, and another large portion believe Blake Shelton is a serious artist. Think of it as partisan musical affiliation.
But there is pop music, and then there is Pop music. I once read a review of Britney Spear's "Till the World Ends" in Rolling Stone that seemed to basically define all that will ever be expressed by a good Pop song:
" ginormously pumping uber-Euro uber-disco: sky-sucking synth streaks, a beat that sounds like blimps fucking and a thousand shirtless drunken sailors chanting along on the chorus."
But let's be honest, Pop isn't going to always involve blimps. I think the better method is defining its reception (by the musical elitist) as opposed to its composition (by the musical industrial complex) -
Pop Music (n) : A calculated effort by a for-profit entity to please a large populace who lacks the musical acumen to truly know what is good, and of which I (the refined listener) am clearly not a member.
And such is the same in how we see our government. It is the outgrowth of a unknowledgeable citizenry who lacks the political acumen to truly know what is good. And as such, we either elect to condemn it or, at the least, become utterly dispassionate towards it. Regardless of party, nearly everyone agrees, our government is just not 'cool.'
It's easy too. How much simpler it is to complain about the ineptness of our leadership in sweeping generalities than to it is to truly comprehend the reasoning behind all of it. How much the easier it is to imagine that you know better. That you are better.
But here is the thing. Sometimes our democracy is producing its version of an Ariana Grande "Yours Truly" debut record. Or in other words, something really quite good. Both in small ways every single day that we become blind to, or in big ways that seem too historically removed to matter.
Take some time one day and actually sit down and LISTEN to the full discography of our nation. (or watch the full DVD set of the 237th PBS Anniversary Concert Special with guest appearance by Bernadette Peters).
Sure, there are some bad releases in there. The whole "Lying to the People" album, which included the tracks "Gulf of HonkeyTonkin," and "Hans Blix Who?" was pretty dark and intolerable.
And then there is "Capitalist Calypso", a 2-disc set, all of which is like listening to one epically long version of Rebecca Black's "Friday" (One track is actually called "Rebecca @ Black Friday" which is a dubstepped folk ballad reminding us all of how the Pilgrims and Indians decided to leave the thanksgiving feast early ; a few because they needed to buy the new iPlow7Ss for their kids, and the rest because they had to work overnight at the iHarvest stores).
Point is, some of the music really does suck.
But then there are some of the Hit Singles:
Title
"I just can't wait to NOT have a King"
"Emancipation Proclamation (remix ft. David Guetta)"
"National Parks Are Cool"
"19th Amendment : Better late than never"
"Non-violent civil protest can lead to actual change"
"Fantasy" *
*Though Mariah Carey's song "Fantasy" is not technically a result of democracy in action, at the time of its release, my 10 year old self found it to be one of the most significant effects of Clinton's first term in office.
My personal favorite U.S.A. EP is "The Public Works Project" which, like any and every Radiohead album ever made, makes me wonder in dizzying amazement at the layers of the complexity of the world we get to exist in.
Trust me, in no way am I judging the average American's cynicism or apathy. It is not as if my civic contributions have been particularly that profound in my lifetime. I mean, as I type, I am spending my Saturday jamming out and trying to coordinate a friend's bachelorette party, which happens to be the same weekend as the local release of the new documentary "Inequality for All" featuring former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich. (Bride-To-Bes To-Do List will go something like: "Dance on a bar, Kiss a bald man, Learn about the severity of the wealth gap in American, Do a body shot, Do a body shot off some man who looks like Robert Reich…or Robert Reich himself!?").
I guess all I really want is to inject a little bit of sincerity into the ether. Or, if not sincerity, at least a willingness to be vulnerable enough to forgo your notion of 'cool' for a moment. And that doesn't mean being some counter-cultural, ironic 'anti-cool.' Drop the self-reflection long enough to forget about the concept of cool all together. Dance to the music that makes you dance.
And if it feels like our nation's .. no ... my nation's, music has lost its freshness, its dopeness, and/or its 'kickingness', maybe its time I spend my some of that self-indulgent Saturday "nothing" time, and go drop one bad-ass civic duty beat.
Just Remember, Democracy is not perfect, but neither is a mosh pit (and that never stopped Iggy Pop from jumping in).