Catharsis

I first started thinking about the concept of catharsis during the peak of Eminem's popularity. As a young kid brought up under decent values, my first reaction to songs like "97 Bonnie and Clyde" and "Guilty Conscience" was offense and disgust. Somewhere along the line, I started really enjoying his music, including the more shocking narratives of murder, mayhem, and general sociopathism. Had I been desensitized? Probably. But there was more to it than that. I was able to live in the moment of these songs, singing along with them and allowing them to transport me into scenes of cruelty and insanity. But then exiting those scenes when the song was done. And feeling better for having gotten some hidden dark emotions out of my system through the song. Catharsis.

From the world's most reliable source of information comes this definition of catharsis: "Catharsis is a Greek word meaning 'cleansing', 'purging', or 'clarification.'" I've always thought of the term in the Eminem context described above, i.e. expressing or symbolically acting out on some hidden emotion. Something that would be destructive if left repressed, building pressure and power like seltzer in a bottle, and then exploding unexpectedly all at once. Creating or experiencing certain anti-social works of art, or maybe even a drunken and shouty night on the town, might be a constructive way to release these emotions and desires in a controlled environment, so that they don't later explode into something truly destructive.

Of course, this can't always prove true. Undoubtedly, there are many instances where destructive or hateful music only serves to shake that metaphorical seltzer bottle and build the anger and the pressure, leading to a bigger and more destructive eventual explosion. This isn't so much a "sociopathic art is always good," as much as it is a musing on one potential good that can be wrought.

And actually, the Eminem example above makes a different point than the one I intended to write about. My recent thoughts on catharsis have been inspired by the "Tea Party" movements in modern American politics. Is it possible that these outlashes of political anger and racial hatred, are an inevitable and even healthy phase in the evolution of our society. Are we simply witnessing the steam pouring out of the pressure valve? It makes sense that a diverse society facing an abrupt change (e.g. the first black president, the transition from boom economic times to recession) will experience more pressure than it can naturally absorb, and will need to release some of the frustration, anger, and consternation caused by that pressure, if it is not to explode.

My prediction is that the "Tea Party" protests will be a footnote to history, something that warrants a paragraph or two in future American textbooks, perhaps accompanied by a little photo of some white folks in silly American Revolution-style hats. The whole thing is too silly and too unfocused to evolve into any kind of cohesive and durable political movement. The inability of the "movement's" members to articulate any cohesive or comprehensible agenda illustrates its purely cathartic nature. It really is an Eminem-style acting out of the deep-seeded prejudices and anxieties of a certain portion of the American demographic. Its something natural that has to happen, to purge those anxieties until the tea-partiers get it mostly out of their system, and can move on to things they actually care about.

Of course, the same caveat applies to the Tea Party example as applies to the Eminem example. Just as there are some who will let the angry rap lyrics simply build up the anger inside them, there will be some who continue to obsess over the anger preached by tea-partiers, risking some act of violence and/or hatred that goes beyond the symbolic. But that's a risk that can never be eliminated. The inevitable and occasional steam-burn from the steam coming out of the pressure valve is better than the massive explosion risked if you refuse to let the pressure valve open. This is, by the by, the notion that underpins the entire concept of the First Amendment and freedom of speech. Better to let the hatred come out in speech and protests, and force them to compete in the marketplace of ideas, rather than suppress them. Repression leads to explosion.

"The Bachelor" is an unequivocal piece of shit

And I do mean unequivocal. This guy "Jake" on ABC's awful television program, "The Bachelor" displays some of the most disturbing and grotesque manipulativeness I've ever witnessed. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a "player hater," in the sense that I don't think someone is fundamentally evil for playing the field, or even engaging in casual sexual relationships. But what is disgusting is the guy who manipulates women into sexual relationships by lying to them about how they are his "one and only," with promises of marriage and endless romance. And it makes it even more disgusting when the guy is hyper-enabled by this television network that provides him with these ultra-romantic and otherworldly backdrops of tropical islands and horseback riding and helicopter rides. So these women are double manipulated by, on the one hand, this guy's impossible romantic promises, and, on the other hand, by the Disneyworld princess land that ABC is building all around them. So, so, disturbing.

Tonight's episode (I think its episode 5? anyway, its the one after the "home visits" where he's with the final three contestants on St. Lucia) is the saddest yet. Before this episode, there was no sex between Jake and the "contestants" (at least not that we know of). But on this episode, he asks all three of the final "contestants" to "open up to him fully" by spending the night with him in a hotel room after their fantasy day on St. Lucia. This guy employs so many awful euphamisms for sex throughout the program. He's constantly asking the girls if they are ready to "open up their hearts" or "let go of themselves" or "show their hearts to him," etc. to show him that they are "fully in love with him." And, of course, he doesn't give a shit about their "souls" (or whatever). He wants to bang these chicks!

And its really tragic as he goes from girl to girl to girl and says the same things and pontificates each time about how this, THIS, is the THE BEST MOMENT OF HIS LIFE, each and every time. He repeats this same "best day of my life" routine on each "solo" date, which he follows each time with "I want this moment to never end, let's have sex" (basically). This one poor thing named Tenley is shown in an pre-date interview describing how she has only had sex with one person, her ex-husband, with whom she has just ended a bitter divorce, and how she is so trepidatious about "giving herself up" for another man, but Jake is so perfect and romantic and loves her so much, and so she is sure that THIS IS THE TIME. HE IS THE ONE. And they bang. And then, next scene, he's saying the same shit to contestant number two, who is also saying how she's ready to open up to this perfect man. Awful awful awful.

The big question is, do people buy this? Are there people watching this program and thinking to themselves, "oh Jake truly is such a man of love and caring, and this is what a perfect romance is?" Is this a model for love and commitment for young people, for anyone? Does anyone not see what a slimy act this dude is putting on? Is there anyone who views this as something more than a tragic, tragic fiction? Please, America, please don't let this be you.

If you work really hard, and you're kind, amazing things will happen.

I know I'm not the only one who found this inspirational:

Conan's closing remarks from Dino And Bride on Vimeo.

Vimeo, please don't suspend me for this.

These words mean a lot to me, and I hope others can find inspiration from it.

Pursuant to the Fair Use provisions of the copyright statute. Please enjoy.

Conan and cultural change

NBC's decision to give Jay Leno back the 11:30 slot and push Conan to midnight sucks for a lot of reasons. Some of those reasons include: (a) Jay Leno is not funny; (b) it breaches the agreement NBC made with Conan years ago in order to keep Conan from leaving the network; (c) it's a desperate and short-minded "abandon ship" from a long-term strategy that hasn't had time to truly be tested; and (d) did I mention, Jay Leno is not funny.

But there's something about this that makes me sad on a deeper level. This might be saying too much, but Conan's ascendency to the storied Tonight Show meant something to me about where our culture could go. Conan's contempt for every sacred institution (politics, the church, his own network), his complete political incorrectness, his tendency toward the absurd, his mad genius--the fact that these themes could enter a mainstream institution like the Tonight Show represented to me a positive evolution in American culture.

Americans have been infected with a self-seriousness and self-righteousness for the past several years, much of it likely brought on by the September 11 terrorist attacks and the religious and politically zealoutry that rose in reaction. That a figure like Conan O'Brien could step up to the mic and lead us to take a big crap on so many of the things we otherwise take so seriously was, frankly, inspiring. And it was such a big step because the very root of O'Brien's humor is in an unapologetic and unqualified deconstruction of the sacred. Ever seen his roast of Bill Clinton while he was in the White House, with the entire press corps present? Thank God its archived by C-Span. It really is stunning. (Conan gets going at about 19:45; the most jaw-dropping segment begins around 34:00).

Part of what makes Conan's humor so revolutionary is that he isn't trying to be political. What his point of view represents is not one particular political or social philosophy over the other, but a complete and un-self conscious disregard for and contempt for ideology at all. This is a welcome contrast to the humor of, say, John Stewart on the Tonight Show, which is obsessed with political point-of-view. Conan's humor operates on a more fundamental level: the delight we feel as the things we are told to take so seriously are revealed as stupid. And, actually, the fact that we take them so seriously is revealed to be stupid. An Emporer Has No Clothes type of thing. The type of humor that allows societies to evolve, to shed the old dogmas when they have become a liability. Western notions of freedom of speech, and the saturation of humor and satire that those notions make possible, have been fundamental to the evolution of our society. The deeper our embrace of those who mock our culture, the faster our culture will evolve.

Conan's ascendency to the Tonight Show coincided largely with Obama's ascendency to the White House. That didn't seem like a coincidence to me. Just as Obama filled us with hope that our politics could evolve from the stagnant fundamentalism of the Bush years, O'Brien filled me with hope that our culture could begin to shed more and more of our stagnant ideologies. We were headed somewhere as a society, and that was exciting.

NBC's desperate retreat to the milquetoast, pedestrian humor or Jay Leno represents a real failure of leadership. Honestly, even from a financial perspective, I think its a bone-headed move. Conan appeals to a younger generation who will drive the economy in the next 10-20 years. By putting Conan on the Tonight Show, NBC was making a wise long-term investment, building loyalty among those younger audiences that would follow the network into the future. Now that the company's stock is falling along with the rest of the economy, they're putting Leno back to try and recoup those short-term losses, meanwhile shooting their long-term strategy in the foot.

From all perspectives, NBC's treatment of Conan represents a real step backward.

Chase the tear

I love this less for the song and more for what it represents in terms of electronic music. The genre is so often driven by isolated multitracking: recording each part piece by piece, importing a pre-recorded vocal into an elsewhere-crafted accompaniment, and meanwhile losing the dynamics of live performance. But here, Portishead show us an alternative, assembling this "electronic" song all at one time, recording directly onto analog tape. Music can always use an occasional return to fundamentals, and they do it just right here.

Portishead - Chase The Tear from Mintonfilm on Vimeo

re: babyhaters

We're having a baby. We're producing a brand new human being. Waving a wand and rendering some new force onto the planet from thin air. Mrs. Bagley is about 6 months into this thing, and only now do those sonogram images begin to translate into something emotional and real. We've moved from the conceptual to the concrete. There's something moving inside there, and it will soon be out here. That's not just a spectre; that's a physical being made of matter; separated from our sight and touch by some thin muscular wall. "It" will soon be "he," and in just as much time develop ideas, words, direction, etc. etc. etc.

This is cliche, but: you can't really put into words the profundity of this experience. And I'm almost certain that the experience once Little Bagley is in the open air will be even more less susceptible to language. But of course you've all heard that before.

All this being said, the reason I write is to call attention to some of the obnoxious and depressing things that people say and do to the soon-to-be parents. The worst thing that anyone can do is to wax hopeless to the expectant parent re: the misery that their lives are soon to become. While this type of thing comes sometimes from those with children, it comes most often from guys without kids. And I use "guys" in the gender-specific sense. The misery-bearers are almost exclusively male.

I can't count the number of times news of our expectation has been followed with some groan about (a) how little we're going to sleep, (b) how much money we're going to spend on diapers/formula/daycare, (c) how our sex-life is over, and on and on. No doubt, raising our child will present innumerable challenges and struggles. But lay off the negativity.

While I do know one guy who is apparently miserable with his own child and marriage and is a principle source of this doomsaying, most of the guys who berate me with this talk have no idea what they are talking about. They're childless, often unmarried, and projecting some insecurity. Its almost a defensive stance. I want to say: dude, I'm not trying to prove something by showing up in public with my pregnant wife. I'm not initiating an argument about the importance of having children. I'm not making a point that you ought to be counterpointing. Chill the fuck out.

Of course, no matter how much I eye-roll over these types, its impossible not to take some of these things to heart. There are moments where you think, you know, maybe these guys are right and I've doomed myself to some sexless, wifebeater-wearing, TV dinner and Howdy Doody lifestyle in the suburbs. But fortunately, for every one of these voices, there is one or more counterveiling voices of support to counteract.

The guys I know who are the most credible are those in their 40's and 50's, who have experienced fatherhood to infants to toddlers to children to teenagers to adults, and have developed some perspective on the whole thing. These are some of the guys who I work with, who, largely, have made a series of good decisions in life, do work they enjoy, and have strong relationships with their families. Each of them might render a joke or two about "what's about to hit me," etc., but its always prefaced and prologued with some musing on how having children has been the best part of their lives.

These voices stand on stronger foundations, and nearly always overwhelm the moaners in my internal dialogue. Good thing.

"Paper Boys, The Movie:" A review

On the recommendation of a friend, I took a date to see the premier of this low-budget indie here in Atlanta. The film was called "Paper Boys." My expectations were already low after reading the filmmakers' "manifesto" of the film on its official site. I expected some sort of synopsis of the film, but instead I got this:

“Paper Boys” is a coming-of-age film in the strictest sense but more; it is an exploration of a microcosm of young door-to-door newspaper salesmen who are closer than most families in many regards. A truly ensemble piece, the film revolves around a common problem for teens which most often feels unique but isn’t, dysfunctional, non-traditional family. Add to this violence, psychological abuse, confusion over sexuality and a fierce awareness of one’s own economic standing, the main character turns to drugs and finds himself in a tailspin while his friends have no idea how to handle it.

False bravado and hyper-sexuality amplified by drugs and painful circumstances, gives us a recipe for a rich juxtaposition of comedy and potential tragedy. The soundtrack creates a relentless ride which leaves one emotionally exhausted from laughter and tears.

Um, what does this even mean? Trust me, everybody may have been "exhausted" by the time this thing was over, but it wasn't emotional. And nobody was moved to either laughter or tears, though I witnessed a number of people move from their seats to the exit less than half-way through.

My expectations were also heavily tempered by the trailer, which is terrible in and of itself, and which you can find here.

Basically, Paper Boys is a series of excruciatingly long and drawn-out scenes of a group of moronic, unlikeable douche bags saying uninteresting, "getting dumber as I listen" things to one another for what seems like 4 hours. Imagine the biggest idiots you know. Now imagine you are forced to follow these guys around for several days. Now imagine that the dumb shit these guys say in an attempt to sound smart is backed by some film-score-sounding sentimentalist music to add a sense of importance or drama to what they say. That's Paper Boys.

The movie is apparently supposed to be about a group of guys who sell newspaper subscriptions door-to-door around the Atlanta area. A group of high school kids knock on doors and sell the papers. A group of slightly older idiots (who, I guess, do this for a living?) organize the high school boys into troupes who are pitted against each other for the most sales. Its all a big homoerotic bonding experience, as the filmmaker spends plenty of time on gratuitous shots of large groups of sweaty high-school boys piling into cars together, grabbing their crotches, and mentioning how they think they might be gay. I noticed that a lot of these young men came to the premier with their parents, and several left early. I have a feeling that maybe their parents didn't realize they had signed their sons up to appear in this thinly-veiled soft core gay porno film. Sorry mom and dad!

The main conflict involves this one kid who went into drug rehab and met a girl there who killed herself. He's "haunted" by this, or whatever, apparently. His dad was abusive. And he has some African-American blood in him, and this apparently causes him to have low self-esteem. (A fact we learn in a conversation that begins, "You know how Steve and I are always joking that I'm black in all the right places? Well, its true.") So, yeah, he does some drugs and gets depressed a fakes a suicide in the end. Why, its really not clear. The whole thing is really stupid. The whole thing seems like it was written and shot by a kid in high-school who watches too much MTV reality shows and fashions his own basis sensations of angst and confusion as something profound and film-worthy. Thing is, actually put it on film and show it to an audience, and it becomes apparent that these sensations are not, in fact, extraordinary or interesting or film-worthy in the least.

Beyond the stupidness of the plot, the writing was capital-t Terrible. One guy keeps saying he's invisible for no reason. One guy dumbly quotes Shakespeare in moments where we are clearly supposed to be impressed by the literary reference. The characters deliver one bad cock-and-sex joke after another, none of them funny, not even in a "so offensive its funny" kind of way.  They sound like junior high kids trying to come up with dirty things to say, and, yeah, they're "dirty," but not clever or shocking or anything else to elicit a reaction other than "get me out of here." We are left with no sense that any character is likable or even amusing or interesting in any way. 

The main character is among the worse of the actors (he's the one whose addicted to drugs). He delivers every line in a completely flat monotone, so his "sad," "doped up," "happy," "pensive," etc. moments all come across as exactly the same emotion. There are very few female cast, and when they do appear, its in a lowest-common-denominator "hot slutty chick" kind of role, something for one of the male characters to ogle or have sex with ("no means yes, yes means anal" says one paperboy to another, in reference to his perfectly nice date; a 30-something Asian stripper with a tattoo welcomes one door-to-door salesman into her house, with a "daddy's not home" gesture, following which the salesman high-fives the air or something). 

This movie was so bad. You could feel it in the audience too. Nobody laughed ever, even at lines and scenes that were clearly intended to be funny. People left. It was like we were all just sitting there while a stream of cliches and non-sequiturs, packaged as a "heartrending coming-of-age story" or something, slithered out of the screen onto our unsuspecting faces. The whole thing kind of makes me sad, actually. Clearly, a lot of people put a lot of time and effort into this thing. The lesson here is that no amount of money, time, or effort can make up for lame fundamentals: without a solid idea, solid writing, and solid acting, you end up with a shit sandwich like Paper Boys: The Movie.