Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Overflow

My mind is racing at a million miles an hour... where to begin... perhaps I'll just copy from my journal and then continue on from there. Please hang on through this series of examples and vignettes...

I just got back from The Simpsons, and of all things, it got me thinking how immersed we are in our entertainment. In the film, the first big joke is on the audience itself: Homer launches on a tirade against the silliness of paying to see a movie about a show that we could easily watch for much less on television. We all laugh at our absurdity, but nobody left the theater and wanted a refund, which would have been a logical response.
A few minutes later, Green Day performs a concert and then tries to talk about the environment, only to have the crowd erupt with vigorous booing. As their stage sinks into the acidic lake, my friends and I laugh again, but how many of us will proactively protect the environment?
The same question applies to the witty shows of Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, because we all laugh at how screwed up our country is, but how many of us viewers act on our beliefs? Sure, there's voting... I guess that just seems inadequate.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, brings us to the present, when I feel compelled to do Something with what I think, but I don't know what. Whom do I tell? Where do I go? In light of this yearning for a more productive intellect, I'm starting this new blog, which will be more political than my old one. I fear it may consist of little more than this post... but I sincerely hope this is the beginning of Something New.

Until next time, valete.

2 comments:

  1. Well, I for one, sincerely hope that it IS the start of Something New. I have spent the afternoon with two very passionate advocates for our migrant population here on the Eastern Shore and it has me convinced that we have all the resources we need to do Something New. We just need to put our heads and hearts together and say not only 'yes, we can' but 'yes, we will.'

    Go for it, Matt. You won't be alone.

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  2. Go for it! It's pretty bad that I don't even check my own blog to notice that you have blogger now, or talk to you enough for you to tell me all these things on email or phone, but I'm glad I found this, I hope you do start something new, and yes, I'm only in love with a city at this point - I promise I will tell you personally, not through a blog - if it's with a person ;)

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