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Society falls from grace
by PATRICK BABCOCK
Lifestyles Editor
Because I think it accurately illustrates how far I’ve fallen: The other day, I spent 10 dollars on a pen. In fact, I am writing this with said pen. The news that this pen has a built-in pencil and stylus really does nothing to soften the blow.
Keeping in mind I am an average American capitalist, I believe this anecdotally proves that while all our sensibilities are being ever cheapened by a maddeningly, almost singularly heartless society, everything is becoming more and more expensive.
I find this most troubling with regards to music.
Because I think it
further solidifies my American-ness: The other day, I sat in the car
with a friend of mine for more than an hour, chain-smoking and
listening to jazz. It was around the time that Ella sang “no, they
can’t take that away from her,” that it occurred to me how far we’ve
fallen.
Jazz heralds a time when records had time limits, when musicians were forced to pen numbers with grace and concision.
Love
songs were not about liking someone a lot – they were about rearranging
the stars for your lover, changing everything you are comfortable with
to accommodate romance. Breakup songs seethed with heartache, not
vengeful rage.
Emotional resonance has been replaced with emotional vacancy. When
people would rather stare at a singer than listen to her sing, what
chance do the finer things stand?
I’ll
give a little: I love rap. Rap has the passion and tenderness of a
hungry mountain lion, but absolutely I’ll admit it is not only good,
but great. Dr. Dre’s a genius – I don’t think very many people would
argue that point.
But it
is still morally and spiritually bankrupt, like television. Watch MTV
for an hour and you will feel genuinely lobotomized. I watched Made for
an hour and lost my ability to feel compassion.
Everything’s
going down the tubes, not just music and television. I purchased a copy
of Edgar Allen Poe’s Complete Works for $7.99. Food Lion-quality trashy
romance novels run for 20 bucks. Where is the respect for one of
history’s greatest wordsmiths?
It seems that all the greatest things in the world are being ignored, or worse: purposefully cast aside.
Go outside. Read a book. Listen to the birds. Sit down by yourself for
a few moments and simply, peacefully collect your thoughts.
Maybe
that sounds boring. If it does, my how far you have fallen, friend. If
you cannot enjoy the finer things from time to time, aren’t you part of
the problem?
And in case you were wondering, yes, I have lost my pen.
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