Sinister: Always 50/50 in relationships

[Julie]

Well, I just woke up and need to jet off to the library, but there is a fat
man in my living room who wears vinyl pants and listens to the Beach Boys.
So, while I'm waiting for him to leave, I can filibuster some more.  Also, I
thought it would be bad form to not respond after my piffle was expanded
upon.


> 1. What did she mean about 'embrace and filter'? These
> are very different things: virtually antithetical, one
> might say, in some contexts.

I thought this was pretty obvious.  There's going to come a time where we
realize that, futuristic-movie-style, pop culture has crept into all corners
of our lives and we can't really escape it without becoming total loser
recluses.  If you admit this, if you embrace it, then you can decide what's
worth keeping and what's gotta be tossed.  Remember when I said that chick
in my class was not ironic?  Irony is the key.
There is no reason to not like top 40 pop music that is GOOD and AMUSING (ie
Sugababes, Destiny's Child, and I have a personal penchant for A1 although
the Norwegian one scares me) as well as the sad, sad indie music that makes
your heart flutter and the corners of your mouth turn down.  It's like the
DDR/PUMP debate.
I used to be a big fan of PF's beloved Magnetic Fields, I thought Stephin
was super rad.  I think Distant Plastic Trees is one of the saddest most
beautiful albums I own.  I think what turned me off of MF is 1) the fact
that they've done the same show the last 5 or 6 times I've seen them and
it's boring as FUCK and 2) the fact that they are really pretentious.  And
as you might have noticed, pretense leaves a bad taste in my mouth.  The
Three Terrors should be slapped about, going to see them last year was (as
I've described it before) just watching three old pretentious men sing old
pretentious songs and expect us to lick it all up.  The only good thing was
that Daniel Handler read from the Basic 8 and what a grate book that is!

> 2. Looking at the cover of a magazine doesn't tell you
> what a band sounds like. (Unless the cover is written
> by Simon Reynolds.) I don't know what Destiny's Child
> look or sound like. I don't think they have much of a
> reputation or profile in my country. We have this
> silly band 'Sugababes' instead, see.

No, it won't tell you what they sound like, but you didn't know one from the
other, and this could help with embarrassing mishaps like that.  Last
fortnight's Smash Hits had Destiny's Child on the cover, nicely captioned
"INSIDE THE SECRET WORLD OF DESTINY'S CHILD!"  Sugababes have never appeared
on the cover of Smash Hits.  Also, you are absolutely wrong about Beyonce,
Michelle, and Kelly not having a reputation in the UK, they are a GLOBAL
PHENOMENON.

> 3. We don't have MTV where I come from.

You don't have cable?  Oh I forgot, you can watch porn on Channel 4 there,
who needs Showtime or even USA.  You lucky bastards in the UK get the Box
too, Smash Hits You Control!  I only suggest watching it once every month or
so, though, because it's the same videos all day long.  But good videos,
like the one where Westlife shake their tiny fists at the unfairness that is
the heterosexual relationship while perched atop a scenic cliff (I know I've
used that description before but it's SO ACCURATE!)!

> 4. To talk about Salman Rushdie was a nice touch - but
> have SR's pop-cultural admissions done him much good?
> I think my editor would disagree. He never liked SR
> that much in the first place, but what respect he had
> paled and palled once SR started expounding about very
> well-known Van Morrison records and the like.

That's true, I've heard that The Ground Beneath Her Feet is sort of mediocre
compared to Salman's earlier "masterpieces".  But like I said, he's alive.
And dating a hot chick.

> 5. Still, I like the near-synasthesia of 'knowledge is
> golden', green, etc.

In girl scouts we used to sing this song: "Make new friends, but keep the
old, one is silver and the other's gold!"  This has nothing to do with what
I was previously talking about, but is still a valid bit of wisdom.
Thanks Gordon for the ice cream description compliment, I will never again
question my abilities in this department.
Everyone should join popbitch, www.popbitch.com, I think.  Especially you
PF, since you don't like pop you may as well get a newsletter that makes fun
of it.
Anyway, this is a conflict that may never be resolved, as those who are
anti-pop music aren't easily swayed.  And PF and I are from different
generations and upbringings.  At this point, I'd like to thank my mom and
dad for buying me Rick Astley and Bangles tapes when I was in second grade.

xoxo
Julie


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