Monday, July 25, 2005

Manufactured Anger

I was watching a documentary last night about the history of punk music and its influence on rock music today. From the underground scene of the 1970's (Velvet Underground, Sex Pistols, Ramones) to the further underground scene of the 1980's (more Ramones and other bands I'd never heard of) to its coming out party into the main stream in the 1990's (the last gasp of the Ramones) when bands like Nirvana changed everything. You can still hear their influence today in bands like Greenday and Blink 182.

Anyway, one of the people interviewed for the film was talking about the difference in culture now and 30 years ago. He said that punk rock was born out of genuine anger. Nowadays nobody cares enough to be genuinely angry. It's all just manufactured anger and the results are not the same.

That struck a chord with me. To be angry about something you have to be passionate about it. We are not a passionate society. I believe that is because we hate being wrong, politically incorrect and on the losing team. You risk all of that when you follow your passion. That, and we are simply lazy.

Many people I know who consider themselves to be activists are more interested in being an activist than they are in the causes they claim to be fighting for. They want to put derogatory bumper stickers on their cars about President Bush, but they don't want to make any effort (like get out and vote) to change things; they insist on better schools, but they don't want to pay taxes; they beat you over the head with the Bible, but they don't want to sacrifice anything to help the helpless. We are a society filled with people who say they care, but rarely act on it.

Manufactured anger is a waste of time. Lazy anger is simply depression. It does nothing to help society and produces boring music. If you don't believe me, turn on your radio to any main stream pop/rock station. Sweet dreams.

If something makes you genuinely angry, get involved and do something about it! Write about it, paint about it, get your hands dirty and fix it. Write a song about it and maybe my band, the Depressed Time Wasters will play it at our next gig. That is if we ever get a gig. We're too lazy to go out and audition, but we're angry about the fact that no one will give us a chance. Not really.

3 Comments:

At 10:05 AM, Blogger Craig said...

I guess you figured out why I am boycotting going to visit Nashville.

 
At 3:50 PM, Blogger Brandon Scott Thomas said...

that's it, fisher. THAT'S IT! BMMA

 
At 5:25 PM, Blogger Joel said...

Perhaps we don't have genuine anger because we don't have geniune passion for much these days.

Good Thoughts!

Brandon, I'm hurt. I'm really hurt. I thought I was the only one...BAMMA?

 

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