Maybe, it was growing up with a consequential MTV. Maybe, It was all those zines I bought and read from independent shops. Maybe, it was because I was a big nerd. Whatever the reason, I was into anti-establishment, anti status quo and anti the man (whoever the man actually was I’m still not quite sure)!
I had friends, cooler than I, who would meet up to draw at cafes. We’d listen to Radiohead, read Daniel Clowes and dream of bringing it all crashing down. We were angry little bastards. Youth typically are, and they probably should be; your body is changing, your hormones are surging and you feel burdensome pressure. Growing up is tough, and it’s natural to get angry. It takes a lot of effort and understanding to keep cool. Also, public schools didn’t teach mindset. I learned that shit at 30! I was
Introduced to the practice of yoga by a substitute teacher so I was very fortunate. In many ways I was extremely fortunate. Two parents raised me, I never lacked for anything, I was encouraged to make art and I was safe. These are the things I can reframe now as an adult. Many people have trouble letting go of the anger of their youth. I totally get it. It bubbles back up for me once in a while as well. There’s probably a reason I grapple and compete! There’s nothing beneficial about harboring rage. It’s poison in the veins. We need to cut our losses, accept that what’s done is done and move onward.
I’m confused by the people who are now in their 30’s. Not all, but many, want contradictory things. They are anti-establishment, and pro socialism. Some wanted Bernie Sanders for President, who is as far left as we could see in a candidate. I’m confused by the desire for wanting two opposing things at the same time. They want a bigger state, with bigger taxes to redistribute wealth… but they don’t like the state. The state is the establishment. Universities, Hollywood, the military, the tech industry, the art world and corporate industry are all examples of establishment. These are the pillars of the modern world for better and worse. If these thirty year olds really were anti-establishment then they’d want smaller government, less taxes and to be left alone. Also, if we got rid of all of these conventions we’d have nothing. Do we really think we know how to rebuild society from scratch? Do we just turn our noses up to everything that got us here? Are we not happy with our iPhones, Uber, streaming services and Amazon? If we want a big socialist state then we want establishment. Institutions are establishment by definition. Establishment and a big state go together like a horse and carriage; it’s like love and marriage, you can’t have one without the other. I don’t necessarily fault someone for views opposite from my own. I do fault someone for not being consistent though. We need to be consistent, clear and sober in what we want. We can only begin a conversation if we understand the terms.
If you like establishment then by all means, vote for a Bernie! If you are an angry little bastard vote for someone who will stop taking more of your money, overstepping our rights and making more needless laws. Hell, while we’re at it, let’s really go after the first amendment. Dissent is so 90’s anyway. If we want the establishment then we need to start silencing folks with more stringent speech laws. I guess you have to decide what kind of MTV you are. Are you the MTV era of Liquid Television or after? Do you dissent? Are you authentically anti-establishment, anti status quo and anti the man? Or, are you just confused about the terms?
Are you a Brittney or are you a Blondie? Are you a J.T. or are you an Iggy? Do you like freedom or are you in need of the man?
I may just be an aging pseudo punk, but I don’t like being told what to do. In fact, I never liked being told what to do. I didn’t like when my parents told me to eat my veggies. I didn’t like it when my teachers told me to read some books. I didn’t like it when my boss told me to get the job done. I’m not the agreeable type.
I remember when I was a kid and we’d walk thirty miles in the snow to get to school. I remember when we’d listen to Morrissey, and talk about how meat is murder. I remember a time when I was a kid, and we’d hate on the man. So, I guess we have to decide what kind of MTV we are. Pick your poison. Do we want the man to rule over us or do we want to be free to draw, write and keep our penny candy in our pockets? You better bet your bottom dollar, sonny, that when I was your age, we’d bitch about the establishment and hope that, one day, we’d be free.