Monday: Culture, Pop

As the Goddess of Eclectica, I reserve the right to cross genres, mix metaphors and make playlists that confuse the hell out of the listener until they've absorbed the whole. You wanna make somethin' of it? No? I didn't think so. I've got high-low tastes in a stratified, cliqued-up world. Clive Barker sits cheek by jowl with The Bard in my pantheon of literary greats, John Mayer and Eric Clapton nestle alongside Jimi Hendrix and Robert Cray. My thought for the day is this: why do we get stuck in ruts like we never left high school?

I don't actually have an answer, other than: Most people's intellectual and emotional development seem to freeze around sophomore year, as far as I'm concerned. (I didn't say I wasn't a snob. I despise intellectual laziness and apathy. Get over it and read a book, m'kay?)

Most of the people I love, are incredibly passionate consumers of art and information. The ones I really, really treasure have no filter that says, "I can't like this, it's uncool." When we stop being sheep engaging in reflexive snobbery, I think we'll be a lot happier. We'll also get better entertainment and culture. Mix it up friends, read silly things, read high art, (for fuck's sake: READ, will ya?) Listen to pop and classical and rock 'n' roll. Share your tastes with your friends and don't worry if they think something's a little kitschy. Maybe they'll find something they've never heard of and love. Maybe they'll share something you never knew existed. Cultural show and tell, it's about freakin' time. It's the 21st century, the old rules don't apply. Start acting like it. After all, you're not in high school anymore.