livemind
Friday, April 02, 2004
What is it about talk radio, anyway--are the people calling in idiots, or is there something about the talk format that makes them sound like idiots? I can't listen to a phone-in show for more than ten minutes without feeling sudden urges to pound my head against the wall until I can't hear it anymore.
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I gave Air America Radio a try yesterday. Not bad--much more palatable than the usual talk radio drivel (even sports talk radio, which is on a subject I like talking about). But there was an undeniable sense of preaching to the converted about it. Is anyone tuning into these programs who's not already a liberal, and not already determined to vote against Bush and the other Republicans? For this effort to make a difference in the political world, it has to capture some portion of the "undecided voters" out there, and right now I don't see that happening. The shows don't get enough air time; they're only broadcasting in a handful of cities (and my hometown is not one of them), and the rest of us have to stream it over the 'Net--not something you'll do unless you already know it's there and are motivated enough to seek it out. That doesn't say "undecided" to me. Maybe some day this will be significant, but for now it's little more than a chance to check in with what Al Franken is doing.
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Thursday, April 01, 2004
Air America Radio is now live. The objective is to give a liberal alternative to the usual hate-mongering that we get from Rush and his friends. It's a fine motive and I wish it all the best. But given that American radio is controlled by Clear Channel, and that Clear Channel is owned by a Texan with a long-standing alliance with George W., I don't see this going anywhere anytime soon. But maybe the Internet will make a difference; you can listen to the show streamed live via RealAudio.
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I find that I'm wondering when Easter is, again. This happens every year: spring rolls around, and part of me starts vaguely wondering when the holiday is. I was raised Christian -- my father is an ordained minister, for cryin' out loud -- but I can't remember the last time Easter actually meant something to me. Now it's an occasion to exchange chocolate rabbits with family members.
There's something cultural going on here, and then there's something personal. I wonder if ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny? Culturally this country -- while still allegedly the most devoutly religious of the industrialized world -- has developed a "Christianity" that is almost entirely a matter of outward form. Give gifts at Christmas, give chocolate at Easter, maybe even go to church if that's important within your circle of friends. Otherwise nothing is all that important. And I find that recapitulates my own life in a way. There was a time when I thought that religious belief was terribly important, but now I merely hold onto the practices that I enjoy; the cultural beliefs which once informed those practices have withered away, and began to do so the moment I realized -- in church, no less -- that I didn't actually believe what the priest was saying. Once that thought entered my head, there was really no going back to where I was before. It was my personal apple from the tree of knowledge.
So did America hit a moment like that? Did we as a society reach a point where religion as practice simply worked a lot better than religion as belief? And if so, is there any way back? I can't see myself back in church again; it wouldn't be honest of me to go there. So does America's future reside in a church pew, or does it lead in a different direction? My guess is the latter, but I'd also guess that the future isn't science, or atheism, but rather a different religion that makes more sense in a post-modern context. And if I knew what that religion would be I'd be out there on the street right now, laying the foundation of my vast religious empire.
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Minnesota is thinking about setting up a personal monorail. Lots of people are weighing in on how expensive and wasteful this is, and that's all true. There's one very powerful idea behind the plans, though: the thing that most people hate about the bus and the subway is the fat, smelly, irritating guy sitting next to you. In this system the only person sitting next to you will be your friend or significant other, and if s/he's fat, smelly, and irritating, you've got bigger problems than a rapid transit system can solve.
