Ok, class, settle down. Did you bring a notebook and a pen? This will be on the test.
I’m not exaggerating, and I’m certainly not just saying this for dramatic effect – the future of our society hangs in the balance. We’ve become violent, ignorant and lazy. We text message when we should seek personal contact. We battle with anyone around us who doesn’t share our idea of which of the three remaining douchebags should be our next president. We allow People magazine to tell us what we should be thinking, watching, wearing, and admiring.
Am I the only one who feels disgusted by this? I surely hope not. The state of things is a scary one, and nothing scares me more than our desire to let others dictate what we should read, watch, or even learn. It’s the end of times, brothers and sisters, but fear ye not – the apocalypse is nigh and approaching.
(Yeah, if you were looking for me to be jokey-jokemaker today, you might just want to come back tomorrow. There will be no pictures, nor will there be lists. Go ahead and leave. It would be a shame if you did, though.)
Before I go any further, I want to explain the dangers of censorship, at least in my view. You may not agree, but please don’t come at me with any opinions you haven’t formed for yourself, through careful consideration and study.
Censorship (the practice of officially examining books, films, etc., and suppressing unacceptable parts), to just come right out and say it, seeks out and destroys truth and honesty in everything it touches. It doesn’t protect us, it distorts our view of the world by eliminating the sometimes painful and ugly realities that actually exist. In the theology of Christianity, sin is not overcome by denying the existence of weakness, it is the strength to overcome in the very presence of sin. Yet, why do Christians spend so much time and energy suppressing that which they find to be “unacceptable?” But to limit this phenomena to Christianity would be a mistake – it’s a worldwide, multi-cultural issue.
I’m all for being aware of “questionable” or “unacceptable” content in books, music, film, etc. Ratings systems don’t bother me in the least – they help people choose more intelligently. My problems begin and end when censorship robs me of the option to choose for myself. It’s the suppression, not the existence of sin, that troubles me most. The ugly, no matter how hard you try to hide, will always be there. Allow me to choose for myself.
Moving on…
From the book of St. Kyle the Blasphemer, Chapter 15:
And then arrived a man on a well-designed, well-marketed white horse, and he was holding an Apple. And with him, he brought digital content to the masses. And they saw that it was good. And it was the beginning of the end, for this was the key to loose the shackles of censorship…
Yes, Steve Jobs is one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. Bet you didn’t know that. I realize, obviously, that Mr. Jobs didn’t invent the internet (that was Al Gore, of course) or digital media. In my opinion, however, he has made it so simple and effective to purchase content online, that he has planted the seeds of the free distribution of digital content (You can’t deny the fact that the itunes store is now the leading music distributor in the country). My mom can even download and install digital copies of old Doobie Brothers records on her mp3 player. That’s about as widespread as it gets, my friends. And that’s the point – once people get the idea, they’re ready to create and distribute content outside of the bounds of commerce.
What does this have to do with censorship? Obtaining and sharing content over the intertubes effectively evades the grasp of the censors. What does a parental guidance sticker mean to me when I download an album on Limewire or Bittorerent? It might as well not even be there. It’s free distribution in more than one sense, but it’s only the beginning. I realize that such things are illegal, but here we are again – we have the freedom to choose, and that’s all I want.
Since the days of Napster, music has been at the forefront of digital distribution, pushing the envelope, breaking boundaries and laws. It was only a matter of time before the second horseman of the apocalypse would emerge, legitimizing and redefining the culture of sharing – and that man is one Trent Reznor. For the sake of time and space, I’ll let you look him up on your own time if you’re not familiar. Suffice it to say that this man is a revolutionary and several years ahead of his time. If you’re familiar with his music, you’ll know that he always has been.
Reznor, after asking to be released from his binding and restricting contract with a major music label, is now creating and releasing content at a remarkable rate. And the best part is that he’s doing it by himself – straight from the studio to the consumer fan. It’s fascinating and incredible to watch this happen, and I for one can feel the changes happening. No filters, no music for the sake of selling, only honest and true art, straight from the artist. It’s not the way of this world for such a thing to become too predominant, but art for art’s sake is on its way back. It can’t come soon enough, but we’re lucky to be watching it happen. That is, if we’re paying attention.
As this type of distribution becomes more and more popular, people will now begin to create and share in a truthful, painful and sometimes ugly way. Sure, it’s not aways ideal – on one hand, for example, you have youtube videos like the “Numa Numa guy” and the “leave Britney alone guy.” But on the other hand, you have talented geniuses like Jack Conte, Michel Gondry and Rivers Cuomo, all doing cool and positive things with the technology. They’re redefining, improving and contributing positive things to culture. And they’re doing so because they choose to.
And this is where we stand, perhaps closer to the beginning than to the end, but it excites me to have the opportunity to watch it all unfold, my brothers and sisters. And I watch because I choose to. And do not forget – after all these signs and wonders, there are still two horsemen to be seen.
K
