No, I'm not talking about the latest Harry Potter (though more on that in a second)...
Couple of good columns to seek out if you care about such stuff:
The latest Stephen King column in the latest Entertainment Weekly (the one with - who else - Harry Potter on the cover) gives a rave review to embracing pop culture. I saw "HUZZAH!". It's time for all of us to openly embrace pop culture. There's absolutely nothing wrong with it. Those of us who are "art snobs", turning out noses away from anything deemed less-than-cultural need to lighten the hell up. There's room for a Big Mac on that plate of healthy greens and low-sodium treats. Humans are built to derive great joy out of solid, visceral experiences and a pop culture gives 'em to you in great, big, mindless, greasy doses. It's time to expand your horizons in BOTH directions (more refined and extra greasy). To turn away from experiences and art that you deem below you is to gyp yourself of all the experiences life has to offer you.
The second article is in the latest copy of L.A. Weekly (the one with Inglewood on the cover). It's a great response column to what needs to be fixed in Hollywood. I'm not going to summarize here, but everything was absolutely dead-on. The spirit of this town has shifted WAY too far over to profit and money and away from artistry and creativity. Show of hands for those of us over 35 -- when you were a kid, did you care how much money each movie made on opening day? I sure didn't. That was boring, icky stuff for the studio accountants to worry about. Now-a-days, the first thing we talk about a movie is it's opening box office -- not "did you like the film?". No. It's "wow. 'Schmuck-a-rama II' raked in $20 Million". Stop being so freeeeekin' greedy Hollywood. Your drive to make money has corrupted a lot of talent and the effects are starting to show (notice the weekly articles how this year's Box Office is in a major slump).
Both are great articles. Worth checking out.
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