Thursday, December 01, 2011

It's time

This video has been making the rounds this week, getting passed from friend to friend and site to site. It’s lovely, just lovely and I won’t ruin anything for you if you haven’t seen it yet. And even if you have seen it, watch it again with me. I’ve watched it a good half dozen times and each time get that lump anew. But it’s a good lump, such a good lump.

You know, every time I write passionately about pop culture, someone will inevitably tell me to lighten up. It’s fiction, idiot. It’s make believe, dumbass. It’s not real, loser. Get a life! This is always terribly edifying. I’m so glad someone finally let me know. This is truly life-altering news. Next thing you’ll be telling me you can’t believe everything you read on the internet. Crazy.

Aside from wondering why these people are on a pop culture site in the first place since they’re clearly so busy doing important things with their lives like collecting unicorn tears to cure global drought, I always want to ask if they think art – even popular art – happens in a vacuum. Sure, we use it to entertain. But we also use it to illuminate, to educate, to elucidate, to fascinate. At its best it’s not just a mirror to reflect our current reality, but a powerful looking glass which we can travel through to imagine a world exactly how we want it.

And popular art, pop culture, matters exactly because of its popularity. It’s our mass opiate, but with more than just the ability to get us high. It came make us think. It can help change who we are. So, then, if a show about a bunch of high school students who sing and dance can help someone, somewhere out there understand the world just a tiny bit better, why not embrace that? And if a show that can help people misses an opportunity to do so, why not call it out and demand it improve? Is it a cure for cancer? No. But it’s something that has the potential to impact masses.

And in a world when we still aren’t as free, as equal, as accepted, as embraced as everyone else, every little bit of positive representation counts. If even a dumb old commercial can make you cry, it matters. It all matters. So here’s to art, in all its forms, the high brow and the low brow. The popular and obscure. The message filled and even mindless. May we never stop demanding it be better. May we always look to it to show us who we are, and who we’d like to be.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

That was great. I watched it twice and cried both times!

Lucy Hallowell said...

Another piece of random human creativity that won't make you want to poke your eyes out with a stick. http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2011/11/29/142910393/the-library-phantom-returns?sc=emaf

Kristan said...

Wonderfully put. I hope you won't mind if I quote some of this and link back to you? I feel like it needs to be shared widely.

Anonymous said...

That video was absolutely beautiful, and thank you for brightening my world with your passion.

Phoenix said...

In keeping with the positives theme today. This video has reached Trinidad, hope you enjoy it.
http://front.moveon.org/two-lesbians-raised-a-baby-and-this-is-what-they-got/#.TtZpEoldHIs.facebook

Anonymous said...

Cheers for this.
Just to contextualise it, it's an Aussie clip, and part of a really interesting matrix of things going on in the Australian same sex marriage sphere. This weekend the party that has formed minority government has their conference, and the most divisive issue is the marriage one.
The timing of things in law reform is often really important, and the ad doing the rounds is rad. Similarly, one of the most capable ministers in Parliament, an out lesbian finally shared her view. http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/marriage-of-equality-is-a-core-value-for-all-to-hold-dear-20111118-1nn28.html

I do think this is still my fav ad though http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPdWWhXAjiY

egghead said...

Art is better than KY intense for lesbians I think. :)


signed,
The Library Phantom

Solo said...

powerful...beautiful...tearful...thank u !

Anonymous said...

Snarks darling! I fear I may have caused some offense?! Quite horribly and quite inexcusably got on your goat? If so, please accept my *sincere* apologies! I just hate to see dear friends getting so upset over such inconsequential travesties as ‘Glee’!

Oh dear, have I just done it again? :)

“Collecting unicorn tears to cure global drought”

Excuse me Snarks darling, but you’ve gone and lost me completely! Have you been at the bourbon again darling?! You know very well, drought is the *last* thing we have to worry about in these parts! The *very last* thing! In fact, I reckon we have so much of the damn stuff (rainwater) we could not only cure global drought but make a tidy little profit into the bargain! :)

“I always want to ask if they think art – even popular art – happens in a vacuum.”

Oh darling, you don’t want to get me stated on *that* topic! You really don’t!

“A powerful looking glass which we can travel through to imagine a world exactly how we want it.”

Why has a rather lewd image featuring a certain English author and a certain Secret Service agent just popped right into my head?! :)

“It’s our mass opiate, but with more than just the ability to get us high. It came make us think. It can help change who we are.”

Darling, are you *trying* to provoke me?! If you persist along this course I may be forced to ‘inflict’ my good chum Vigilant Citizen on you!

“So, then, if a show about a bunch of high school students who sing and dance cane help someone, somewhere out there understand the world just a tiny bit better, why not embrace that?”

Because the show is simply that God awful darling! Awful plots! Awful contrived singing and prancing about! etc. etc. But yes, go ahead - knock yourself out! Who am I to try and stop you?! (To be honest, my inner masochist ‘made me do it’! You see, I was rather intrigued as to what ‘death by Gleeks’ would entail. Frankly, thus far it’s been somewhat disappointing.)

I am a little confused as to your change of heart though Snarks?

After all, just yesterday you were all for torching the whole bloody lot of them to the ground!

“Aside from wondering why these people are on a pop culture site in the first place.”

Snarks how could you? After all we went through together?! Alright, clearly our mutual ‘baptism of fire’ sent us off in quite different directions, but we’re still us! Right?! Besides, I like a well turned calf as much as the next ‘gal! I trawl YouTube for soppy romantic clips (and, um, other kinds of clips) as much as the next ‘gal! Is that not enough?! Is one supposed evoke the spirit of Pavlov and somehow force (electroshock?) oneself into some sort of pseudo (pain induced?) ‘enjoyment’ of those giddy high schoolers? :D

As to my other reasons for frequenting your charming blog (and truth be told AE)? Come now, let’s not be coy darling! Of course I have another agenda!!! It’s not like I’ve made *any* attempt to hide it! (You *know* I’m a complete duffer when it comes to all of that! After all, you’re the one with the Langley training darling, not me!)

Just for you Snarks darling, I shall let these ‘pop culture’ clips take care of the whys and wherefores!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2afuTvUzBQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chqi8m4CEEY

I say, that buzz cut was hot hot hot! (We ‘revolutionaries’ have libidos too you know! :) )

I take it this means Vienna is off? :( Could I tempt you instead with dinner (you, me and Thatcher) at the Savoy before the three of us cut a dash at the London premiere of that new Streep movie?! Only this time Snarks, it’s *your* turn to escort the “old dame” to the “powder room” and refresh her memory (as many times as necessary!) as to “how it all works”!

PD

Anonymous said...

PS The love struck blokes? Yes, all very moving I’m sure. Sadly though, it didn’t move me. I guess I’m just a jaded old git after all? Perhaps it was just a little too ‘Hollywood’ for my tastes? Perhaps if it been two hot love struck chicks… *Cough ahem* Yes I agree, it is very much *my* loss. And again, do not let my cynicism detract from your obvious fondness for the piece!

PPS Barney Frank? Isn’t he just an awful old paedophile? My sources rather insist that he is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ztk0N4nPasA

“Who the hell is this Bonacci chancer to come out with this BS?!” I hear you cry. Actually, I am inclined to believe the poor chap. You should look into the ‘Franklin Cover-up’ darling - a truly shocking tale almost guaranteed to give one nightmares! (“Why the hell raise this *here* on a ‘pop culture’ blog?” Why not?! Besides, it’s not as if Maddow et al. are **ever** going to cover this *vital* issue! Ever.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weSzkIB8184

PPS To those ‘in the know’ – yes, I am very much aware that there have been, and *continue to be*, ‘Franklins’ *all over* the world!

http://itccs.org/

PPPS I also think you and your blog are wonderful! After all, had it not been for you I would *never* have made the acquaintance of Rizzoli & Isles or have gotten so hopelessly hopelessly hooked on W13!

Wait a minute… what am I saying?! :)

Anonymous said...

Perhaps you could reference where the video came from and why?

It is from an Australian Group called Get Up in the fight for Marriage Equality in Australia. This ad in particular came about because our Prime Minister is blatantly refusing to allow the Marriage act to be changed, despite almost 2/3 of her party being in support and over %68 of Australians in support.

Anonymous said...

<33333 u snarker.



oh, and anonymous who signed as "PD" at 4:18? i'm assuming that stands for pelvic disease? why else such a bitter troll? gawwwd, fuck off.

L.S. said...

a very beautiful message,thank you...

Lancaster University: It's Time said...

Hey Ms Snarker,

Students at Lancaster University in the UK also saw and loved this video. They've made a version of their own, from a student perspective and spreading a message which is not targeted to just marriage equality.
I hope you find a few minutes to watch it and if you like it, please share it as it is a message which needs to be spread.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVEWLnkmZdU