Very Good Advice

"When you get to my age, and I'm 66 now, you realize that the world is a madhouse and that most people are operating in fantasy anyway. So once you realise that, it doesn't bother you much." - John Cleese on trying to understand why people protested his film, Life of Brian.

It is true, my life is far too influenced by popular culture. I own an insane amount of DVDs, I like talking to people about popular culture and I get a unique thrill from discovering some old film from the 1930s on youtube or netflix that is hilariously blunt in its racism. Most of my philosophy on life does not come from Kant, Heidigger, Hume or Nietzsche. In fact, I only was able to list those philosophers so quickly because of a song I know about philosophers. My influences are Muppets, Monty Python, Mel Brooks, Stanley Kubrick, Wes Anderson and a host of others. I do wonder why this is. I have been exposed to a very strong liberal arts education and yet I find myself constantly drawn to popular culture as opposed to more intellectual persuits.

In addition to my obsession, there are some more quirks of my personality that I must make you aware of before we arrive at the point. Mainly this is about how I hate everything. I look at this world and I see a lot wrong. Things get on my nerves very quickly. By things I mean people. I am fairly well read in politics, but I am aware of the fact that if I get myself into it too deeply, I will be increadibly angry all the time about the amount of corruption and sheer stupidity of the people running our country. I like talking with people, but I know that if I had to make small talk everyday of my life I would kill myself. Most people are so self-interested and blindsided by there attempt to lie to themselves about how amazing they are that talking to them for too long really does my head in. Now, you may agree with me on this or, and most likely, you disagree and think that I am the lunatic and have a bad view of human nature and life in general.

Now, we have arrived at the point and the quote above, which I agree with. In order, to live a life where I am not walking around angry all the time I have to realize what that quote is trying to convey to me. This is the way that the world is. This is the shape of the game board that we are all playing. The world is indeed an absolute madhouse. People are operating under a fantasy. They do not see the world the way that it really is. They do not see themselves as they really are. This realization means three basic things to me.

1. I have to do whatever I can to not be like these people. I do want to see the world and myself accuratly and not exist in a fantasy.

2. I have to realize these facts and be ok with it, so it does not drive me mad.

3. When I do escape in fantasy through TV or movies, I want it to reflect perfectlty the insanity of this world.

All of the popular culture that I do like has the common theme of this in it. I realize this now. They all show the absolute craziness of life. They make me feel better about it because someone else is realizing how insane people are. I need this to be confirmed constantly. I need to know that there other people out there who feel the same way I do about these things. That is why I need to have a large DVD collection, talk about what I like and dislike in popular culture and find bizaree relics from the past to make fun of. This world has always been insane. It always will be insane. People have always been selfish and lived in fantasy worlds they create for themselves not based on any facts. People always will be this way too. It is the act of becoming ok with this and having it confrimed that I need to get me through all of the ups and downs. I think that is some very good advice. At some point you realize that the world is not going to change and that you have to make some sort of peace with it. Here is my peace. I worship the alter of popular culture because it is the only thing that explains to me the world as it really is by showing an exaggerated form of it.