Friday, September 19, 2008

So out of it




We saw a commercial last night advertising some huge event on the Disney Channel that featured a lineup of "huge pop stars." They rattled off a list of names and I could not identify a single celebrity mentioned.

I know that the Disney Channel isn't necessarily the apotheosis of cool but it just further illustrates that I am getting older and more out of touch with what is in. I can't help but recall the Simpsons Hullabalooza episode and Homer's flashback of Abe saying: "I used to with it. But then they changed what it was. Now what I'm with isn't it, and what's it seems weird and scary."

Susan and Cass both agreed that we were growing away from what was considered hip. I never was into pop but I at least knew who the top acts were.

Who the hell is Zac Effron?

I told Cass and Sooz that the people of our generation at least have the option of becoming a hipster douche and just judging what everyone else thought was cool. I personally can't afford a new wardrobe, and because mine is most certainly not hip it would be necessary to pull the transition off, so I am therefore relegated to just getting older and more out of touch.

I don't really mind. I'll just back out of the room, double middle fingers in the air, and scream "Wildcard, bitches!!!"

We leave for Spain on Tuesday. I'm excited. It's great that so many of our friends are taking off on adventures right now. When we are done we will have to come together and write a book. Jay gets dibs on the beatnik wanderer portion.

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

Point and laugh



I had an Ultimate tourney this past weekend but it was disappointing so I don't want to go into it, which is fortunate for those of you who don't care to read it.

A huge story in the world of real sports happened this past weekend. Tom Brady went down with a season ending injury to his knee. This made me think of two things: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia starts soon (Season 3 DVD out now! Hell yes.) and the nature of schadenfreude.

For some reason I associate schadenfreude with hipsters and yuppies of our generation. I don't really see it in the baby boomers, although it almost certainly exists. Our generation is defined by cynicism, and for some reason this goes hand in hand with schadenfreude.

I don't have any real good explanation for why schadenfreude exists. I just accept it as being. This makes it difficult to determine if it is wrong. It may just be normal. I don't consider myself above it. I have had my moments.

I think I've decided that I am happier in a world with schadenfreude. If every story about Tom Brady's injury was teary-eyed it would be a cotton ball world that would be far too annoying. Also, they wouldn't allow drugs there.

Suck it, Pretty Boy.