Lisa Carver, Truman Capote, my therapist and me – An Odd Future Conversation
A conversation with my therapist
A few days later, I am recounting my experience. I don’t bring up my dream with Truman Capote just yet; I didn’t want to confuse the issues at hand. Besides, I don’t think I’m ready to bring it up just yet.
Therapist: How did the interview go?
It went well! I will admit I was nervous. I mean, Lisa is awesome, and her mode of inquiry was and is influential on me.
How so?
Taking an interest in people without judging them. Hearing about how people act – and often in ways that most would not consider ‘normal’ – and looking at them with an eye that isn’t necessarily sympathetic, but is objective. It’s an astonishing quality.
It is.
And I had fun! That’s always important. Conversations are so much more fun that way.
I agree. So, I looked into the people you mentioned. I didn’t know you wrote about rap music.
Oh, I don’t, but I do for the Australian market.
I have to say that I found them … well, let’s just say they are confrontational.
That’s putting it mildly.
What did you talk about when you discussed them?
*hands the transcript of the conversation*
I think you make an excellent point here where you talk about the conversations and actions that they make outside of their music cannot be taken as an artistic statement. I think you’re right; I think that, on some level, you can view those as a somewhat more accurate portrait of the individuals, but I do see validity in the argument that it is part of a greater persona. It is, at best, a difficult line to walk.
I was thinking about that the other night, too. I mean, on some level, would you be surprised at the eventuality of one of these individuals actually doing what they talk about?
Possibly.
Do you think it would cause a negative fan reaction if they did?
How so?
Think of Kurt Cobain. He is one that got caught up in persona; the dichotomy about being ‘spokesman of a generation’ and just a regular human being. Look at what it did to him – it killed him. Did it make him a martyr for the cause, in the eyes of his audience? To some. But you know what the greater reaction was? What a selfish prick, to do that to his kid, when all he had to do was walk away.
Entertainment isn’t always that easy; that looks like a simple solution, to just walk away. You have commitments, both legal and moral.
I understand that, but one’s life is much more important than audience.
I agree.
I read something about Ian Curtis, where Vini Reilly was talking about him to Peter Hook. It went along the lines of Hook saying, “Oh, his suicide attempt, it was just a suicidal gesture, he didn’t really mean it”, with Reilly saying, “Um, Peter, I don’t think it’s an act”. Vini was, sadly, right.
Sometimes one is very creative in their lying, especially if it is profitable for them. Most liars lie for some form of profit, be it financial, emotional, or psychological.
So is it possible that these guys are all making it up, reducing themselves to the lowest common denominator, and then sitting back, laughing all the way to the bank?
On some levels, yes.
But isn’t that planned obsolescence?
It can be, yes.
Look at the really weird, out-there artists. The ones that were weird, but not offensive – they last, because they haven’t taken their personalities to great extremes. David Bowie, for instance, and, on some level, Madonna – they have had lasting careers because of reinvention. Then you have, say, KISS, or 2 Live Crew. So caught up in persona, that when they break from doing it, or try to go more ‘normal’, the audience doesn’t buy it. KISS, in their decade without makeup, really sucked. 2 Live Crew will never be anything more than ‘Me So Horny’ and Luther Campbell. He still acts that way at times, but he’s grown up, and now he cannot escape what he did in his youth, even though he’s not that guy any more.
So how do you feel about all this now?
Well, it’s weird. I don’t like Tyler, The Creator, and I don’t like Odd Future, because I find it offensive – but, more importantly, I find it boring. If you want to listen to that, fine. Does it say something about you if you like it? Perhaps. That’s not for me to decide what it makes you, because you have to live with yourself. If your conscience makes you think it is okay to degrade women and gay people, then so be it. I have too many other problems to deal with to worry about some pseudo-ironic pop act.
To be continued…..
