you know, i sometimes wonder if i’m doing enough with this strange public-figuredom that i’ve ended up with.
it’s odd that as i’ve become more of a public-figure i’ve also become a lot less certain about some of the militant beliefs that i held years ago. well, my beliefs haven’t changed, but my militancy certainly has. 10 years ago i had the arrogant belief that i was right and that anyone who disagreed with me was wrong. now i have the less arrogant belief that the world is very complicated and that plurality and consensus and tolerance are more interesting and useful thandidacticism.
but still, i’m a public figure and i sometimes think that i should use my status as a public figure to do:
a-more good and helpful things.
b-more interesting things.
eh, i don’t know.
i just feel that i have (as do we all) this unique opportunity to, in some small way, make the world a better and/or more interesting place. and i wonder if i do.
the world could be better. and i do believe that each and every one of us could easily be working towards making the world a better place. how?
talking to each other.
dancing when other people want to dance but feel nervous or uncomfortable. being kind and communicative with people who need kindness andcommunication.
paying attention to what’s going on around us and drawing attention to worthwhile causes. forgiving people who’ve wronged us.
and so on.
i know that whenever i’ve tried to come up with lists on how to improve the world i usually end up sounding like some well-intentioned but dim-witted guy. but the world could be better. in so many easy ways. and we’re not wrong to have hopes and realistic expectations. it’s not wrong to expectradio stations to play good music. it’s not wrong to expect corporations to maintain healthy working environments. it’s not wrong to expect romanticpartners to be faithful. it’s not wrong to expect artists/writers/musicians/filmmakers to be motivated by the love of their work as opposed to a love of money. it’s not wrong to expect politicians to have integrity. it’s not wrong to expect the law to be fair and just. it’s not wrong to expect schools to be safe and decent. and so on.
i think that because there are so many compromised and distasteful things in our lives that we’ve come to keep our expectations low.
music, for example. most people are surprised when they turn on the radio and they actually hear something decent. most people are surprised when they buy a cd and it has more than one or two good songs. most people are surprised when a concert is uplifiting and entertaining. music, as an example, should be noble and wonderful and exciting and beautiful and sexy and profound. it shouldn’t be the auditory equivalent of a meal at mcdonalds.
uh oh, maybe i’m just complaining. i started out this update by wondering about how we could all make the world a better place, and now i’m just venting my frustration at the utterly dire and formulaic state of popular music.
ok, to backtrack a bit…thanks for reading.
and i hope that we can all have the courage and foresight to work towards making the world a better place.
-moby
p.s-those of you who work at mtv/viva/vh-1/much music/etc could start by working towards limiting the amount of airtime thats given to stuff that you find crappy or distasteful. radio, too. here’s a novel idea for the people who program radio stations and video networks:
why not occassionally play something that you like and that doesn’t make you feel dirty?
in the future we’re all going to regret this period in music where our tastes were determinedby 11 year old girls and wrestling fans.