Here in England rock stars never seem to go out of style. Deep Purple and Simply Red can still sell out the biggest stadiums (at ridiculous prices no less). So this guy, Gary Glitter, is all over the news here. You probably haven't heard of him (I hadn't), but you've probably heard his song "Rock and Roll pt II". It's played at practically every NBA game. Du nah nah, nah, HEY, Du nah nah nah. Ok, that's not very effective, but it has lots of "heys", and I know everyone knows it.
In any event, the guy was recently arrested in Vietnam for having sex with multiple young girls, aged 11-23. He faces death by firing squad if convicted, and of course all the liberals are up in arms about that here. While against the death penalty in principle, I have to admit that I hope Charlie pops his head like a zit. This guy was already convicted in the UK for possessing child porn, and driven out of Cambodia for having sex with underage girls.
Whatever I might have written yesterday about women and their biological control of sex, this is no way to even the score. In fact, I think that the most pressing issue facing humanity is not the conflict between science and metaphysics (let alone cosmogony) but the conflict between science and morality. The epistemological basis of religion will always be secure, pure and applied science occupy different domains (as cliche as that is...it's true), and human societies must determine the basis for collective morality.
And that is why we should be a bit more careful about who is up on stage. Focusing on music in particular, people seem to get so "into" it. Post-modern society has made it possible even to be a religious nihilist. Punks, hippies, goths, piercings, tattoos... these things are more about belonging to a group than being in any way rebellious. They are more the result of the failures of traditional society and the vacuum caused by its collapse.
Rock can be vapid fun. It can criticize society in a valid way. But all of a sudden, Gary Glitter prancing around in a gold macramé Roman centurion costume with plucked eyebrows and a pompadour doesn't seem like self-aware irony anymore. He was probably always a pathetic little man doing whatever he could to get attention. And we have corporations willing to promote whatever any jackass is selling. Creating a market and profiting handsomely.
14.08.06 0rz Maggie
In any event, the guy was recently arrested in Vietnam for having sex with multiple young girls, aged 11-23. He faces death by firing squad if convicted, and of course all the liberals are up in arms about that here. While against the death penalty in principle, I have to admit that I hope Charlie pops his head like a zit. This guy was already convicted in the UK for possessing child porn, and driven out of Cambodia for having sex with underage girls.
Whatever I might have written yesterday about women and their biological control of sex, this is no way to even the score. In fact, I think that the most pressing issue facing humanity is not the conflict between science and metaphysics (let alone cosmogony) but the conflict between science and morality. The epistemological basis of religion will always be secure, pure and applied science occupy different domains (as cliche as that is...it's true), and human societies must determine the basis for collective morality.
And that is why we should be a bit more careful about who is up on stage. Focusing on music in particular, people seem to get so "into" it. Post-modern society has made it possible even to be a religious nihilist. Punks, hippies, goths, piercings, tattoos... these things are more about belonging to a group than being in any way rebellious. They are more the result of the failures of traditional society and the vacuum caused by its collapse.
Rock can be vapid fun. It can criticize society in a valid way. But all of a sudden, Gary Glitter prancing around in a gold macramé Roman centurion costume with plucked eyebrows and a pompadour doesn't seem like self-aware irony anymore. He was probably always a pathetic little man doing whatever he could to get attention. And we have corporations willing to promote whatever any jackass is selling. Creating a market and profiting handsomely.
14.08.06 0rz Maggie
posted by akrites @ 4:33 AM
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