The Corporatization of Love...on why we should just not care about the holiday).
Can someone explain to me why Valentine's Day might exist other than to get corporations a bunch of money by selling the same old shit at exorbitant prices? For example, tomorrow, a dozen roses will cost $9.99 - $19.99. Yet, TODAY, today they are $79.99 - $129.99 (oh, why not splurge for that 4 dozen roses bouquet for $289.99?). Any love that one has today will likely be the same tomorrow, so what's the difference? Why not wait til tomorrow to "celebrate your love" and spend that extra sixty some-odd dollars on another gift? But, this brings us to an even more pertinent issue. Valentine's Day is bad not just because it lets corporations hold people hostage and thus profit off of something that should be celebrated every day, but also because it makes people feel really shitty. It's like "hey loser! no date? haha, you are gonna die alone! you might as well go slit your throat because you are the ONLY one without a date." I say fuck that.
Regardless, for whatever reason, I was not in a good mood. I had no real interest in going to my radio show and I certainly didn't want to have to pick out a bunch of music to play for the few people I might have listening. However, as I started playing music, my mood started to lighten. Song after song I became happier and more peppy, to the point where my radio show totally made my day. It reminded me, yet again, how important music is to me. Pretty much no matter my mood, there is music that will make me happy.
In this instance, the music that made me happy was listening to stuff that I used to play on my show back in the day on KSCU. Gems that most people in these parts either a)have not ever heard or b) do not necessarily like. I busted out the likes of The Wunder Years (who haven't been around since 2001), Gogol Bordello (who, for whatever reason, I have barely played on my show at all in quite some time), and the ultimate song from the KSCU days (except for maybe Old Skull's version of Homeless):
Robyn Hitchcock's Viva! Sea-Tac
After all of that, I was so happy. My mood turned around completely and I had a bounce in my step.
At this point I would like to make a slight interlude and show you the video for Homeless by Old Skull. This has to be one of the funniest/saddest/absolutely most amazing things I have ever seen/heard. Nine Year Olds playing punk! I used to play this vinyl ALL THE TIME on my show. And the part where the kid screams "Ronald Reagan Sucks! I Hate Ronald Reagan!" Classic!
Okay, enough of that, back to the topic at hand (although that kind of proves my whole point, as I am in a REALLY good mood after watching that gem).
What really got me thinking was that some of the music that lightens my mood might, for some others, make their mood worse. For example, if I am going through a rough breakup, or if I have just had my heart broken, it makes me feel better to listen to depressing music because it makes me realize that others out there feel like I do. Then everything is okay. I remember Justin, who at one point went through a breakup at roughly the same time I did, was the opposite and would always try and grab my iPod and change it to some happy sappy bullshit. For my money, when that happens, just throw this track on repeat and nothing in the world can be wrong:
So, trusty reader, this is where you get to be interactive. When you are going through a patch of heartbreak, what's your medicine? Do you reach for the songs of sadness and despair, or do you want lollipops and head bobbing? What's your poison? Tell me!
1 comment:
hmmm. i prefer depressing songs, but not because of the relatability factor - it just feels appropriate to wallow in misery for a little while. if it's one thing i can't stand, it's that "everything is ok" crap when you really feel like everything is NOT OK! once i get over the initial depressed stage and i'm feeling maybe a little better, happier music is ok, but it definitely doesn't make me feel better to start with.
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