The shortest answer to the question, “What is existence?” for humans anyway, must be “prioritizing.” Our priorities affect every action, sense, belief and decision in our life. A cursory glance at this blog reveals much about my priorities. A quick comparison of blogs on this site will demonstrate how priorities vastly differ between people.
Recently, I have been asking people “What is one movie you think everyone should see, and why?” I am curious to infer how their answers reflect their priorities. I have mostly given up on any notion that the movies recommended are actually worth seeing, especially since the first one mentioned was Waking Life, which turns out to be an absolutely terrible movie in which, for the most part, a bunch of stoners talk gibberish. Actually, I do want to see Brain Donors, which apparently stars John Turturro whom I love. Someone dared say The Passion of the Christ, to which I am proud so say I responded with only a (fake) smile.
Recurring factors pop up in determining the movie to choose. The most common are the genre-defining movie, the lesson movie, the favorite movie and the pop-culture reference movie.
My must-see movie choices usually fall within the genre-defining category. My guess is that this tends to signify someone whose primary interest is in the medium of movie making itself. My answer to the question was Raging Bull, mostly because it is the most perfect movie I have ever seen. The action, acting, dialogue, screenplay, choreography, cinematography, sound, directing and editing are all unsurpassed. The only other movie I can think of which contains all these qualities is Akira Kurosawa’s Yojimbo. Initially, my claim was going to be that I’m not a person who necessarily values a lesson movie. Those people tend to prioritize things like truth and right and wrong; ideas that, according to my perception, tend to be exaggerated social control mechanisms, so I don’t give them much credence. But interestingly, both movies I just named are about integrity and trust/mistrust, things I contemplate and esteem above most other things, so perhaps I am bullshitting myself.
The genre-defining people (and others, actually) generally follow up my initial question with “In what genre?” I think this is a valid question. The one comedy I think everyone should see is Monty Python’s Quest for the Holy Grail. This is a movie pop-culture reference lovers will name. People that choose movies for this reason are trendy, social, extroverted creatures. Since I am not what you’d call sociable and have never been hip to the whole pop culture thing, that is not my reason for choosing it. In my opinion, Holy Grail is the movie by which all other comedies must be judged. It literally redefined the genre, as nothing like it came before it (except of course the greatest television show of all time, Monty Python’s Flying Circus). It contains every style of humor, culls a laugh at least every 30 seconds and only gets funnier upon repeated viewings. Sure, Monty Python’s Life of Brian has the most bizarre animated interruption and greatest ending of any movie ever made, but the pacing isn’t quite as good. Besides, it’s the sequel that would have never happened if it weren’t for the success of Holy Grail.
That said, Holy Grail is my second favorite comedy. My favorite comedy is The Big Lebowski. But my opinion is that many other factors must be taken into consideration besides it being your favorite. There’s something shallow about wanting all others to see your favorite movie. It’s fun to share things you like with others, but is it really that important or essential? I encourage my friends to see my favorite movies, but they’re not for everybody. I include Tombstone and the Lone Wolf and Cub series as personal favorite movies, and I can give no reason why anyone else should see them.
My sister’s choice was Life Is Beautiful. This is a very interesting choice. It is my sister’s favorite movie, and a unique blend of comedy, tragedy, fantasy and reality. It’s a lesson movie, ultimately about the protective role of delusion in providing hope and meaning to an otherwise unbearable existence. It’s a movie appropriate for all people of all ages. God damn, I think my sister has given me the best answer so far, but I would love to hear others.
Incidentally, a similar question, “What is one song you think everyone should hear, and why?” could be asked, but the answer is so obvious (Koko, by Charlie Parker, because it’s incredible and it single-handedly changed American music) that I dare not ask the question because the ludicrous answers of others and the inevitable question “Who’s Charlie Parker?” would only strengthen my hatred of humanity.
Friday, December 28, 2007
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Justice
“Friend” is an idea that cannot be properly defined. I suppose I consider the people I care about and want to spend time with to be my friends. I don’t know why I care about them or want to spend time with them. Some friends I’ve known for years, and others I’ve known for hours. Truth be told, I can give no reason whatsoever for liking these people. Somehow, it is much easier to reconcile liking someone else for no reason than it is to accept that another likes me for no reason.
About a year ago, my friend Phillip Greenlief scolded me for being overly-concerned with whether others like me. Sometimes I do struggle with the fear that nobody likes me, but more than that, I struggle with accepting the reality that there is no justice in this world. The crux for me is not so much that I care about other’s opinions of me but the fact that if others don’t value my opinions, there can be no justice. For what is justice if not having the world behave according to our opinions?
Besides being an extremely likeable guy, Phillip is possibly the greatest saxophone player alive today. (You can find more about him and his music at his website at www.evandermusic.com.) If there were any justice in the world, Brittany Spears would be an unemployed stripper living on the streets and whoring herself out to support her drug addiction and Phillip would be rich and famous. But alas, there is no justice as my opinions are essentially inconsequential.
I am a self-reliant person. That means I don’t put a lot of stock in other’s opinions. I’m the kind of person that can never cheat on a test because if I don’t know the answer I sure as hell don’t think the idiot sitting next to me is going to know it either. I’d much rather make a mistake on my own terms than do something right on another’s. In order to maintain integrity, I feel it is very important to speak and act only according to my opinions without allowing myself to be unjustifiably swayed by the opinions of others.
My opinion, regardless of its validity, is important because it is mine. It is what makes me unique. Opinions can be altered and changed by others and myself, but they are the only means by which I can identify myself. (Memory and perception both fall under the category of “opinion.”) Opinions are the only thing I truly own. I am the sum total of my opinions. Ergo, the only way in which I can share myself with others is by expressing my opinion. How I express my opinions is called my personality or style, depending on the context. I am continually obsessed with attempting to express myself in a way which will allow others to successfully understand my opinions. That is why I spent so many years playing music, and that’s why I have this blog now.
Because I am my opinions, it seems reasonable that others must value my opinions if they are to like me. In reality, valuing my opinion would not bring about friendship but could enable my conception of justice to be realized. There are many people who continually support and value me regardless of my opinions. In fact, they apparently like me for no reason whatsoever. I am more honored and humbled to get a note from someone reminding me that they are my friend than I am frustrated and chagrined at failing to be understood. Others value my opinions because they like me, and not the other way around. My opinions and how I express them have an influence on whether I am liked, but there is a gestalt at work, whereby I am greater than the sum of them, at least in the eyes of my friends. That’s pretty awesome, but until my opinions are valued, there will never be justice, and that blows. I have no power to coerce another into valuing my opinions. Nor would I want to; that would imply that another could do the same to me. All I am empowered to do is value my own opinions and attempt to express them.
Enough of me and my existential tangents. To truly enjoy reading this post, every time I wrote “opinion,” change it to “onion.” By the way, this post began as an attempt to write about my friend Kris. Oops.
About a year ago, my friend Phillip Greenlief scolded me for being overly-concerned with whether others like me. Sometimes I do struggle with the fear that nobody likes me, but more than that, I struggle with accepting the reality that there is no justice in this world. The crux for me is not so much that I care about other’s opinions of me but the fact that if others don’t value my opinions, there can be no justice. For what is justice if not having the world behave according to our opinions?
Besides being an extremely likeable guy, Phillip is possibly the greatest saxophone player alive today. (You can find more about him and his music at his website at www.evandermusic.com.) If there were any justice in the world, Brittany Spears would be an unemployed stripper living on the streets and whoring herself out to support her drug addiction and Phillip would be rich and famous. But alas, there is no justice as my opinions are essentially inconsequential.
I am a self-reliant person. That means I don’t put a lot of stock in other’s opinions. I’m the kind of person that can never cheat on a test because if I don’t know the answer I sure as hell don’t think the idiot sitting next to me is going to know it either. I’d much rather make a mistake on my own terms than do something right on another’s. In order to maintain integrity, I feel it is very important to speak and act only according to my opinions without allowing myself to be unjustifiably swayed by the opinions of others.
My opinion, regardless of its validity, is important because it is mine. It is what makes me unique. Opinions can be altered and changed by others and myself, but they are the only means by which I can identify myself. (Memory and perception both fall under the category of “opinion.”) Opinions are the only thing I truly own. I am the sum total of my opinions. Ergo, the only way in which I can share myself with others is by expressing my opinion. How I express my opinions is called my personality or style, depending on the context. I am continually obsessed with attempting to express myself in a way which will allow others to successfully understand my opinions. That is why I spent so many years playing music, and that’s why I have this blog now.
Because I am my opinions, it seems reasonable that others must value my opinions if they are to like me. In reality, valuing my opinion would not bring about friendship but could enable my conception of justice to be realized. There are many people who continually support and value me regardless of my opinions. In fact, they apparently like me for no reason whatsoever. I am more honored and humbled to get a note from someone reminding me that they are my friend than I am frustrated and chagrined at failing to be understood. Others value my opinions because they like me, and not the other way around. My opinions and how I express them have an influence on whether I am liked, but there is a gestalt at work, whereby I am greater than the sum of them, at least in the eyes of my friends. That’s pretty awesome, but until my opinions are valued, there will never be justice, and that blows. I have no power to coerce another into valuing my opinions. Nor would I want to; that would imply that another could do the same to me. All I am empowered to do is value my own opinions and attempt to express them.
Enough of me and my existential tangents. To truly enjoy reading this post, every time I wrote “opinion,” change it to “onion.” By the way, this post began as an attempt to write about my friend Kris. Oops.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)