THE DAY AFTER MONDAY is a once a week missive in which ‘80s through 90s hold-over Tim Blevins misses the point in all this pointlessness.
We have a lot of terms in pop culture (maybe too many) to identify entertainment as it occurs.
“Reboot”.
“Branding”.
“Binge watching”.
We’ve also had “Trekkies” and “Deadheads,” and “Larping.” Terms are how we relate what we do to people who maybe don’t screen 8 episodes of Inhumanoids in a week. They are also a way of finding like minds:
“Are you a Gator?”
“Sure.”
“Well, then see you at the Stargate convention.”
So, to a degree, I think overreacting to these terms is just that, overreacting. Still, I have trouble with terms even though I designate everything by terms. Preferably they’re philosophical ones, like “absurdist” or “nihilistic” but they can also be psychiatric, like “dysthymic” or “mousophobic.” Even my self-identity of “neurotic” has its roots in someone’s verbal designation. But choosing these terms for identity is sort of selfish-serving. Terminologically speaking its “narcissistic” which, hey, is right there on one of the book spines I purposefully chose to adorn my desk.
But this isn’t Greek tragedy or Richard Lewis psychology… this is just an early morning attempt at typing the first of (potentially) many blog posts examining why it is I am even typing these blog posts. So, as the thesis, what is it that deems me cautious about terminology?
Well, it might be because I’m claiming to be a “podcaster.” Or, since I’m writing this, a “journalist” … er… “columnist” … ahm … “blogger?” Yeah, the term is “blogger” because the method I’m using is a “blog” and yet I want to side-step that. I don’t want to be locked in wth terms and things that came into being before I was even into them. And I think that’s the inherent problem.
My fandom as a child ,the pop culture that singularly defined my place in this world, was composed of stuff that I either found as it came out or … just found. The Replacements were recording music when I was five, I didn’t get into them until I was 14, but that didn’t matter because my self-discovery of their albums, some after they broke up, was still MY experience.
But now, because of this wonderful push in digital techonology (thanks Skynet) the ability to transmit your thought through podcasts, the ability to have an rss feed for others to find your writing, just this ability to put out and present this stuff has designated a need for new terms. And its these particular terms I’m most nervous about using. I feel like they’re phony, because there were brought in after the fact. Because its a new way of me pursuing the art that I feel I should already be after if I am going to claim to be an “artist.”
Which makes it “bullshit”, ultimately. Because these words you’re reading right now is the piece. I’m saying I’m a blogger, sure, but no one’s reading me as a blogger. You’re reading this either as a friend spelli checking it (thanks) or just someone who sought it out for the subject matter (pat on the back … its probably just that I DMed you the link). But by you reading it, and partaking in it, I can hopefully become more comfortable in this simplistic terminology which, I guess, is needed, as every now and then we have to fill out a tax form. That’s not to say I’m a ”full-time” podcaster or ”professional” blogger (I only loose money on this) but it is to say terms still freak me out. And yet here I am, in a digital medium, online, blogging to promote my independent podcasts (wait … they’re plural? Teaser to follow… next week).
So… for now .. the terminology has to stick. Or sort of stick. Like a Wacky Wall-walker. Slowly losing its adhesion … and mumbling down the wall in shame.
-sigh-
Tim
Tim is Tim Blevins, co-host of the 20TH CENTURY POP! and a few other upcoming shows. His Wacky Wall-walker suffers from arachibutyrophobia
On this Thursday’s 20TH CENTURY POP! it’s a controversial look at BANDS WITH ONE GREAT ALBUM as the bands in question include Foo Fighters, Smashing Pumpkins and no Sponge.
You can stream episode 112 of 20TH CENTURY POP this Thursday at 20POPCAST.COM or, even better, subscribe to the show on APPLE PODCASTS, STITCHER and other ANDROID DEVICES.
Talk to TIM BLEVINS on TWITTER @subcultist
See what he’s seeing on INSTAGRAM @subcultist
Subscribe to his podcast 20TH CENTURY POP! (with co-host BOB CANNING) on APPLE PODCASTS, STITCHER and ANDROID.
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