A few years ago, Chris Rock joked that America would eventually become so numbed to the memory of 9/11, they'd go out to cookouts for it and shop at stores for 9/11 sales. He was excoriated by critics for making light of the tragic deaths on that day.
People missed the point. He wasn't making light of 9/11. He was acknowledging how reliably America mercantilizes sobriety and tragedy, making every holiday a long weekend bash, regardless of the reason for the observance. Look at how many commercials tell you to honor Veterans Day with a new phone contract or a shiny Lexus in the driveway with a bow on top.
Thanks for reminding us of the reason for the day and the thought exercise for what it could take to reconcile the country now. Without stopping the firehouse of BS pouring out of Faux, Newsmax and net trolls at large, I don't know how it will be possible. Here's to hoping.
Very insightful on the part of Rock. He's absolutely right, of course. I'm not surprised people misunderstood him. Too many literal thinkers in this country.
Firehouse of BS is right. I remember when the internet was young, I thought it was the answer to humanity's problems. I always thought access to information was the solution. It never occurred to me that too much information and the weaponization of bad information could be our downfall. Maybe I'm naive, but I didn't see it coming.
I didn't see it coming either. I also didn't see my typo above. I meant firehose not firehouse, but my incredibly astute, likely AI-enriched cellphone keyboard flung yet another unwanted correction in a sentence. It's like trying to write something with a saboteur changing words behind you after the fact.
A few years ago, Chris Rock joked that America would eventually become so numbed to the memory of 9/11, they'd go out to cookouts for it and shop at stores for 9/11 sales. He was excoriated by critics for making light of the tragic deaths on that day.
People missed the point. He wasn't making light of 9/11. He was acknowledging how reliably America mercantilizes sobriety and tragedy, making every holiday a long weekend bash, regardless of the reason for the observance. Look at how many commercials tell you to honor Veterans Day with a new phone contract or a shiny Lexus in the driveway with a bow on top.
Thanks for reminding us of the reason for the day and the thought exercise for what it could take to reconcile the country now. Without stopping the firehouse of BS pouring out of Faux, Newsmax and net trolls at large, I don't know how it will be possible. Here's to hoping.
Very insightful on the part of Rock. He's absolutely right, of course. I'm not surprised people misunderstood him. Too many literal thinkers in this country.
Firehouse of BS is right. I remember when the internet was young, I thought it was the answer to humanity's problems. I always thought access to information was the solution. It never occurred to me that too much information and the weaponization of bad information could be our downfall. Maybe I'm naive, but I didn't see it coming.
I didn't see it coming either. I also didn't see my typo above. I meant firehose not firehouse, but my incredibly astute, likely AI-enriched cellphone keyboard flung yet another unwanted correction in a sentence. It's like trying to write something with a saboteur changing words behind you after the fact.
Well, it’s not worse than what I did, which is replicate the typo in my reply lol
Ha! I led you astray. lol
Maybe I was astray all along and just bumped into you when you wandered out there 🤣