The Moon Garden Lounge

Got any good instahappy songs?> I need one but naked love and fatehr abraham's the smurf song arent working right now.

Hope you are feeling better, glampoon:



We had a few takers in the chat last night and it was fun! We will do it again soon.

I keep meaning to ask if anyone saw any of the Paralympics? I just saw this breathtaking video of Richard Whitehead's whirlwind come-from-behind in the 200m:



And not just as a feel-good, but if you'll allow me to briefly rant, I am so sick of the pity party. Look what happens if you put your mind to something, and work and practice, and are willing to have things not be perfect.

Great pictures from the Paralympics here. Well worth a look:

www.boston.com/bigpicture/2012/09/paralympics_2012.html

Well, we don't really "do" beatings in the Moon Garden.

I wonder if I was one of the "me too" people, but I want to take a crack at responding here, too.

The issue you have touched on is a good Moon Garden topic. Today was a day in the main thread in which several people posted complex ideas that were misunderstood, mostly. I like having this place for a different vibe to it.

The issue of American (and I guess Canadian) attitudes towards intellectualism has filled books and blogs and is actually something I am very interested in and passionate about. I would be glad to hit the tennis ball back and forth all weekend so I don't want to write a book tonight; will try to keep it focused on Adam.

(I'll stand by what I said in the main thread though about academics and their role in government in particular. I'm reminded of the story about when LBJ was vice-president. He visited his old friend Sam Rayburn to marvel at the "best and the brightest" that Kennedy was hiring to work in the government. Rayburn said, "I'd feel a hell of a lot better about 'em if just one of them had ever run for sheriff.")

Adam. The Queen For A Day myth is strong, very strong in America. "Idol" totally depends on it -- the idea that someone singing in the shower, or sitting on a stool at the soda shoppe, can be "discovered" and become a huge star. In pop culture, people seem to want folk heroes rather than royalty.

Elvis walked this line like a tightrope. He was "The King," yet he was careful to the point of paranoia never to appear to have forgotten where he came from. Ultimately this strangled his ability to evolve and helped contribute to his depression and all that resulted from that.

I would argue that Adam IS highly educated. He did not attend college for years on end, but his voice is highly trained. As someone mentioned yesterday, his speaking voice is also cultured in a way one seldom hears anymore. His very features are patrician rather than rough around the edges. He has a highly developed visual sense and seems to be well-read in certain areas. I would call him a working artist rather than a "mere" entertainer.

Some have suggested that these features actually handicap Adam somewhat in today's marketplace and I agree. I was only half-joking when I said that Adam better not let anyone find out he's smart, because it would be another strike against him. But in a world that elevates a Minaj -- who presents herself as a semi-literate "ho" (I have no idea of her real personality) -- Adam too has to navigate the shores of seeming to be a "show off" just for using his training and abilities to the fullest.

Adam has a deep knowledge of music that he seems to feel the need to hide to a certain degree. Someone posted in the music thread today that Adam's songs on Trespassing are considerably more musically sophisticated than most hit tunes of today.

I think this myth runs so deep in our culture that the "savant" is glorified over the man or woman who works for years to develop their talent. People like the idea "that could be me." These people resent contradictory evidence.

OK. Your turn.

I am unaware of the conversation on the main thread as I have not been reading it lately. The bolded part of this is something I've been thinking a lot about, mostly in the political realm (but I promise to keep it pretty general/societal/human nature, because I'm skerred ).

The American idol "it could be me" phenomenon works in the opposite way too-- when people deny that "it could be me" and instead "success" is viewed by those who have it as a direct result of only hard work and individualism. To acknowledge that outside circumstances (many of which are institutionally in their favor) have significant impact would be to admit the scary truth that "it could be me."

Why do people (on both sides) dismiss the idea that it is a combination of forces that contribute to someone's success? IQ, good vocal chords, family wealth, education, race/gender/orientation, social support, hard work, dumb luck. They all play a part. I guess if someone believes this then they have to admit that life is very complicated and often unfair. And Mika, you are right about speechifying in this instance too:)--"life is hard, so work hard and help each other" isn't the easiest platform to run on.

Anyway, sorry to get off course, but these things have been seeping in my mind lately-- I feel a that a cultural shift is happening though. It is slow, but I feel positive about it.

Glampoon, I hope you are feeling better . I followed some of you on twitter and am enjoying it, although I probably won't say much.

Something I saw recently and thought I'd share:
pbs.twimg.com/media/A3F59FMCcAEPXC-.jpg