Isthmus

So far you've added nothing to my initial post, absolutely nothing. If this is how you "truth seek", then I imagine you'll spend a lot of time talking, while saying very little in your endeavour for the truth. I added a quote, because I felt it was relevant. It was said by a famous comedian and social commentator. It is an analogy I have used (the similarities, and cultiness of mass produced food and music in our culture) and it seems to be pretty well understood by anyone I've talked to so far. If it pleases you, ignore that quote and carry on with the rest of what I had to say. Or you can continue truth seeking in another direction if that pleases you instead. I have a theory about popular culture, or at least several aspects of it. One of Stefans talks about religion made something click in my little brain - so I tried to divulge that thought on the internet. If you would like to reply to what my thoughts were, I'd be delighted. That is why i posted this topic. I am interested in seeking the truth - about the topic I had initially raised. That is the topic in this thread. Thanks

I guess i was looking for someone to discuss the actual point i was making...I'm not debating if subway is fast food or not. I think the point is pretty clear, if that's what you got hung up on - I doubt you have much to add anyways.

This is ridiculous. Why can't he debate someone on par with him? Peter Joseph is just a guy with a little bit of info, who made a nice movie that people like. I'd love to see Stefan debate someone who actually knows what they're talking about... This is just a "let's make an example of these guys" kind of debate. Stef - go argue someone on your level from the opposite side, i dare you.

A shame, i was hoping for more than 1 of the 33 people who looked at this page to reply.

Hello! This is my first time posting on this forum. I think I'm posting this in the proper place, and I apologize in advance if that is not so. To preface, I will mention that I am just finishing up a diploma in Radio Broadcasting. I have ambitions to strike out on my own if possible, because I don't feel comfortable making a living as a promoter of our current brand of popular culture. That being said... I recently listened to one of Stefans call in shows; I apologize for not knowing which one it is at this point in time. (That's 2 apologies already, yes I am Canadian.) The first caller was discussing his departure from the Mormon faith, and how he was dealing with his girlfriend, who was still very much a part of the faith. They also discussed the origins of just how people become indoctrinated into these sorts of beliefs, and something Stefan said struck a chord with me. The caller mentioned that early in his life - when he was much too young to understand the basic concepts of the religion, he felt an overwhelming sense of community, or, emotional attachment to what was happening inside the church, rather than what was being preached. This kind of emotional attachment created a bond, which strengthened the tendrils of faith around him, before he was able to think critically about what it was that he was being taught to believe in. Stefan replied that this is common in many religions, and even within nationalism. The idea that a bond is being created emotionally, without "intellectual content", bypasses a person's critical faculties. IE: it doesn't matter what's being taught, or what they're saying/singing/listening to, because the weight of the emotional attachment is so great. Also, people just enjoy dancing, This made me think a lot about how popular culture affects a great many young people in our society. This is where I've more or less extrapolated that idea, and pointed it in another direction. I've always felt that popular culture was very culty. That people when asked why they enjoy a certain style of music, or fashion, etc...Were generally unsure, but they seemed to enjoy it because it offered them a community to take part in, much like religion. No one really wants to be the weird, unpopular kid at school, and in my experience, cliques in grade 6-graduation are often formed through what kinds of music one enjoys. This worries me, because the level of worship seems alarming to me. The level of intellectual content found within a great deal of popular music is mostly nonexistent. In fact, a great deal of these "artists", don't even play instruments, or write music at all. I've tried to argue these points in class, and for the most part, my peers think I'm out of my mind. I've tried to make the analogy that popular culture is a lot like fast food. It tastes good, and it is available everywhere. It is cheap to produce, and its marketing budgets are extremely high, making it hard to find anything else, unless you look for it yourself, or make it yourself. However, fast food doesn't nourish you in any significant way. It is devoid of the nutrients that we humans require to stay healthy. It tastes good, but all this is purely on the exterior. It is merely a form of instant gratification. So essentially, just like fast food, it makes you happy in the moment, but if you do nothing but eat it, it will slowly kill you from the inside. A little melodramatic maybe, but as an artist I feel a strong sense of worry about this topic. Which leads me to another question: Can art be measured in its "goodness"? Or is it purely subjective?I'd love to hear some feedback on my ideas, even if people think that I am completely out of my mind. "Americans are addicted to the slow death of fast food."I think this quote, by George Carlin, could be re-tooled a bit, and applied to our culture as well. "People, are addicted to the slow death, of superficial culture" Thanks for reading.