queer jeff winger has had quite enough; queer jeff winger drops the stereolab nuke; broad-spectrum musical callout
If I'm subtooting anybody here, it's the left at large. But the lyrics are just too perfect, and I can't pretend some of these don't apply to some of you some of the time.
It's really OK. They apply to me some of the time too. I'm trying my damnedest to reduce that proportion. But the alt--right didn't get where they are by throwing up their hands and saying "Those vile dashing clever leftists have bested us, let's just capitulate" (not even in the face of poll numbers that STILL show broad US support for liberal social policies *ahem*) so how the fuck is it gonna help us?!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5Zsyt_UvzA
I hate to see your broken face
This world would give you anything
As long as you will want to
As long as you will want to
I hate your state of hopelessness
And that vain articulateness
Your loser type wreck want to be
Not a pretty sight really
In another world it'd be funny
I hate to see your broken face
A lazy life of fatal waste
Of fashionable cynicism
The poison they want you to drink
Oh no man that's too easy
Oh no man that's too easy
We weren't talking bout happiness
Apply your leading potential
To be useful to this planet
The world would give you anything
As long as you will want to
As long as you will want to
Ba da ba
re: queer jeff winger has had quite enough; queer jeff winger drops the stereolab nuke; broad-spectrum musical callout
And before any of you nitpicks the lines about "the world will give you anything, as long as you will want to," Ms. Sadier is NOT singing about some kind of simplistic wishful thinking or being pollyanna-ish here.
Like I said earlier this week, I've been reading a book on Trump and Dark Magick—how his strategy relies on simply refashioning reality to his desires. I feel that's what this song is addressing, the true root of the only real kind of Magick, the ability to mold consensus reality to your own desires by making those desires firm and unyielding.
No, the world won't just dump victory and justice on us if we want it really hard. But if all we do is vaguely want it, and yet paradoxically NEVER act like it's something we can—or preferably, WILL, regardless of what material reality or our enemies' gaslighting say—actually achieve... the world will give us approximately jack and shit.
In the immortal words of Mr. and Mrs. Flanders, "We tried nothin', man, and we're all outta ideas!" Stop goddamn talking down every opportunity we have and forfeiting matches we haven't even played yet.
re: queer jeff winger has had quite enough; queer jeff winger drops the stereolab nuke; broad-spectrum musical callout
It reminds me of one of my favorite sketches from the Canadian comedy troupe, The Frantics.
It's a stereotypically Canadian parody of the classic American musical: small-town girl decides she's gonna make it big in Hollywood, so she tells all her friends and neighbors, they're gonna decorate her family barn, and build a stage, and put on a big show, and people will come from all around and see how much they have to offer.
And her male friend just responds to, "I doubt it. S'just a BARN." He responds to EVERYTHING she says— her hopes, her dreams, her surprisingly practical plans—with "I doubt it. S'just a BARN."
And nobody supports her. Everybody's determined it'll never work. So she puts on that whole show by herself. And it's a huge hit. It becomes the talk of Canada, then America. Hollywood agents scout out their little town and whisk her away to stardom.
And the sketch ends with three old men reading headlines about how she's due to star in a blockbuster movie. And one of them clicks his tongue and says, "That's typical. Once they make it big, they forget all about the people who supported them."
So, yeah, I hear you. The queer leftist movement is just a goddamn barn. None of this will ever, ever work. We've never changed the world one iota, we never will, things are worse now than they've ever been, and the bad guys have already won.
Now shut the fuck up, you adorable magical overeducated creatures, and help me put up some fucking tinsel. >_<