#52
oscar wild 'n out
things are no good right now.
keen-eyed readers will have noticed disturbing trends in “the culture” accumulating over the last few years. the collapse of democratic systems, regressive social movements, the likelihood that we as a species will not survive the next few decades, etc. but also: the human cancellation and divine uncancellation of lizzo, the success of race science proponent and nincompoop jonathan haidt, hollywood’s puzzling lack of interest in creating a michael clayton multiverse, the fact that we have to work and do chores instead of watch janja crush rock, the decline of american infrastructure, whatever the fuck this is, and of course - the return of the bloodhound gang.
2023 was famously proclaimed by myself to be the “year of cringe,”1 and truly, it was cringeful. i embraced the times by following back on fridays, posting terrible jokes, and subscribing to traditional news media. but 2024 is almost over, and now everyone’s asking me (pathetically desperate to be first to hear my nostradamic insights), “what time is it now?” and lo! i am pro-fun and take no pleasure in reporting this - and in fact do so with a lot of internal cringing, as though we were actually still in the halcyon days of the past year - and also with some nausea, because it makes me sick to my stomach - but the seasons have turned once again, and unto us a new year is born: THE YEAR OF EARNESTNESS.
though sincerity is sincerely revolting, and some would argue, should be illegal?, do not think for even one moment that you may chicken out of this by simply watching youtube summaries of the ernest movies throughout the year. nay! the power of christo and jeanne-claude compels you, and me, unfortunately, to beat back the darkness with a rictus grin on our faces.
some thoughts and humiliating examples of earnestness in my own life to inspire you on this journey:
inside each of us is a creative spirit. in the vast majority of us it is not very keen, but we ought to use it anyway to build character. for example, i often write bad “poems” in my notes app, like this ode to climate change: Back from Japan where it rained and rained/And rained/Then back home where it usually doesn’t/Where we talk about new weather patterns for sport/But this year it rained and rained/And rained/Where it usually didn’t/And I think about getting some chickens to raise. dreadful! but prescient, as i did in fact recently get some chickens to raise. thus is the might of the imagination.
the inverse of creation in this sense is experience, and earnestness requires that we return to the spirit of the nineties. it’s time to embrace the small and support our friends in their artistic endeavors, whether the art be good or bad, or even if the person in question is a bad art friend. you should feel free to incorporate elements of cringe if this feels too soon after drowning in eras and guts and brats. i recently attended a great concert at an independent venue (earnest), while proudly wearing the shirt of one of the bands (cringe), whose members i am personally acquainted with (bonus earnest).2 and you know what? i didn’t even throw up once.
and so i entreat you all to go forth earnestly into this year, buying small-press books and making zines and playing tennis poorly (while still allowing yourself the occasional cringe as a treat).
when it comes to declaring years, this publication operates on a loose vibes-based system, not entirely beholden to the gregorian calendar. as all are likely already aware, the year of cringe began in early 2023, but did not actually conclude until somewhere around april of 2024, when i got bored with it.
rebecca schiffman, badlands, and the softies, at the non-profit scribble in highland park. linking to bandcamp pages is earnest, and encouraged this year.