Wednesday, June 21, 2006

TRUTH VERSUS REALITY: PART III...and also LISTENING TO MUSIC: PART II

Another criticism of TruthForYouth and its youth-proselytizing comics. But this comic brings up another topic I haven't covered for a while. So it's a double-title day today; let's not waste any more time!

COMIC TITLE: "Wasted Words"
ISSUE: Music
SUMMARY OF THE COMIC:
Jason is regretting his decision to go to a concert performed by Madonna Dahmer and the Death Squad. The comic flashes back to earlier, when he had explained his plans to take his younger brother Benny to the concert, to his bible-study group. They objected and Jason ignored them. Flash forward to the concert, where he realizes that Madonna Dahmer's music is antagonistic to godliness because of the objectionable lyrics in his songs. He struggles with the conflict between admitting to Benny he was wrong to come to the concert and leaving, and staying amidst the ungodly music, until he realizes Benny is gone. He leaves to find Benny and eventually finds him back with the bible-study group. They enjoy a laugh, then pray. Jason's faith is restored.

ANALYSIS:
First thing: With regards to the name "Madonna Dahmer and the Death Squad," Can you say, veiled Marilyn Manson reference? The whole comic seems to be a direct response to the Columbine High School shooting, based on the semi-conventional yet not-entirely-true knowledge that Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold were driven to violence by Marilyn Manson music.

I hold no sympathy for Jason, because he didn't do his research. He went to the concert without having heard any of Madonna Dahmer's music. If I were going to any concert where I didn't know anything about the performers, first thing I would do would be to get on AllMusic.com or Wikipedia to look for some information. I would ask friends for some MP3s. I would search i2Hub, or iMesh, or iTunes. But he did none of these, and has the audacity to be completely surprised when he finds out exactly what kind of music he's witnessing.

If the Christian right thinks this is going to influence people's musical tastes, they have to be out of their minds. "You can change a man, but you can't change what he likes." Those who listen to secular music aren't going to listen to people who say their music is sinful. Those who don't listen to secular music don't need convincing. No one's opinion changes. The religious right wastes energy.

But what music do you listen to, Glenn? I can hear some of you asking. I listen primarily to instrumental Trance. It is completely neutral. There are no lyrics. Which is a boon to me, since I like writing music but I have neither enough poetic sense to put together some good lines, nor a good enough microphone to hide my mediocre singing voice.

It's a bit of an inconvenience for the moment, since I've discovered that other bloggers, including my brother, are playing a game where you set a music player on random, post the first line of the first 30 songs it picks, then wait and see who guesses them. Imagine a post filled with 30 blanks. This is the only conceivable downside I can think of.

But Trance is more than an a creative outlet for me. Trance is musical catharsis.

Some people read the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and I listen to the mixes of Tiesto, Oakenfold, Sasha, and Armin Van Buuren.

Some people write sermons; I, under the names DJ Bad Axe, Red Supergiant, and ANWR, write synth symphonies in my room. If I dare say so myself, I'm pretty damn good at it too.

Some shout out loud at church their love for Jesus, some light candles. I crack a pair of glowsticks and dance, or I head to the arcade and play DDR.

Some people faint at a powerful revival, and there are songs that give me chills. If you've ever heard "The Wilderness" by Jurgen Vries, you know what I mean.

Somewhere along the line it ceases to be music and becomes a force of indescribable joy and solace. I'm sure many religious people feel the same about their beliefs. Trance is perhaps the closest thing I have to a religion. There are no gods, but there are saints, and there are people who can harness and understand its power. How else can I explain the feeling of renewal I feel when my Discman shuts off after the final crash cymbal fades?

I realize I've gone WAAAY off message here. To summarize: you can't change what people like just by calling it ungodly or sinful, which is why the comic will never work.