On the subject of the culture wars

[Michael P]

A couple weeks ago, while reading the paperback version of Warren Ellis's novel Crooked Little Vein, I had a little thought that I penciled into the nearest notebook:

"The culture wars are over. Money won."

By which I mean, stuff that was once part of the self-defined "counterculture," be it comics, "green" living, or (as in the novel) eclectic sexual practices entered the mainstream once somebody had the thought, "Hey, I can make money by appealing to the people who like this." And eventually, *all* of it entered the mainstream once big corporate America had the thought, "Hey, we can make a shitload of money by appealing to all the people who like all of this." And thus was born Hot Topic, Out Magazine, and all those "adult novelty" catalogs my dad used to get in the mail, among other things. Everything's mainstream now (again, as Ellis goes to great lengths to point out). And if everything's mainstream, nothing's really all that special.

The upshot being, the notion of there being some moral component to the culture wars is long obsolete. Although try telling that to anyone living in Alphabet City. (Or Sugar Land, Texas, if you want to go the other direction.)

[Paul McEnery]

A couple weeks ago, while reading the paperback version of Warren Ellis's novel Crooked Little Vein, I had a little thought that I penciled into the nearest notebook:

"The culture wars are over. Money won."

By which I mean, stuff that was once part of the self-defined "counterculture," be it comics, "green" living, or (as in the novel) eclectic sexual practices entered the mainstream once somebody had the thought, "Hey, I can make money by appealing to the people who like this." And eventually, *all* of it entered the mainstream once big corporate America had the thought, "Hey, we can make a shitload of money by appealing to all the people who like all of this." And thus was born Hot Topic, Out Magazine, and all those "adult novelty" catalogs my dad used to get in the mail, among other things. Everything's mainstream now (again, as Ellis goes to great lengths to point out). And if everything's mainstream, nothing's really all that special.

The upshot being, the notion of there being some moral component to the culture wars is long obsolete. Although try telling that to anyone living in Alphabet City. (Or Sugar Land, Texas, if you want to go the other direction.)

Yup. I had a similar thought during the Disinformationcon nine years ago and change. Everyone running around happy about having "won" the culture wars. And I'm thinking "lovely; too bad the important battles in the boardroom and the government have been lost lost lost."

When culture becomes nothing but another bourgeois lifestyle option you can sell in Entertainment Weekly, it doesn't amount to much.

What you've thrown in here is a pleasingly nasty twist, though.

[Dennis]

I've read 50 pages of Crooked Little Vein so far, and I have to conclude that the 12 year old has won the culture wars. This book is about as juvenile as it gets.

[Drusilla lives!]

I don't know about "culture wars" or who won or lost, but I do know you apparently can't use the "F" word in Walmart anymore. :)

[Steven Grant]

I don't know about "culture wars" or who won or lost, but I do know you apparently can't use the "F" word in Walmart anymore. :)

Really? Wow. Nobody seemed bothered by it last night...

- Grant

[Drusilla lives!]

There was a story on the local network news that a woman was in Walmart and happened to use the word a little too loudly... I didn't catch the details as to whether she was having an argument with someone or what. What I did hear was that there was a fire marshal that was inspecting the building at the time and overheard her. He asked her to not use such language in the store, but she took exception and used it again... he promptly escorted her out of the building and arrested her for (I think) public indecency. At least that's what I think I heard... does anyone out there have the full story?

[Steven Grant]

There was a story on the local network news that a woman was in Walmart and happened to use the word a little too loudly... I didn't catch the details as to whether she was having an argument with someone or what. What I did hear was that there was a fire marshal that was inspecting the building at the time and overheard her. He asked her to not use such language in the store, but she took exception and used it again... he promptly escorted her out of the building and arrested her for (I think) public indecency. At least that's what I think I heard... does anyone out there have the full story?

If it was a fire marshal, it wasn't Wal-Mart policy, it was his own little linguistic jihad. Jeez, where was this, West Virginia?

And does a fire marshal have the power to arrest someone for "public indecency"? (And is swearing in public "public indecency" anymore, since everybody does it?) This just sounds like some prissy little prick with an attitude throwing his weight around.

- Grant

[Drusilla lives!]

If it was a fire marshal, it wasn't Wal-Mart policy, it was his own little linguistic jihad. Jeez, where was this, West Virginia?

And does a fire marshal have the power to arrest someone for "public indecency"? (And is swearing in public "public indecency" anymore, since everybody does it?) This just sounds like some prissy little prick with an attitude throwing his weight around.

- Grant

FL of course.

[Paradox]

Pretty sure some form of "profanity in public" is on the books as against the law in most places. It's generally only enforced if you're acting like an asshole.

And also a lot of places have combined the police and fire departments into "Public Safety" and that means fireman can make arrests (although I doubt it means you'll see too many cops out grabbing a hose at a fire).

[NatGertler]

If it was a fire marshal, it wasn't Wal-Mart policy, it was his own little linguistic jihad. Jeez, where was this, West Virginia?

La Marque, Texas. Details here.

He handcuffed her. Which makes sense. After all, she knew sign language; couldn't risk her signing a dirty word.

[Steven Grant]

La Marque, Texas. Details here.

He handcuffed her. Which makes sense. After all, she knew sign language; couldn't risk her signing a dirty word.

Oh. Texas. Of course.

'Cause nobody swares in public in Texas...

- Grant

[Paradox]

Yeah, OK, he's just being a dick, then. Doesn't sound like she was being the whacked out crazy that the scenario would require for that kind of reaction.

[Lord Destiny]

Jeez, where was this, West Virginia?

I doubt any Wal-Mart in WV would say a single word about it.

The only word you can't say there is "union."

[Drusilla lives!]

La Marque, Texas. Details here.

He handcuffed her. Which makes sense. After all, she knew sign language; couldn't risk her signing a dirty word.

Thanks for the clarification... I notice they do that a lot down here... run stories on the local news which happened elsewhere without stressing that they did indeed happen elsewhere. Guess they like to keep the old folks on the edge of their seats cringing in terror. :)

Another thing I've noticed since moving down here is that many of the supermarkets cover the magazines in the racks at the checkout aisles with a semi-transparent plastic shield whose only purpose appears to be to cover up any objectionable photos or text. The bottom three quarters are covered with only the titles showing... very strange, they're not exactly selling Penthouse or Playboy at Publics.

[NatGertler]

I notice they do that a lot down here... run stories on the local news which happened elsewhere without stressing that they did indeed happen elsewhere.

That's a national, perhaps an international, phenomenon... and especially in the news teasers. With the rise of security cameras especially, there's lots of chance for actual crime footage. (I strongly suspect that the use of this footage is key to the American belief that our country has been growing more violent while the opposite has been true.)