Modern Life Is Rubbish #6: Fahrenheit 451

Utopia - Fahrenheit 451

You may well have heard the furore (or furfor, as we used to call it - a much better word in my mind) about the school library somewhere in Greater Manchester where almost 200 books have been banned and the librarian suspended after the senior leadership team used AI to check whether the contents of the shelves were "appropriate for children".

XTC - Books Are Burning

Among those books that were deemed inappropriate...

Becoming - the autobiography of Michelle Obama - due to ‘racism and political themes’.

The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks - because it is a ‘romantic drama about enduring love and memory loss’.

The Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer - because they contain ‘mature romantic themes, sexual tension, and violence involving vampires and werewolves’. Now if you'd banned them because they were rubbish... but no, not even that. I'd rather kids were reading rubbish than not reading at all. 

McCarthy - Should The Bible Be Banned?

This all kicked off because someone complained that the school library stocked the non-fiction book  Men Who Hate Women by Laura Bates - doubtless a reaction based on the title alone. The book is actually a serious examination of incel culture, and rather than being banned it should probably be a set text for young teenage lads across the country, to prevent them from ever taking the Red Pill.

Of course, there's one book that was selected as unsuitable which should come as no surprise to anyone... George Orwell's 1984. Proof, if ever proof were needed, that our AI overlords will never grasp the concept of irony.

I could rage against the machine, but what's the use? This is just the beginning...

Open your eyes and see

The world I couldn't change for you

Reach out your hand and take

The world that will belong to you

We were on our way to a better day

And the spirit was in us all

But as time went by we fell by the wayside

Maybe you'll be the last to fall

You are the only ones

There is nobody left but you

You are the chosen ones

There is nobody else to choose

Back when I was young, my hope was strong

But the time blew it all to hell

If I thought I knew what was good for you

I would have gone and done it for myself

Worlds of tomorrow

Life without sorrow

Take it because it's yours

Sons of 1984

I can still see the great panorama of hate

Being cleansed by our loving hands

But the brothers broke stride, the sisters cried

Now you have to start all over again

Mid-Life Crisis Songs #123: Sad & Alone

Even though I'm not a football fan, I've been enjoying the show Ted Lasso very much. Louise got bored with it towards the end of the first season, she said it was trying too hard to recreate the "feelgood" tone of Parks & Recreation... and I can see what she means... but I'll take my feelgood anywhere I can get it these days.

Anyway, I finally had time to watch the end of Season 1 over the Easter holiday, and that last episode had me in tears on more than one occasion. I can see perfectly well that the show is emotionally manipulative, but so much TV leaves me feeling absolutely nothing these days, so I think it's worthy of note when something breaks through my cynicism.

There was one line in particular that made me hit pause until I had time to collect myself and carry on watching. It worked in the context of the show, but it spoke to me beyond that... and made me grateful for what I've got.

There is something worse out there than being sad, and that is being alone and sad.

The Beautiful South - Alone

Carly Simon - Alone

The Morning After Girls - Alone

Lee Hazlewood & Suzi Jane Hokom - Alone

Utopia - Alone

Richard Hawley - Alone

The Southlanders - Alone

Marc Almond - Alone

The Bee Gees - Alone

The Mighty Wah - Alone

Self-Help For Cynics #31: Pandora's Box

Ryan Adams - To Be Young (Is to Be Sad, Is to Be High)

Last week we looked at how our addiction to digital media, in particular but not limited to social media, can have serious negative effects on our mental health. This is particularly affecting teenagers and young people, but us oldies can't really be smug or complacent about it as it's just as easy for us to fall into a similar trap.

Nikki & The Corvettes - Young & Crazy

Working in a mental health hospital, it's clear to see a drastic increase in mental health problems among teenagers - hardly surprising if up to 50% of them are addicted to their mobile phones. In recent years, the medical profession has had to respond to a serious growth in self-harm, eating disorders and suicidal ideation, and one of the many reasons for this is constant unfiltered online conversation about these subjects. Young people are no longer exposed solely to the opinions and experiences of their immediate peer group: the whole world is out there waiting to talk to them. And a lot of the world is not very nice at all...

The Specials - Too Much Too Young

Lockdown often gets blamed for many of the mental health problems people are facing this decade, and I'm sure our experiences during covid had some effect... but arguably the worst thing to come out of the pandemic was the way that so much of our lives was forced online. As a teacher, I'd never taught an online lesson prior to Lockdown. I had to learn how to do so very quickly, but I really thought things would go back to normal once schools and colleges opened up again. And yet, there's been a noticeable push in certain fields of education (particularly universities) to keep at least part of the curriculum online, for reasons that have nothing to do with education and far more to do with saving money. And this has been echoed in a lot of businesses too - how many meetings do people now attend via Teams rather than by sitting around a table with a coffee and looking each other in the eye? Once Pandora opened that box, the lid was never going back on.

Utopia - Rape of the Young

And so our addiction and reliance on the internet in every aspect of our lives has grown stronger. Meaning more screen time for everyone. And nobody's feeling happy about this... except the tech companies. The most recent World Happiness Report suggests that under 25s, traditionally among the happiest section of the population, are now just as stressed and miserable as their middle-aged parents. (In fact, the only generation who still manage to smile are those who've reached retirement age.) 

London Grammar - Wasting My Young Years

Why are young people so miserable? Why are they having a mid-life crisis in their 20s? (They're calling that The Quarter Life Crisis, in case you think I'm making it up.) The cost of living, shrinking job market (thanks, in part, to our new AI Overlords) and slim chance of getting onto the overpriced property ladder must take some of the blame... but I don't think we can underestimate the culpability of the internet. 

Radiohead - We Suck Young Blood

Young people today live their lives online. Many are spending between 7 and 10 hours a day on social media. And by doing so, they are rewiring their brains. Shorter attention spans, a constant craving for dopamine highs, the inability to concentrate on anything longer than a 280 word tweet or a 30 second TikTok video. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Their whole life is affected and controlled by the internet - relationships, education, career, self-worth... 

Lowgold - Beauty Dies Young

Maybe this is just evolution. Maybe their brains need to be rewired to survive in the future. I can't say. Because older generations have been prophesying doom for wreckless youth for decades, if not longer. And I'm just another doomsayer. I wouldn't mind so much if they were happy though. Only they're just as miserable as the rest of us now... and surely that's not what being young is all about?

(Not been a lot of Self Help this week, has there? I'll try to redress the balance next time.)

Snapshots #271: A Top Ten Jet Songs

Here's someone who knows a thing or two about jets: old Tiny Tom. 

Which of you Mavericks did best at identifying my list of Jet Songs? Let's find out who was Top Gun... 

10. He knocks over his pint on Peter's Blue daughter.

He's a Spiller. She's the daughter of Blue Peter presenter Janet Ellis.

Spiller featuring Sophie Ellis Bextor - Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)

9. Freddie's German Empire.

Freddie Mercury was the lead singer of Queen. The German Empire was the (Third) Reich. Metal bands do love their umlauts...

Queensrÿche - Jet City Woman

8. Follow this stylish band to get to De City.

You would follow De Sign to get to De City.

Design - The Jet Song (When The Weekend's Over)

7. Reg Dwight's room at the Crossroads.

Reg Dwight is, of course, Elton John. (Who could have featured in this countdown with B-b-b-Bennie & The Jets.) If Elton was on tour, he might stay at the Crossroads Motel.

Elton Motello - Jet Boy Jet Girl

Those of you who know about such things will recognise that as the original version of the song that would become Plastic Bertrand's Ça Plane Pour Moi. The Elton Motello version was a bit too rude for the time, so they changed the lyrics to nonsense French and a worldwide hit was born.

6. Perfect world.

One for Brian!

Utopia - Disco Jets

5. Fifteen hundred hours, definitely.

The Three O'Clock - Jet Fighter

That's a top video.

4. One twisted Messiah.

One, twisted, is Eno. And he's not the Messiah, (He's a Very Naughty Boy).

Brian Eno - Here Come The Warm Jets

3. Virgin takes money meant for one man and gives it to another.

Mary is robbing Peter to pay Paul.

Peter, Paul & Mary - Leaving On A Jet Plane

I prefer John Denver's version, but he's featured here before. PP&M haven't.

2. Albert's Devil Men.

Anagram!

Steve Miller Band - Jet Airliner

1. Caught in the middle of the swing shift, without a shroud.

No pall (or Paul) in the middle of this SWING Shift...

They're only the band the Beatles could have been.

Jet on back here next Saturday morning for more Snapshots.

My Top Ten John Hurt Songs

I'm not going to go off on one about losing another hero of my youth. Last year was a bad one, but I think we all have to accept now, this is going to happen with greater frequency as we count down to our own departures. Facts of life, and all that.

Never mind, here's ten songs in tribute to The Elephant Man, Kane, Winston Smith and The War Doctor...


10. Johnny Cash - Hurt

Let's start with the best song on the list, though in some ways the least relevant. It's a John, and he's Hurt. It seemed to fit the mood too.

9. Biff Bang Pow! - Chocolate Elephant Man

There will be more references to The Elephant Man in this list than any of John Hurt's other films. I'll explain the main reason for that shortly, but there's another reason. The story of John Merrick touched a lot of songwriters and became a metaphor for loneliness, bravery and prejudice.

Released in 1985, Biff Bang Pow!'s song was obviously inspired by John Hurt's starring role in the 1980 film.

8. Todd Rundgren's Utopia - Winston Smith Takes It On The Jaw

I read the other day that Amazon in the USA has currently sold out of George Orwell's 1984.

Todd Rundgren released this, as part of the Utopia album Oblivion back in the actual 1984. When we only had Ronald Reagan to worry about.

See also David Bowie's 1984 and 1984 (Sex Crime) by The Eurythmics, obviously.

7. Catatonia - Hooked

Very early Catatonia single which ends with the Elephant Man sleeping. Shush,

See also Rufus Wainwright's In My Arms for more Victorian hospital beds John Merrick might sleep in.

6. Pet Shop Boys & Dusty Springfield - Nothing Has Been Proved

From the soundtrack of the movie Scandal, in which Hurt played Stephen Ward, the man who took the rap for the Profumo affair, and ended his own life as a consequence.

5. Sparks - I Wish I Looked A Little Better

Another Elephant Man reference, though Ron and Russell turn it into an ode to teenage insecurity...

Turn out the light, yeah, the light
And I might have a chance
I guess I look slightly worse
Than the Elephant Man
Whoa, oh, oh, I wish I looked a little better

4. The Beautiful South - I May Be Ugly

Paul Heaton does the same, for a slightly older man. Full of cruel jokes, masking a much deeper sadness. Which is a great metaphor for the pain we cause when we judge others by their outward deformities.

When you feel like London
And you look like Hull
You think Travolta pulled Newton-John
Who did John Hurt pull?

3. Alt-J - The Gospel of John Hurt

Sigourney Weaver recalls, "All it said in the script was, 'This thing emerges.'"

No space

L-shaped
Tetris
Tile seeking
Somewhere
Oh somewhere
To fit in
Alien

 

Oh, coming out of the woodwork
Chest bursts like John Hurt
Coming out of the woods

2. The Pogues - Sally Maclennane

As you might have guessed, The Elephant Man is my favourite John Hurt performance, and not just because it's directed by David Lynch. A lot of actors would have turned this role into caricature; he found real pathos. I cry every time I watch it.

I already did My Top Ten Elephant Songs though, which included two songs called Elephant Man. I skipped those this time for deeper lyrical references,

But Jimmy didn't like his place in this world of ours
Where the elephant man broke strong men's necks when he'd had too many pours
So sad to see the grieving and the people that I'm leaving
And he took the road for god knows in the morning

1. Art Garfunkel - Bright Eyes

And if you don't fill up every time you hear this, you didn't grow up in the 70s.

There's a high wind in the trees
A cold sound in the air
And nobody ever knows when you go
And where do you start?
Oh, into the dark

Rest in peace, Hazel.