As you may or may not be aware, in addition to writing for *****The Lawrentian****, I work at WLFM. My job within the music industry elevates me above others and highlights just how much of a renaissance man I am. My official title is Chris Rookie’s Lackey and the job is pretty good except that Chris makes me spend a lot of time running the video camera for his skateboarding videos. When I’m not filming ollies, I listen to new music and deciding if it is worth playing or not.
Artists like The Shins and Elvis send us their music and then we decide if it is good or not. If it is good we give it to the DJs to play and if it is bad we put the CD in a burlap sack that we empty out once a week into the Fox River. Sometimes people call us and ask us what we thought about the music. We usually don’t lie to them.
Sometimes the musicians themselves call us because they think that we will be impressed. We are unfazed because we knew Mike Noyce before he was famous. It was cool, though, when we got a call from Panda Bear because those animals are pretty darn cute.
Much of the music is good but some of it is really bad. Most of the music that we get, however, falls in between the two poles and yet still finds the burlap sack. This music is not bad per se, and less experienced ears might consider it worthy of airplay because nothing is wrong with the music. But faultless music often has the unforgivable fault of being mediocre.
Life is too short to listen to average music. The music world is incredibly diverse and deep. There is always another terrific band that you have never heard. You would be selling yourself short if you indulged in mediocre music, seeing as it is pretty easy to find some stellar music. I don’t mean to sound like a snob; I just think that people shouldn’t settle for an unnecessary cheap substitute.
But I’m a hypocrite because I settle for the adequate in other arenas. I appreciate good food but usually don’t take the time to find or make myself something beyond decent. Am I foolish for not seeking out better food? I am like those who listen to the pop-punk bands that all sound the same and don’t stand out at all.
Which isn’t a big deal, I guess. I can eat mediocre food and they can listen to mediocre music. Food connoisseurs can look down their noses at monotonous cuisines, but if those eating are satisfied, why should anyone complain? Those with distinguishing tastes can procure themselves the cream of the crop and those without can save themselves some time.
No one, then, should complain. If you’re satisfied, you’re satisfied, and if you’re not, you should get yourself something better. This rule applies to food and music. It also applies to classes and professors; Lawrence has so many good courses that, aside from a few Gen-Ed’s, people shouldn’t have anything to complain about, curricular-wise.
It might sound harsh, but I think the rule applies to people. There are lots of great people here, so maybe you should reconsider the friendship with which you are always frustrated. The rule doesn’t apply to parents because it can be hard to find new parents, but if you come from a big family it does apply to siblings.
I don’t think I could come up with an exhaustive list of the things to which the rule applies. I might, however, try to complain less and see if I can find some more applications of this rule.
Men at Work – jbs -cd
