Watching such programs makes one realize just HOW extreme 21st-c. life has become.
Recently, Andrew "Bizarre Foods" Zimmern had an episode which I would have entitled: - For couples who are hoping to spice up their lives: Exxxotic ingredients and other aphrodisiacs On Sat, Sep 29, 2012 at 2:10 PM, William Conger <[email protected]>wrote: > Who besides Berg is watching TV bride shows? > WC > > > ----- Original Message ---- > From: joseph berg <[email protected]> > To: [email protected] > Sent: Sat, September 29, 2012 5:47:29 PM > Subject: Re: extreme is in > > On Sat, Sep 29, 2012 at 3:47 AM, William Conger <[email protected] > >wrote: > > > We live in an era of extremes. Maybe it was always the case, at least in > > Western Culture. Whatever the idea or practice, the tendency was and is > > to take > > it to the most extreme level of realization. Then the idea or practice > > collapses and something new is begun. The way to be an artist today is > > clearly > > to do whatever you do to the most extreme. If you use paint then either > > go for > > the most lavish, extravagant use of it or to the opposite extreme , the > > most > > wispy, delicate, slight. It's gotta always be 'over the top'. Smart > > artists > > know they can't 'begin' anything because beginnings of a new cultural > > shift are > > pan-cultural events. They happen insidiously and seemingly everywhere as > > anyone > > who has studied the origins of new ideas quickly learns. But artists, > > alone and > > by sheer will and genius can and do finish cultural eras. They are the > > great > > ones we all admire. Cezanne didn't invent cubism. He finished the > > Renaissance > > perspectival and narrative tradition. Cubism was invented by scholars > > looking > > back at a wide array of tentative changes. So it is with any idea. What > > could > > be more vivid in that respect than the so-called arms race. To invent the > > most > > extreme weapons is the name of the game; to build the most extreme > > (highest) > > building, or the fastest plane, to perform the most difficult feat in > > athletics, > > etc. The list is long. The closer a cultural era is to the most > extreme, > > the > > closer it is to radical change. The whole Western World is now in a > > Baroque > > phase. We're at the extreme of what our culture is. > > > > Go for the extreme of your idea! Take it to the breaking point! Better > > to be > > on the wave than under it. > > wc > > > > > Whenever I watch tv programs which feature brides shopping for their > wedding gowns, it surprises me that almost none of the brides say: > > - I am having a traditional wedding so I want a classic gown. > > Almost all of them say something like: > > - I really don't know exactly what I want, but I know I want > > something..............................DIFFERENT.......................Definitely > > over the top.........................Lots of WOW factor.................and > by the way, not too POOFY. > > Seems like the notion of 'fitting in' has become just soooooooooooooooooooo > 20th-c.
