It is that underground river of minds, that cultural collective unconscious that is now becoming conscious, surfacing with explosive, firehose force on Blogger, LiveJournal, and YouTube. Since little of it is likely to be read or viewed by many, what's the big difference whether all that stuff is recorded and published or not? The answer is that the process of creating it makes all the difference. An idea expressed becomes solid, sharp, and actual. It makes a splash in the collective pool and its ripples may reach even those who haven't directly witnessed it.
The mind that expresses these ideas is exercised and sharpened. It becomes a producer rather than a "consumer" (a word that deserves to die), a contributor to the culture of more than just a pair of glazed eyeballs attached to a wallet. The availability of a much vaster range of ideas for cultural selection to sort through, and of a much greater number of agile minds doing the sorting, must, you'd have to think, accelerate cultural evolution.Contrary to conventional wisdom, I bet most people posting on YouTube or MySpace don't hope to become famous or fancy themselves the equals of accomplished artists. They're just having fun doing a very human thing that for too long was falsely believed to be the exclusive province of recognized artists and experts. They just can't resist the urge to hit back the hot serves coming at them, to be active participants in the making of culture.
Article comments
1 - Zedd
amba
I suggest that the "YOU" revolution is a response to a lack of heroes. Most obvious is our president who presents himself in a way which does not require respect or admiration of any sort.
The children growing up now, also know more about electronics in many cases than their parents. This also is not inspiring.
People have lost hope in media personalities. After Coppell who was left, Elizabeth Varga????? She looks to be trying to look earnest but does she garner respect?
The CNN bunch is trying to seem in the know,and part of the gang... than portraying an image of those who are well informed and extraordinarily exposed to areas that we have no access to. We can tell that they are kissing up to us for ratings.
Many of us are obsessed with me time... pedicures, manicures, guys gel hair and do facials.
P