How much escapism is too much escapism? - General Tiki

A aquarj Tiki Socialite SF bay area, CA Joined: Apr 02, 2002 Posts: 1125	A aquarj Posted posted on Wed, Dec 14, 2005 1:18 PM Keep in mind, the same forms of escapism that many of us enjoy now were actually much more mainstream 40-50 years ago, but I think were broadly considered escapism back then too. I would be thrilled if there were as many options today for the flavors of escapism that I like, as there were back then. And that was a direct consequence of the greater popularity at the time. Remember, it started as Polynesian Pop, not Polynesian Underground! Same goes for the googie and modern styles born out of the optimistic futurism of the time. It was a form of escapism to imagine a dynamic and exciting future made possible by technological and scientific advances, and this drove an esthetic that became visible in many layers of regular life (in some regions more than others). I agree with some of the earlier posts in that I don't understand why the current mainstream preference seems to be for either dystopian futures or contemporary blandness, and it tends to make one feel like an outsider. It's weird though, because there's direct historical evidence that the "mainstream" can have good taste, so what's wrong with people nowadays? Another angle on this ties back to the subject question - how much is too much. Way back in high school, there was an LP that I bought and listened to so much, that I played it literally to death - meaning I got sick of it. I'd say that's when it's too much - when it's no longer a fresh experience. For me, excessive familiarity tends to extinguish the flame of intrigue and imagination that goes with any experience, escapist or otherwise. I've often suspected that this is an element of "what's wrong with the mainstream" today. What started as the esthetics of popular escapist fancy became familiar and dated over time, to the degree that many people would look at a soaring A-frame that once seemed exotic and even optimistic, but would only see something out of step with the times. This is understandable - sometimes it's hard to appreciate something's intrinsic beauty when there's so much other context that we all routinely incorporate into our judgment - but the good news is that there are a lot of creative remedies to get around this. -Randy

Keep in mind, the same forms of escapism that many of us enjoy now were actually much more mainstream 40-50 years ago, but I think were broadly considered escapism back then too. I would be thrilled if there were as many options today for the flavors of escapism that I like, as there were back then. And that was a direct consequence of the greater popularity at the time. Remember, it started as Polynesian Pop, not Polynesian Underground!

Same goes for the googie and modern styles born out of the optimistic futurism of the time. It was a form of escapism to imagine a dynamic and exciting future made possible by technological and scientific advances, and this drove an esthetic that became visible in many layers of regular life (in some regions more than others). I agree with some of the earlier posts in that I don't understand why the current mainstream preference seems to be for either dystopian futures or contemporary blandness, and it tends to make one feel like an outsider. It's weird though, because there's direct historical evidence that the "mainstream" can have good taste, so what's wrong with people nowadays?

Another angle on this ties back to the subject question - how much is too much. Way back in high school, there was an LP that I bought and listened to so much, that I played it literally to death - meaning I got sick of it. I'd say that's when it's too much - when it's no longer a fresh experience. For me, excessive familiarity tends to extinguish the flame of intrigue and imagination that goes with any experience, escapist or otherwise.

I've often suspected that this is an element of "what's wrong with the mainstream" today. What started as the esthetics of popular escapist fancy became familiar and dated over time, to the degree that many people would look at a soaring A-frame that once seemed exotic and even optimistic, but would only see something out of step with the times. This is understandable - sometimes it's hard to appreciate something's intrinsic beauty when there's so much other context that we all routinely incorporate into our judgment - but the good news is that there are a lot of creative remedies to get around this.

-Randy

Post #203108 by aquarj on Wed, Dec 14, 2005 1:18 PM