Everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. - John 8.34

People compelled by craving crawl like snared rabbits. - Dhammapada 24.9

Here you will find information about some of the popular culture to which I am happily addicted. Just remember, this stuff is bad for you. You'd really be much better off reading a book than wasting your time with this garbage.

Television Series

As a Gen-Xer, I grew up with television. In my life I've witnessed the evolution from air-wave broadcasting to cable networking to the convergence of TV and the Internet. In that time, the medium has gone from its classic era when it was the province of the World War II generation, to a new sort of Golden Era in which my generation dominates. Or at least it feels like a Golden Era for people my age, since so much of the content appeals to Generation X's preferences for twisted imagination and an uncomprising look at the raw human psyche.

What follows is some of my favorite TV by genre.

Animation

I used to like to watch the adult-ish animation shows that air on prime time or (for even more mature audiences) late night on niche cable channels. I got over them, though I have to give a hat tip to the man who inspired them all, Matt Groening, whose Simpsons shorts on the Tracy Ullman show in the late 1980s inaugurated an era of subversive animated entertainment. His follow up show, Futurama, is about my favorite TV show ever.

There's a lot of good juvenile animation out there which has adult appeal. I like the work of Genndy Tartakovsky, particularly Samurai Jack and his version of Clone Wars, consisting of 5-minute episodes of a storyline that bridges the Episode II and Episode III Star Wars movies. I also really like the Avatar series from Nickelodean, sort of an American anime set in a wonderful fantasy world.

Sci-fi

In science fiction, a lot of the American series tend to be Star Trek-like: humans explore the galaxy and meet other spacefaring species that look like humans, with some minor differences, and act like humans, too. Really it is all just myth-telling, which is a chronicle of the psyche of the human species. We replaced gods and demons with extra-terrestrial beings, and churned out more mythology. A kind of sci-fi series I prefer is one with an epic sweep, about some vast galactic war, with plenty of political intrigue and heart-wrenching tragedy. The Battlestar Galactica reboot is the best example.

The sci-fi from beyond the United States tends to be weirder and more creative. An example is Lexx, a German production that is bizarre and often disgusting and vaguely transgressive. The best of all, of course, is the British show Doctor Who, the longest running television serial of all time. Yay for more doctors in the 21st century.

Xena and Clones

The Inimitable Joss Whedon

Crime Dramas

Sit-Coms

Movies

Of course, I can't discuss movies without mentioning Star Wars, the film from my childhood which launched a wildly successful franchise which boasts some of the highest grossing movies of all time. When I watched the original film in theatres in 1977 it was the greatest thing I had ever seen, and remains burned into my personality. With the advancement of years, I have come to appreciate that it mostly isn't really great art, but it is still dear to my heart. I always especially loved the Jedi Knights - just the idea of an ascetic order of warriors in a futuristic setting fighting for peace and justice with laser swords and mystical powers.

With perhaps a bit more sophisticated an eye, here are some of the directors I have come to appreciate, organized by generation.

Lost Generation

I'll only mention one director from the classic era. I do enjoy the old black and white movies, but it is the modern era of film which has fed my soul.

Silent Generation

This is the first generation born entirely within the film era. Their directors have become accomplished masters of the art. Thanks to increasing longevity, many of them are still going strong today.

Boomer Generation

This generation rose to dominance in the culture industry, and have helped make movie entertainment a significant part of the global economy.

Generation X

My generation, following in the footsteps of older culture creatives, have sought to carve out their own niches and cultivate distinctive styles. They've also cashed in on the wave of franchise reboots and superhero movies.

Comic Books

In comic books, I like the same thing I like in sci-fi movies and TV - an epic story with lots of war and politics, that explores the effects of technological and sociological change. I'm not so much into the brooding lone protagonist type stories, though certainly they are entertaining.

Here are some notable socio-political graphic novels and series.

Another comic series I have to mention because it is so delightfully creative and unique is Larry Marder's Takes of the Beanworld. It has been described, I think, as an "ecological romance". It's a complete flight of fancy, a series of tales about a universe with its own mysterious rules and fantastic denizens. In the telling, familiar archetypes from our own world emerge. I suppose you could read anything you want into them; I know I have.

Music

Music is a huge part of my life, something I just couldn't live without. Listening to music elevates the consciousness; it is a kind of spiritual experience. It ties into the mathematical nature of music connecting to the fundamental mathematical laws underlying reality. In the right mood, with just the right song, one can be transported into ecstasy.

On my music player you'll find mostly indie rock and electronica. Here is a small sampling of some of my favorite artists, organized kind of by genre and kind of by generation.

Silent Generation

Hawkwind  - A lifetime favorite "space rock" band, with a long recording history (from 1969 to the present) and a large rotating crew of band members from both the Silent and Boomer generations. Lots of great science fiction and fantasy themes in their music.

Boomer Generation

Downtempo

I like sort of jazzy, electronic pop music. Or maybe it's called trip hop or synthpop or something; I don't know. I'm calling it all "Downtempo" and present the following examples. There are both Boomers and Gen-Xers in the mix.

Electronica

Another favorite genre, one that has been embraced by Generation X. But there are some notable Boomers in there too.

Generation X

A Smörgĺsbord of Cultural Delights

There are even more kinds of entertainment available in today's world than the categories I've included here. There's a lot of web-based stuff, on sites such as YouTube. Video and computer games can be thought of as art - arguably computer graphics are the only truly new art form in our age. Who knows where they will go as VR takes off.

I'm going to stick to old-fashioned TV and books for my culture consumption. As I've told my girlfriend, I just regret that in one human lifespan, there is not enough time to watch all the movies and read all the books that have been made. But I will do my best.

^*From Logic's The Incredible True Story.

This page copyright Steve Barrera 2001-2017

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