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Cliques Are Us vs. Kyle's Withdrawal Symptoms
Dear all,
My first thought when I saw THE offensive post was somebody was being ironic
to teach us that Kyle is pretty middle-of-the-road when it comes right down
to it.
My second thought was, Gee Kyle, whose computer are you borrowing? I mean,
isn't it a little convenient for someone with Kyle's bitterness, lack of
creativity, and yes, the same suspect spelling, to come along and make Kyle
look good right while he's hovering on-line posting every few minutes? He
gets to do his little rebuttal, and there you go, all of a sudden Kyle is
coming off quite the little gentleman. But maybe his multiple addresses that
he was boasting about are actually used for something constructive.
It has been a long day and I shouldn't waste lame conspiracy theories on
people with better things to think about. So I'll get to the heart of the
matter.
Most everyone on this list is here because Over the Rhine means something or
meant something to them. In a world glutted with bands, (there are 1600
un-signed bands in Boston alone hoping for a piece of the action), Over the
Rhine's music somehow raised its hand, and we all took notice. Some of us
were deeply moved by their music, and because life is short, we tend to want
to thank them in small ways if we are able for making our days and nights a
little richer.
Not everyone has hours and hours everyday to spend discussing the band here
in this forum. Many people check in from time to time hoping to glean or
contribute something interesting. So when I come back after a few weeks
absence and one of the first things I read is Kyle going off on a first-time
contributor about haircuts, and offering tedious criticism on humor of all
things, I begin to ask myself, Who is this person who tends to dominate the
conversation day after day, whose sole existence in this world seems to be
to cut and paste, who represents most things the band I came to enjoy has
worked so hard to rise above? Things like cynicism, self-absorption,
mediocrity, lack of originality, boredom, abrasiveness?
Kyle if you aren't functioning much like a parasite, why don't you just give
the discussion a rest for a month or so? Everyone will still be here. Are
your fingers shaking? Are you getting nervous? Growing a bit pale? Clutching
your handful of alternate addresses? Can you exist without Over the Rhine?
Is this the one place in the world where a few people know your name?
Forgive me, but when I stop by, it appears that Kyle wouldn't have a life
without Over the Rhine. And for those who are so quick to argue that Kyle is
intelligent, does it require intelligence to deconstruct ad nauseum? I mean
if Kyle couldn't copy everyone elses posts into his own, and then pee on
them, what would he actually talk about? Is he even capable of just offering
up an original idea without quoting everyone else?
It takes intelligence to build something. If Kyle really wanted to critique
Over the Rhine, he could build something with his life like the members of
Over the Rhine have done, something original that speaks for itself. The
members of Over the Rhine don't have to go around railing about how mediocre
the world is. Their work speaks for them and says, Well here is an
alternative, here is something a little different. If it resonates with you,
enjoy. This is our attempt to create something good.
Tearing something down day after day and building nothing with your own life
doesn't require intelligence; at best it requires swinging by the costume
shop for a wood-tick outfit.
And now for the heart of the matter. If I get upset when I see people
grossly mis-representing the spirit of Over the Rhine in this discussion
it's because I ask myself, What the hell is going on with this space that
Over the Rhine provides, a space which seemed so foreign the first time I
stopped by for a visit? I mean back then Kyle for one was pontificating
about handguns. And no, it didn't have anything to do with the lyric to
Within Without.
I ask myself how many people are stopping by and taking one look at the
level of conversation people like Kyle perpetrate day after day, and say,
Thanks but no thanks, I'll stick to the music.
Take Samantha. Here you have someone who is interested in writing and music
that comes to the list and good old Kyle wants to keep the level of
conversation centered around Karin's hair. Samantha's post is intelligent
because she is not just offering a mindless criticism, she is stepping up to
the plate and going on record saying, I was moved. And she poses the
question to herself, I wonder if I could ever do that for someone else.
Wake up call everybody. If you weren't so dumbed down day after day with
Kyle's own lack of originality, you would recognize that there are dozens of
interesting things raised by Samantha's post.
Why is the music of Over the Rhine moving in the first place? Have you ever
met a child who is not an artist? Is losing one's innocence as a child
essentially the same as laying down that part of our humanity that we were
given at birth, that part of us which for lack of a better description, is
artistic? Is the struggle to be an artist really just a struggle to regain
innocence? (Hey, I never thought about that band's name, The Innocence
Mission, in relation to this until just now. Hmm.) Does Over the Rhine's
music invite everyone to participate in some sort of artistic journey, or is
it something that comes off as a bit exclusive, holier-than-thou?
If these sorts of things or any number of relevant things are not being
discussed because a few people want to ruin it for everybody, well, it's a
bit sad, and funny or not it feels a little bit pathetic. And you all may
never know what you are missing, because the people that could contribute at
length from their own personal experience on topics of equal or greater
interest won't bother hanging around participating in a conversation that is
banal more often than not.
On a final note, is this a community or a clique? Communities tend to thrive
on ideas and inclusiveness. Cliques tend to thrive on inside jokes, a hazing
mentality, a tendency to bully newcomers, and a sort of in-bred stale
intellectualism.
I would be surprised if this discussion list isn't in the process of
shrivelling up and dying. Over the Rhine has a record out on Virgin. Walk
into the Virgin Megastore in NYC in Union Square: they're playing Over the
Rhine, there are records everywhere, they are getting played here in the
city--where are all the new people? You know their site is getting thousands
of hits. Why isn't this place buzzing with new life and new ideas? Is this
the only part of Over the Rhine that's not growing? I'll bet you any amount
of money it is. I'll bet that dozens of intelligent artistic people stop by
and take one look at the level of conversation that has evolved thanks in
part to the Kyle(s) of the world and say, Hmm, I don't detect a whole lot
here that interests me.
So if you like business as usual, carry on. If you would like this list to
be a growing thriving community, think twice before you praise and defend
mediocrity.
I'll check back in a few weeks.
Hoping for the best,
H.
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