John Mayer for President

[bzbatl]

This just kind of irked me and made me think about how ironic the comment is, and how much the older (in control) generation just doesn't understand anything about Gen X/Y's attitude or thought processes.

From the New York Times coverage on the Grammys:

And John Mayer’s “Waiting on the World to Change” comes at the war in a more oblique manner.

First off, John Mayer hasn't been very politically motivated in his songs like "Body is a Wonderland" and that song about visiting the cool people from high school and rubbing it in their face.

Secondly, John Mayer has been interviewed about his "politically charged" song a few times, and he brushes them off just about every single time.

If you're not familiar with the song, it's a very short and simple tune. It's basically defending people his age not being politically active. Basically, we know the government is fucked up, but we know we can't do anything about it - yet. Hence, "Waiting On The World To Change".


Maybe it's ramblings from the late 60s all over again... but I'm thinking not. The truly educated, smart folks of Gen X/Y seem to be more independent and centrist in nature, rather than just going with the "cool, young" thing, or just to go against the establishment.

Obviously, older folks don't get it. We're called the "South Park Republicans" when we use comedy for political commentary. The rapid delivery of information has changed the way we analyze our news. We know to go to one side or the other to get differing viewpoints - but we KNOW it's always skewed and delivered in a censored manner. Comedians have again kicked off the stereotype/racial humor and that's encouraged the elimination of the Political Correctness movement. The American people have had racial purging due to the draft and wars overseas - our culture has obviously changed vastly in just the last 10 years.

Libertarianism is gaining popularity as the media continues to say we're "more polarized than ever". Yet you (I say you in the 25-40 age range) go and talk to all your friends, and probably find the vast majority of them are centrists.

And we come back to John Mayer and the NYT says it's a song about being anti-war. The only problem is, he doesn't say anything about being against the war in the song. Closest line to that sentiment is about bringing your neighbors home from war so they don't miss another Christmas.

He goes on in the song, saying something about how the media is manipulated and tells you what they want you to hear, rather than the facts.

Which is pretty damned funny, considering the NY Times' interpretation.



So - after that long winded commentary - here's the question for you politically minded fogies: am I completely off the mark, and you were saying the exact same thing 30 years ago? Or have we done enough of the teeter-totter act and we're finally attempting balancing it out in a centrist society?

[bush]

[malvolio]

well well...a john mayer connoisseur. is this a serious thread?

[jim schmidt]

I think you overestimate the relevance, intelligence and meaningfulness of opting out. I also think you overestimate the meaningfulness of pop music (in general.) And I don't really find anything in common with the sentiments of the 60s. Quite the opposite, actually.

But this is the kind of stuff you're supposed to think about. And being somewhat jingoistic (not a perfect word but you get my meaning) about your generation is about as normal as it gets.

[jk750]

While that statement was about as long as I've ever seen Jim type, it is pure genius in the meanings conveyed per words used.

What I really admire about Jim is his economy of words. He says everything that needs to be said with the fewest words necessary. Unlike myself.

The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do. Especially with members of SBN that never scroll this far down. Economy of words.

[BusaDave]

Interesting that this should come up. While "my generation" may have occasionally been misguided and sometimes guilty (as if to personify an entire generation) of wishful thinking, I have always found myself a little disheartened by this Mayer song.

However, it was only today that I heard this song again and found myself thinking that this is the single most frustrating thing on my mind these days. I do not personally lay the blame at the feet of "Mayer's generation" but rather everyone currently alive who watches and "waits" for the world to change rather than insisting on it.

[hybrid]

To be honest I take a bit of offense to that song no less..............and Im a fan of his.

What the fuck "Waiting on the world to change" means to me is that he opts to puss out and instead of inciting some kind of revolution...........hed rather hope that our generation gets it right......

You know what though, the children of the douche bags are in training to be bigger douche bags. The world wont change by waiting it out.........itll just get worse.

I find his song right up against sticking your head in the sand.

Waiting is like praying..............it sure does pass the time but it isnt very fucking productive.

[bassholic]

John decided he needs to wait b/c he doesnt have the pull to start a revolution

[ty454]

I don't understand how he gets all the chicks. He's dirty and overweight, sounds like a in his songs. But they all flock to him so he must have something I don't.

[051000RR]

^^Now that is funny...The man is a puss...But he might do a better job than our current...Ohh but that would not take a whole lot now would it?

[hybrid]

its because he is dirty and unkept that he gets chicks...........dude dont give a fuck.

He is supposedly a porn loving motherfucker so A+ for that........

I just dont like the contents of the song........idea wise.

His other songs are panty droppers though..........chicks love that shit.

[scatterbrained]

Originally Posted by bzbatl

This just kind of irked me and made me think about how ironic the comment is, and how much the older (in control) generation just doesn't understand anything about Gen X/Y's attitude or thought processes.

....yada yada....


So - after that long winded commentary - here's the question for you politically minded fogies: am I completely off the mark, and you were saying the exact same thing 30 years ago? Or have we done enough of the teeter-totter act and we're finally attempting balancing it out in a centrist society?

30 years ago I was just an egg and a sperm trying to get together so needless to say I was waiting for my world to change.
As far as the rise of libertarianism I see it as a return of the ideas of the Enlightenment.
Some people are getting smart and realizing that government controlled economies and thought police are not a good thing.
Ultimately what I see is a society with so many distractions that people don't want to be bothered with politics, for all the rhetoric about how bad things are here and there and everywhere in the US, most people are comfortable enough in their lives that they don't see a need to spend time even trying to educate themselves about it.
I fear that until things get really bad, ie. USSR kinda bad, people won't make any effort to speak up, and by then it will be too late.

[bzbatl]

Good commentary from such a horribly threaded together thought process (mine)

jim - i need a little more elaboration on opting out... you mean john mayer's song saying he's opting out, and that's ok? I don't think that's the idea of the song, or the thought of many of his (age) peers.

As I would interpret it, we're waiting a certain number of fogies to kick the bucket, then our generation will be the only ones left to rule.

It's not really that pop music is important in the messaging, but rather ideas that musicians have (think bards of the dark ages) attempting to translate the popular sentiment. It's important to note that popular music, when politically charged, does express an opinion of many, if not a majority, of people of the time period it's written.

After 9/11 there were quite a few "patriotic" songs and renditions of existing songs released. Currently there's a lot of Katrina and Bush-hating songs out there. It's getting as cliched as rapping about hos, paper, and bling.

As far as jingoism about your own generation - I'm just wondering if the sentiment of the 60's was similar or in fact quite different as I'm perceiving it. A drawn-out war just seems to be the commonality between the times.


Busa - the song definitely represents a helpless feeling... in that we're supposed to be the budding leaders, but we're not given the chance to make the change. Our elders are constantly bottlenecking our progress.

Take for example Social Security. The old people would rather make sure they are taken care of, than worry about the situation that will unfold when their grandchildren are their age.

Or another example could be the fact that people refuse to retire. The working age gets older and older... during dotcom explosion, there were many chances given to the younger generation. The fault should be placed on the older generation, trying to bank on those ideas. Stock market didn't crash because 20 year olds were running companies. It's because Mr. Wall Street overinflated the viability of a company run by an unexperienced rookie class of C-level execs.

If you compare it to the NFL - there's plenty of reason to try out a rookie qb, but not every team will have a star rookie. Same thing goes for some of the vets, but on the other side of the coin - not everyone can be Jerry Rice.

So what happens after the dotbomb? Those chances are gone. The young people obviously don't know how to run companies. Everything goes back to the Gimme Generation and they think they know what they're doing A perfect example is the recording industry. It took a LONG time for a company like Apple to do a product like iTunes. But most of the industry isn't going for the evolution.

Again, it could be said that we're just waiting for a certain few old folks to kick the bucket.


hybrid - it's not that we're all just sitting around waiting. Some of us are plotting and being patient - something that's been lost in our generation of instant gratification.

[bush]

Originally Posted by hybrid

Waiting is like praying..............it sure does pass the time but it isnt very fucking productive.