There was a brief article in the Times a few weeks ago entitled, "In the age of the over amplified, a resurgence for the humble lecture." It was about the resurgence of interest in lectures, readings, etc. in libraries, bookstores, pubs and so forth. I didn't pay a lot of attention to it since it was oriented toward the New York scene and I am an Arizona cowboy, but the title stuck with me like garlic in the morning.
The intimate community has much to recommend it. So does subtlety, simplicity and calmness.
Much of contemporary entertainment is anything but that. Go to a professional sporting event and, if you haven't been for a while, you may be surprised with the amount of noise, the constant stimulation of the senses and, well, the vulgar commercialism that the owners and promoters assume fans want.
Attend a blockbuster of a movie palace and note how overwhelming the special effects have become.
Go to a mega-church and wonder at the super-dramatic, over-amplified methods of communication that come at you from every direction.
Size, sound, constant motion, overkill on stimulation, everything for a price - this is the style of entertainment we find at every hand. Problem is that you eventually get to the point where it becomes a prerequisite for participation.
I know. I'll never win this one. It's gone too far. It is ingrained in the modern psyche.
But I confess to being a minimalist in all of the above activities - and more. It seems to me that the more noise and drama that is used to capture and hold our interests and loyalties, the less sensitive we become to the best things in life. By this I mean the things of the earth and the spirit. Boil a basketball game or a worship service down to its essentials and for the lover of such things let the human imagination make its own contribution. Let things be what they are. No more than that. This gives us room for growth and gives that human activity the chance to be what it basically is.
I can see why in New York some folks are rejoicing in the humble lecture. I do too.
You articulated something I've been feeling for some time now. So much of what goes on in this life is totally overwhelming because there is so much "amplification".
I saw "King Kong" a couple of months ago and couldn't wait for it to end. Were I not with my children, who expect this out of their entertainment, I would have walked out early on...
Andy
Posted by: Andrew Bourland | April 25, 2006 at 10:00 AM
Strikes a chord here too. Today's kids yawn at the site of the flying monkeys in Wizard of Oz. I trembled...
Posted by: Peter Bourland | April 25, 2006 at 10:01 AM
I am a Phoenix Suns fan. At every timeout the court is literally filled with dancing girls, phony gorillas, gymnastics, etc - all backed up by blaring music. I'll watch on tv, thank you. And thanks for your thoughtful comments!
Posted by: citrus | April 25, 2006 at 10:31 AM
I refuse to go to the cinema now. The sound is not only far too loud, but the noise of the music and special effects drown out the speech. I buy the DVD and play it with the subtitles turned on.
Most lectures now are incomplete without visual aids (or visual distractions). The lecturer has usually played with PowerPoint to introduce the most innovative way of changing slides.
When I gave my Professorial Inaugural lecture at the University, the slide projector jammed after the fourth slide. It could not be restarted.
I threw away my slides and my notes and spoke extempore for 60 minutes. I had rave reviews, more for the mode of presentation than the content, I suspect.
Posted by: Terry Hamblin | April 25, 2006 at 10:39 AM
*turning hearing aid up* WHAT??
I'm with Terry, but I just plug my ears.
Posted by: Roger Bourland | April 25, 2006 at 01:42 PM