One receives, with the usual weary sigh that accompanies the morning brief, a dispatch detailing the astounding, if utterly predictable, insights of an 'alt-rocker' — whatever nebulous classification that entails this week — regarding the political inclinations of a fellow musical associate. The headline itself was a triumph of understatement, or perhaps simply a confession of profound exhaustion: "Love for bandmate remains regardless of politics: ‘And that’s fine’." One hardly expects a declaration of eternal fealty, does one?
Apparently, this particular purveyor of discordant noises has, after what one can only assume was a period of intense, soul-searching introspection — or perhaps just a particularly slow Tuesday — arrived at the radical conclusion that individuals with differing political viewpoints can, in fact, coexist without resorting to public brawls or, heaven forbid, unfriending one another on their digital toy boxes. "That’s fine," he is quoted as saying, a sentiment so breathtakingly mundane it almost loops back around to profundity. Almost.
I recall covering actual political differences, the kind that led to strikes, riots, and the occasional regrettable fracas outside Parliament — the sort of news that required more than a lukewarm endorsement of basic human tolerance. One covered the 1983 budget debates, where ideological chasms were measured in unemployment figures, not in whether one could still share a stage with a chap who votes differently. One simply got on with the job, or perhaps had a quiet word over a pint, not issued a press release on the state of one’s affections.
This latest dispatch, however, posits this unremarkable adherence to — what's the phrase? — 'common decency' as a newsworthy event. It suggests, rather disturbingly, that the baseline for human interaction has sunk to such abysmal depths that merely refraining from public vitriol is cause for comment. One wonders what the alternatives were. A public denunciation? A dramatic flounce from the recording studio? Perhaps a passive-aggressive bassline? The possibilities, for those with sufficient energy to care, are evidently boundless.
Frankly, the persistent reporting on the intimate emotional landscapes of those who occupy the cultural fringes has become, dare I say, tedious. It speaks less to the strength of their friendships and more to the relentless demand for 'content' — a term I use with increasing reluctance — that even the most rudimentary acts of cohabitation are now framed as revelations. The editor, bless his cotton socks, will no doubt insist this offers 'hope' or 'a nuanced perspective'. One simply notes, with a heavy heart, that the bar for human aspiration, much like the quality of coffee in the newsroom, continues its relentless plummet. And yes, I suppose, 'that's fine'. It's simply what one has come to expect.
