Long Live Mediocrity

Just returned from walking around my new neighborhood (San Francisco's Outer Richmond) and I had planned on writing a blog about this area. But then I realized I don’t know enough about it yet. I could probably squeeze a few paragraphs on the good burger I had at Bill’s (a 1950’s joint) and the nice glass of Guinness I drank at The Blarney Stone (authentic Irish Pub), but beyond that I haven’t been to many of the places. But once I have the time I plan on doing a lot of exploring. There is much to see and do around here.

So instead I decided to read some old emails and find a good one to post. This was sent to my friend Paul back in the summer of ’04, most likely fueled by some red wine.


June 9, 2004

"Look around and you will see, this world is full of creeps like me. You look surprised, but you shouldn't be . . . this world is full of creeps like me." -Lyle Lovett

Paul,

Was just flipping channels and caught the end of Jay Leno. Three women were singing, and they looked like hideous caricatures of some Branson, Missouri show gone wild. They were gyrating out of sync, croaking a bland pop tune, and blasting Joker-like smiles from pancake make-up. But wait, they also looked familiar. Too young for an 80's band, too old for anything that might be on the charts . . . holy shit, it's Wilson-Phillips. Granted, I never liked their one or two songs that were hits, and they were pretty forgettable when they were released . . . but what had HAPPENED to them in the last 12 years (that was their last appearance on Leno). They are our age and looked just terrible. Not simply old, but haggard and ridiculous and wrong.

I'm not sure why it's bothering me so much. I was laughing when I saw them singing, but when they sat on the couch and stared talking about their new album and how 1992 was the last time they were on Leno . . . I began thinking about how 12 years ago we were still at B.U., and back then I felt like I could write and sell anything I wanted and that everything was possible. And here it is 2004 and a crappy pop group of my generation is doing a fucking REUNION TOUR and I've yet to achieve anything I've set out to do.

Ahh, but that's the way it goes. I've complained for so long now that I don't even listen to myself. I say bring on all the 90's reunion tours- Vanilla Ice, The Spice Girls, and that goddamned group that sang "Macarena". Mediocrity sells, long live mediocrity.

Okay, that's it for now. Hope the house hunting is going well. Talk to you soon.

-Oz