Have you ever read Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle?
To the OP
yes, you are right; the forces of crassness, vileness, and boorishness appear to be advancing. Here’s what I do:
If I see some trash on the street, I often pick it up and put it in a trash bin. Not quite epochal, but I’ve just made the world slightly less ugly.
Talk to people. Make eye contact. You might be surprised. While walking through a relatively “depressed” area near where I work, a loiterer accosted me with the “how you doin’?” that typically prefaces a request for money. My money. Rather than pretending he didn’t exist, I said “I’m doing great; how are you?” Turns out he’s doing fine too- he was just saying hi. Go figure.
There are small oases of good-will and intent out there; it’s just that the glare and noise of the vulgar hoi-polloi tend to drown them out. Ignore the forest- look at the trees
Binary, seriously I enjoy your posts and I see where you’re heading, but there’s nothing to be done. I would much rather have a happy medium, but that’s how our culture and civilization has evolved. We’re cheap, lazy, uncultured, overweight, and expect everything for free. But that’s American Capitalism.
If you think about it, you’ll get depressed and then you’ll think of the things that are cheap and fast that you like. Do I wish there were less McDonald’s? Sure when I look at the staggering numbers of obesity, but when I’m hungry for a Big Mac I sure love them and don’t think about the calories or the nutritional value.
It’s a love-hate relationship really. Think about the things that do make your life easier, appreciate what you can, change what’s harmful in your life, and just try to make peace with all of it. We’ve opened Pandora’s box and there’s no turning back. Sometimes it’s overwhelming and we have become numb to it all, but that’s where we’re at as civilization. You can never go back, we can only go forward.
Some of us live our lives without this “filter.” We pay at the pump instead of going into the convenience store. We don’t watch network television or listen to the radio. When we do watch TV, we mute it during commercial breaks. We can’t bear to go to movie theatres–especially since they began running ads before the movie. We don’t eat at fast food restaurants. We don’t go to Wal-Mart. We feel sick every time a car drives past with its stereo thumping.
Everyone is like this to a greater or lesser degree.
That’s why I like to stay at home.
Sorry to hear that that bugs you. Personally, I find certain deteriorated man-made objects and man-affected landscapes to be very beautiful. In fact, that’s been the major theme of my photography for the past couple of decades.
Hey, but free nachos!
I’ve got a solution. Write poetry.
No, I’m not kidding.
Pay attention to the world, note the funny little details, make connections, find the similarities, then write about them.
The world suddenly becomes inspirational and weird and neat. You become in control of the way your brain is processing the information. A stink still stinks, but what does it smell like? The counter is still sticky, but what does it feel like?
Interpret the world.
To those folks who seem to get where I am coming from, and who seem to understand just why it is I find what we are doing with our world tacky and distasteful, I offer my thanks for this opportunity to vent and be understood.
To those reflexive defenders of Capitalism, no matter the cost, I invite you to go fuck yourselves. BUT WAIT! THAT’S NOT ALL! ORDER NOW AND RECEIVE FREE OF CHARGE A PROMOTIONAL GET BENT! ACT NOW AND I WILL ALSO THROW IN A THANK-YOU GIFT OF A HAND HELD LIGHTNING ROD! AMAZE AND SHOCK YOUR FRIENDS!*
*participating outlets only. Supplies are limited. Limit of one promotional item per purchase. Must be over 18 to participate. Void where prohibited. Some settling may have occurred during shipping. License and registration fees may apply. Not valid in Guam, Puerto Rico or the US Virgin Islands. By accepting promotion gift, customer agrees that they are the bitch of marketing professionals. Not for highway use. Use protective eyewear. Do not use near fire or flame. May contain peanuts. Keep away from penis. May cause nausea, headache or drowsiness. Not legally binding. A donation in your name has been forwarded to the RNC.
Thank you for the invitation. I’ll be over here, fucking myself, while you stay over there, telling everybody else how they should live their life.
I won’t be able to hear you though, what with the fucking myself and all.
You’re doing it to your ear? :eek:
I am not trying to tell anyone how to live. I am simply pointing out that the way that we are living is base and crass.
Nah, I’m just a very vocal lover. 
Try visiting Europe sometime. It’s less commercial.
No, Europe is not like that, at least not as much. Even the advertising is less intrusive, less hard sell. Restaurant service is generally worse.
Me too. I keep my television unplugged. Haven’t turned it on in months.
NPR is ok, though Lee Ann Hanson gets on my nerves. Now, if there was something that we could do about supermarket music…
On television and in much of the print media, I see inanity. Luckily, there are ways to evade it, for which I am grateful.
Thank g-d for the internet.
… I don’t see marvelous foods at 7-11. Admittedly, I’m not a big fan of milk chocolate. On the other hand, I also live near a terrific (local) grocer who scores the absolute best produce. Farmers markets are nice as well, though pricey.
Not “we”: “Many of us”.
That was actually a pretty good post, Roland, one that I missed the first time around. 'Tanks. (Note to reader: Start with the quoted section).
Do you think this is a good thing?
No, I like American restaurant service, in general.
Whoops- thought you were including bad service with the things that were better about Europe, and couldn’t figure out why.
Once there were parking lots
Now it’s a peaceful oasis
This was a Pizza Hut
Now it’s all covered with daisies
I miss the honky tonks
Dairy Queens, and 7-Elevens
And as things fell apart
Nobody paid much attention
I dream of cherry pies
Candy bars, and chocolate chip cookies
We used to microwave
Now we just eat nuts and berries
This was a discount store
Now it’s turned into a cornfield
Don’t leave me stranded here
I can’t get used to this lifestyle.
-Talking Heads, “Nothing but Flowers”
Sorry it bugs you so much, Binary, but personally? I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s an inevitable side-effect of our amazing prosperity, and if we’re all very lucky, someday every city on Earth will be like that.
BTW, El_Kabong, do you have any of your pictures on-line? You sound like you’ve got a really fascinating aesthetic.
“Amazing prosperity”? Actually, we have a lot more poverty and disease than many other developed countries. We do have the most rich people, and the richest rich people, but we certainly don’t have the greatest prosperity across the board: nowhere near it.
“Every city on Earth”? Not likely: as has already been pointed out, there are many cities in other developed nations that are less heavily commercialized and also better-looking.
If you personally happen to like the ubiquitous commercial flogging of cheap crap, I’ve got no problem with that. You can spend all day reading advertising posters in the mall and the convenience store as far as I’m concerned. But don’t imagine that this is what a city in a prosperous country has to look like.