THE GOBLIN NEWSLETTER 64

Art, fantasy, games & the like are seen as a place of escape for most people. I have been interested in using these things not as an escape from reality but as a doorway between worlds. A doorway that adds dimension & flavor to reality. I have an issue with escape, I feel that if real life is not worth living there is a real problem. If a person chooses to escape this life through whatever vehicle, they are doing themselves & their fellow humans a tremendous disservice. A thing can be a relief, a cathartic experience, yes, no harm in that, but true escape, where the priority isn’t taking something back is the cultural equivalent of junk food or certain drugs. These things can give you mental cavities. Not to be too one-sided on this, it’s fine to indulge in these empty experiences on occasion (I have managed to see all three Deadpool movies!), but they should never be prioritized over things of real substance. Too often I see cultural projects seen as remarkable because of their ease of consumption, massive budget & conference room consensus over digestibility. These should be seen as the cultural equivalents as Oreos, McDonalds or any other number of processed, mass-food items. I have worked hard to not have anger or resentment towards these things, only a fool would rail against these things undeniable consumptive pleasures, they are designed to be easy to consume! However, I am very clear that they are empty calories & can make you very unhealthy if given any prominence in diet. For some reason, culture isn’t looked at or understood this way, but it should be. I listen to alot of techno, specifically early 90s breakbeat hardcore techno. This music is undeniably idiotic & I love some of the most idiotic like Altern-8. This music is repetitive, made up of snips of other music & was made for drug-addled teenagers with brains like rattle cans. I try & counter this by listening to more difficult music like classical, jazz & just stuff I haven’t heard yet. I also have read more than my fair share of comic books, but I liked them for the art & I have been able to view them as art. What I’m saying is your cultural consumption (& production) needs to be understood like your dietary consumption & stuff like Marvel movies need to be understood as Big Macs. Not real.