Are You Not Entertained?

I just realized something today. Maddeningly so. I blog about Planescape Torment because I am legitimately hindered from writing about it. And it's not the same thing. Not to me. Otherwise why would I have made the statement? You see you have to know what's going on to get it. And if you don't, you miss the boat. Hell, you don't even see the boat. You don't even know that there is a boat.

Should I wrap it up in gold paper or coat it in chocolate? Should I apply a liberal dosage of cute pop culture? Or saturate it in clever idiomatic expressions... Or leave it as it is, flopping around gasping for AIR that it wants to breath but which it can't? Or can it be force-fed to the masses, jammed right down their throats in an AVATAR-esque fashion? No, because for that to happen it would naturally have to, in fact, suck. A matter of opinion? Isn't it always? But some things, when they have had time to burn down to their core -- after sifting through ash and smoke painted in bright pretty colors -- just suck. And some things don't. For example, Shawshank Redemption doesn't suck. I don't care how much you flowed with the crowd and slandered it upon release. You know it's a good film.

I have now crossed over into that zone where the blogger is killed. Not crucified in public, just cut down and taken out to trash as an afterthought. I entered that zone when I started this blog because at the end of the day, you can't really convincingly play the charade. This is who you are. The classically pure form of an amateur but really only for one reason: public perception based on the notion that people like to be entertained if not more importantly be accepted by being "in the know." Notice how I said "perception". Often times it is just that. And public perceptions these days are increasingly founded upon falsehood. Don't believe me? If James Cameron, and you know who he is, said tomorrow that Planescape Torment was the greatest story ever conceived you would believe him. Maybe it would take millions of dollars in marketing and advertising and press conferences and rhetoric, but you'd believe him. Or at least most people would because not everyone will, I give you that. I might not believe him. But chances are, you would. Even if the millions weren't spent... except they already have been. He could say it tomorrow in an off the cuff comment to an ET anchor, and it has already been funded.

Call me a nut but if I had to stand before God and make an accounting for energy expended on entertainment purposes I will be relieved to admit that I've spent some time in Sigil, the city of doors -- a lame fictional world of no import and wild eyed dreams while the big line of folks behind me are smug with confidence at presenting to their maker Pandora, the Kingdom of Heaven itself.

And now many would argue that it's time for me to step off my crumbling pedestal, back down from my pulpit and walk out of the burning church. Get the hell out of dodge before random blog commentator sheriff comes to town. But I'm not on one. I'm not in dodge or on a pedestal. This isn't about James Cameron or Avatar. If you were thinking I was you have fallen to the whims of what I like to call "angry blogger syndrome". Most do it because they can't do anything else. I may be in that boat, sure, but I am aware of the boat in any case.

The pure truth here -- call the above a test, point, or my personal opinion -- is that you should be able to decide something for yourself regardless of what is said or not. If you have decided on whatever, and it's you, and that's the truth, then I admire that; even if it is Avatar. Because the most eternally consequential aspects of your existence have been in the past, and will continue to be forever, choices that YOU make.

And now for what some would perceive as a confession, but which to me is just the truth that hasn't been accepted like so many truths, sadly enough... if you are in fact asking the question... I don't fancy myself a blogger. Never have, never will. I promise you that. Blogging is a specific part of a larger form of art. And I don't have a good grip on it. It's like, in the sports realm, say, soccer: there's a few damn good players, a lot of okay players and even more who just plain suck. But keep in mind that there is also baseball, football, volleyball -- whatever. I'm not a big fan of soccer and I lived in Brazil for 2 years. I prefer basketball any day of the week. So in this sense, do I fancy myself a basketball player? Quem sabe... But I'll NEVER play soccer well.

And for the sake of this blog, It was always ever about Planescape Torment...

As a great fictional film character once said -- and in light of the aforementioned PST and maybe a great game of basketball, not a blog or soccer -- are you not entertained?