New Primitivism

 These days it seems as if everyone I talk to is dismayed at the declining state of politeness and manners in America. Many explanations are proffered, but none explain it better than the concept of “New Primitivism”. Briefly, the idea suggests that we have entered an era in which brute power and ruthless competition determine the distribution of rewards in society. By contrast, one would believe that people are becoming more civilized as time goes on, due to increased social restraints on our animal urges. Polite, intelligent behavior is no longer rewarded however, as manners and morality fall by the wayside in favor of anything goes competition. The quality of our art, literature, and music are left wanting for lack of enlightened inspiration.

 The root cause of this new primitive mindset is the burgeoning population. The greater the numbers, the greater the competition for society’s scant resources. In order to survive, the average person is forced to make a moral choice: to behave altruistically and lose out to the more aggressive types, or cast aside ones higher instincts in return for material rewards. As more and more people accept this Faustian bargain the overall level of social behavior declines to the point where guttural behavior becomes the new norm. As the new norm permeates all levels of society higher behavior is not only left by the wayside, it is forgotten almost completely. Out of sight, out of mind.

 This new Primitivism is exhibited most notably in the pop culture promoted by television and the media. The public seems to have an unquenchable thirst for viewing the new lows we can sink to. This is why we get endless coverage of Britney Spear’s latest folly, whether it be weight gain or drug relapse. The real issue is that she hasn’t created any lasting music of value; she neither writes her own music nor has mastered an instrument. Let’s face it, if it weren’t for the fact that she looks good in hot pants, she’d be just another teen tart. Coincidentally, Michael Jackson is touted as a “genius”. He may have been a phenomenal entertainer, but he was certainly no genius. Albert Einstein was a genius. As cool as Jackson’s Moonwalk was, he was just aping a primitive dance move. What about Neil Armstrong’s moonwalk? Wasn’t that just a tad more historically relevant? Mozart was a musical superstar. How many people today know anything about their historical contributions?