Is snarky wit on its way out?
From music to movies and late-night TV, earnestness seems to be everywhere in pop culture right now.
From music to movies and late-night TV, earnestness seems to be everywhere in pop culture right now.
The word 鈥渟nark鈥� has been around for well over a century, but it took hordes of bloggers and tweeters to turn it into a way of life. Snide remarks and too-cool-for-school attitudes permeate US culture nowadays, and earnestness has all the cachet of Hootie and the Blowfish.
See what I did there? I snark, therefore I am. (Sorry, Hootie.)
Yes, for many of us, there鈥檚 no stopping our desire to show our superiority to the world by pointing out the inanities and hypocrisies that permeate our ...
鈥淚t might seem crazy what I鈥檓 about to say ...鈥�
Wait, what鈥檚 this I hear? Is it Pharrell Williams singing his hit song that just won鈥檛 quit?
鈥淪unshine she鈥檚 here, you can take a break ...鈥�
All I want to do is move around to the music. And smile. But not for the usual reason 鈥� because I just totally burned someone with a wicked tweet. No, this time it鈥檚 ...
鈥淏ecause I鈥檓 happy!
鈥淐lap along if you feel like a room without a roof!
鈥淏ecause I鈥檓 happy!
鈥淐lap along if you feel like happiness is the truth!鈥�
Argh! Must seek antidote to sincere music that makes me want to bust a move instead of dwelling on humanity鈥檚 foibles. Maybe a downer of a movie will help.
Let鈥檚 see what鈥檚 playing: 鈥淗eaven Is for Real,鈥� 鈥淕od鈥檚 Not Dead,鈥� 鈥淣oah.鈥� Plus animated movies like 鈥淩io 2鈥� and films about the Muppets and even Mr. Peabody and Sherman.
In other words: Faith, wonder, and childhood innocence galore! Also known as snark kryptonite. There鈥檚 even 鈥淭he Grand Budapest Hotel,鈥� directed by Wes Anderson, who鈥檚 been linked to a 鈥淣ew Sincerity鈥� movement in American pop culture. Is there no escaping all this non-meanness?
Maybe I鈥檒l just stay home this evening and watch TV. Ah, there鈥檚 David Letterman, the grumpy late-night host who brilliantly punctured the glittering self-regard of Hollywood鈥檚 starmaking machinery.
But wait: Letterman鈥檚 a short-timer. He鈥檒l be replaced by Stephen Colbert, who鈥檚 expected to shed his satirical attire as a conservative blowhard.
Click! Oh look: It鈥檚 鈥淭onight Show鈥� host Jimmy Fallon, who is topping the ratings with bubbles of good cheer.
鈥淔allon is always happy to be there, always happy that his guests are there, and always happy you are there, too,鈥� writes Slate鈥檚 Willa Paskin. But, she adds, there鈥檚 method to his lack of malicious madness: 鈥淔allon and his staff understand the power 鈥� and not just the authenticity 鈥� of Jimmy鈥檚 ultimate-nice-guy persona.鈥�
This may be the ultimate importance of being earnest in 2014. It helps sincere performers stand out from the crowd.
We snark, and they shine.