Knox McCoy - The Wondering Years: How Pop Culture Helped Me Answer Lifes Biggest Questions

2018 Knox McCoy

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Epub Edition September 2018 9780785220916

ISBN 978-0-7852-2091-6 (eBook)

ISBN 978-0-7852-2084-8 (TP)

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018907011

Printed in the United States of America

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For Rowe, Sidda Gray, and Marlowe. In all

the fictional worlds Ive visited, the one I

share here with you is my most favorite.

Contents

I gotta say, as a society we have really lost our way when it comes to introductions. Its all lede-burying and the transfer of nonessential information.

A typical introduction goes something like, Hello, Im Duane. I work in IT. Think about that. What do we know about Duane now? Basically his name and his job, two things that 92 percent of Americans report being dissatisfied with.

And Im going to admit to you that I have no idea what IT even means. Something about technology or computers, probably. Intrepid Technologer? Illuminati Taskforce? I dunno. Sure, I could google it and find out, but that would take effort and I just dont care that much. Which is the essence of modern-day introductions: no one cares that much.

You know who does introductions right? People on Game of Thrones. Specifically the shows central figure, Daenerys Targaryen. Listen to the impression she makes with her title: Daenerys Stormborn of the House Targaryen, First of Her Name, the Unburnt, Queen of the Andals and the First Men, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, Breaker of Chains, and Mother of Dragons.

That is such a satisfying introduction it should probably come with a cigarette. We get a lot of stuff we can figure out (example: she probably cant be burnt, Im assuming?) as well as some stuff we need more info on (So, Daenerys, tell me more about these dragons you mother. Whats their thing? What are they about?)

Bottom line: Its a great introduction because it entertains, informs, and gives tons of material regarding who she is and what shes about. Quite a bit better than Duane from IT, right?

Lets look at another great introduction: the theme song of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. It is sonically pleasing and it provides the foundational context of the show. In the span of a couple of minutes, we get the following info:

Will grew up and came to physical maturity in West Philadelphia.

There, he was often found spending his days on the playground.

This was the setting for one skirmish with such ominous forebodings that his mother feared for Wills safety.

Therefore, she put him in a taxicab and sent him from Philadelphia to Bel-Air.

Thats an entire origin story delivered concisely, delightfully, and expertly by the lead character. It only makes sense that youd want to watch the episode to follow.

One last example of introductions done well: The Lion King. As far as Im concerned, its the pice de rsistance of introductions.

Were introduced to the setting of Pride Rock with a broad lyrical rumination of how we are all very much connected, through an Elton John song, which, I think we can all agree, is the most obvious vehicle for a rumination like that.

And the central message of this lyrical sequence is thematically crucial. Its important that the viewer buy into this idea of connection and how circular the circle of life is, because all the animals in the movie already fully embrace this idea.

As the movie begins, were introduced to all the animals traveling to Pride Rock where their lion king, Mufasa, lives with his royal family. Everyone is really feeling the celebratory vibe, and Rafiki, the shaman-monkey character, walks through the crowd and bear-hugs (monkey-hugs?) Mufasa like they are BFFs, despite probably not being naturally simpatico in the wild. I cant authoritatively say that monkeys and lions are adversaries in the wild, but if I had to guess, I would say that they probably arent alliesfinal answer, Regis. But, because of Eltons song, we remember the circle of life thing, so its fine. We go with it.

Next we realize the animals are celebrating the birth of Mufasas son, Simba, the future king of Pride Rock. Heres where things get crazy: Rafiki presents Simba to the gathered animals and they lose it. These animals are for real acting like Oprah just gave them a car.

The monkeys act like theyve freebased illegal stimulants, the antelopes are going bonkers supreme, and the giraffes literally cannot even with all of this lion-cub cuteness. These animals are handling this situation like white people would handle a 75-percent-off sale at Pottery Barn.

We can all agree that this atmosphere is a little incredible, right? Rafiki is honoring the apex predator that feeds on all these animals (Mufasa) by presenting the next apex-predator legacy monster (Simba) who will not only feed on some of the very animals that are present, but also, probably, the children and grandchildren of those animals.

Imagine knowing that your current bosss son, no matter what, will eventually lord over you just because of the circle of employment. Could you conjure up that kind of enthusiasm for your bosss son? Im telling you right now that I super could not.

Anyway, the best part about this opening sequence is that, straight out of the gate, we get a sense of the royal hierarchy, the central players, and the primary character, Simba. Rafiki literally holds him up as a light shines on him.

Wouldnt life be better if all stories followed this template? You wouldnt have to trouble yourself with whether or not Duane from IT is someone you should spend time getting to know.

My point is, the best introductions tell you what is up concisely and creatively. You get a little bit of information with a side of entertainment. And truthfully, I just want a proper introduction and context on who Im spending time with. Ever notice how some books jump right into things like weve been dropped into a noir crime novel?

Gutshot and panicked, I arrived at the destination of my emotional abyss.

An opening line like this and Im like, Who is this gutshot person? And what abyss destination have we arrived at? Is it a Chuck E. Cheese? Or a