In many ways, after almost 50 years in this universe, I am still insecure. But I’m fine with who I am. I don’t feel that I have to fake my opinions or tastes. That doesn’t mean that I think they are objectively right. But I am confident in myself and I trust in my opinions. If you really think that my musical taste sucks, it is probably an indication that you are insecure about your own musical taste. Regardless, everyone should get to this point in life. And actually, my closest friends are the same way, even though we rarely agree about much of anything in terms of art. (We tend to agree on politics, which is quite a lot more important.)
One thing I really hate is the use of people’s insecurities in commercials. A great example of this is the new Infiniti Q50 “conformity” ad. It shows a line of humans being created with their business suits and all that stuff. The announcer says, “Commence conformity protocol.” And then one guy is slipped a key to the Infiniti Q50, and he escapes. Freedom is just one purchase away!
The thing is that the commercial is not targeted at kids. The Infiniti Q50 is a $40,000 car. They are going after business people who probably think of themselves as secret rebels. It reminds me of those bumper stickers I used to see that said, “Why Be Normal?” I always thought, “Why not be normal?” All my life, I’ve tried to be normal. I’ve thought I was normal. For someone like me, being weird is not something you choose to do because you want to give the squares a fright. That’s childish bullshit.
So for all those people out there who think that they are “passing” and that deep down they’re really creative rebels, I have some news for you. If you’re passing, it’s because the “conformity protocol” worked really well on you. There’s a reason why society calls people like you “suits”: it’s the most memorable thing about you. You have two options if you want to change that. You could stop being a suit and try to do something good with your life, even if it is only on weekends. Or you could buy this totally rad car that only creative, individualistic rebels drive. It’s your choice:
