It's not a lull, it's a coma

Legendary radio consultant and XM programming guru Lee Abrams has a theory about intense periods and lulls in our culture. Fascinating stuff, and I think he's pretty spot on -- Abrams says we're in a "lull" period now.

Kelly Clarkson apologizes to Clive Davis. Huh? Actually it's typical in the "musical/cultural" lull period we are in. Lull periods are characterized by things like Business controlling artists (ulnike the opposite "Intense periods" where Artists drive things)...In lulls there's fashion over art; Boyfriend/girlfriend lyrics are in command; no major musical advances that make the prior generation of music nostalgic more than relevant; the "look" of artists is flashy but not scary...and the list goes on. Let's just say that we are SO in the American Idol era... It's actually a fascinating study of music and cultural trends over the past 50 years that I did...well, I think it's fascinating...I also know it's valid because I developed it in 1978 and it has been extremely accurate for the last 29 years in assessing and to a certain degree predicting trends. I guess I'll dive into it next blog. The point right now is that an artist apologizing to a label head is typical during a lull period--During an intense period (like 55, 64, 70, 80 or 93, A label head would bow to an artist that sells as many CD's as she does)...Can you imagine Elvis, The Beatles, Hendrix, the Police or Nirvana APOLOGIZING to a record company???!!!! Yeah--those are "big names" but any important artist from "intense" periods wouldn't even bother. More on this lull/intense thing later...but suffice to say, we are in a lull...

BUT IF YOU ALSO TAKE into consideration Abrams' other observation -- again, spot on -- about how utterly dumbed down our culture has become, it only follows that our lulls become almost as black holes and our "intense periods" are nothing to write home about. Abrams again:

I suppose the argument would be that it makes sense to duplicate a successful formula. Yeah—but this ain’t duplication…this is mindless sheep herding. Just as bad as terrestrial radio. No bitterness here—nothing to be bitter about---It’s more about the sheer amazement at the ongoing homogenization of media. America used to be the place where innovation drove the train. Now, with the exception of the Apples, HBO’s and a handful of others, there’s no engine..Just a lot of freight cars carrying a vacant message. That vacant message feeds junk culture and junk culture feeds mass stupidity…which...Ok—you see the domino effect. That’s scary..And that’s why I really believe in the NEED to innovate! –or at least TRY to innovate.

ME, I'M BEGINNING to wonder how, exactly, we're supposed to tell the lulls from the creative ferment. So to speak.

I also wonder whether we have become so dumbed down as a culture -- and this is equally or more true in the Church -- that by even trying to do what Abrams advises (that is, innovate) that the best one can hope for is a mere fruitless tilting at windmills as the collapse proceeds apace.

At worst. . . .