This is my brain. This is my brain on theory.

Walking on campus today, I came across some sidewalk-chalk writings that caught my eye. The first one said, “You are important.” Thanks, sidewalk. I appreciate that. How nice.

The next one said, “You deserve respect.” Yeah, you’re right, sidewalk. I do.

And there were several more: You are worth my time. Chivalry is not dead. You are enough. You are loved.

I’m not sure who wrote all of that or why, but it got my attention. I guess I found it to be somewhat refreshing. How many times a day are we bombarded with messages that suggest we are not enough, that to be loved and accepted we must become someone else’s cultural definition of acceptable or lovable? And, often, to do so we should buy this product and/or look like that airbrushed celebrity.

But I guess I'm a hypocrite for writing that when I buy into those messages myself at times. Not always, but sometimes. On a good day I catch myself and at least somewhat wrangle myself away from it where I can almost say I'm in the world but not of the world. Almost. And only on good days.

So, yeah…thanks for the reminders, sidewalk.

If you couldn’t tell already, I’ve been immersed in media and culture studies this week. The first part of my thesis is due next Monday and I’ve been reading and rereading research articles and books on a variety of subject matter that I’ve amassed over the past year.

My brain is drowning in theory. And it’s only Tuesday. But, hey, at least I get to wear my dead-sexy glasses while I’m reading and writing. In fact, I'm wearing them right now. Holla.

One research paper I read yesterday somehow interfused a theory of human motivation with the philosophy of Aristotle to explain why people might watch reality TV. Awesome. Another paper focused on media and postmodernism.

That’s quite the buzzword: postmodernism. Does anyone even have a definition for postmodern with a concrete set of characteristics that everyone can agree on? Or is it like obscenity, where you “know it when you see it,” because even after all of the readings and lectures and discussions I’ve experienced on the topic, there is still a gray area for me, but I do know it when I see it. Or at least I think I do.

I suppose that is the beauty of postmodernism, anyhow…that even the task of defining it in a way that everyone can agree on has proven to be somewhat futile. How very postmodern. Or is it? See how that works? Or doesn’t work. I don't know.

And my favorite part is here I am, rambling on in Nietzsche-esque fashion on a blog that has a disclaimer about how the content of said blog is intended to be purely irrelevant. And the only conclusion I can come to is this: I think too much.

Oh, yes, and this: You (we all) deserve respect; you are worth my time; chivalry is not dead; you are loved.

posted by elizabeth @ 1:51 PM