“Mommy? Why does everyone like disgusting food and bad music?”
“At the Pool” after his 1st and last official little kid swim meet
“Disgusting food? What disgusting food does everyone like?” He said “You know like McDonalds?” Oh, that. So I explained how fried food is so tasty that people love it even though it is really bad for us. That, and the fact that advertisements and brand names are very influential. How super processed junk food is, for the most part, invented in chemistry labs by scientists, not chefs. I always figured American “cheese” was made to help keep the US populace from starving during the Depression… high in fat and calories… why else would anyone want to eat it? But, no, it was made as a convenience food (comes in slices, melts easily, shelf stable) in the 50’s and became a household name despite the flavor, thanks to great advertising, in the 60’s. Fake flavoring must have been so new and fresh. It was a novelty and sought after, advertised on packaging rather than hidden. Now it’s hidden in the ever popular “natural flavoring” which is code for chemicals derived from things of this earth. If you ever wondered why people are growing more gardens, raising chickens, goats, pigs and cows the loss of trust in our food system is the reason.
What about bad music? The music we listen to in our house is decidedly under produced and not super popular. Not top 40. Not the Frozen sound track (which my boys HATE with a passion).  We listen to songs written and created by the performers singing and playing them. This was a bit more difficult to explain, but ended up sounding a lot like the discussion on food that we just had. Producers, music execs and people who have made formulas (music scientists?) put music together and advertisers (essentially) create the look of artists. They create mega stars, something that the masses will undoubted consume. I told them that it is difficult for me to connect (or trust) an artist that is singing someone else’s words or playing another’s tune. I think music, because it is art, should be made from an authentic place. It should be real and reflect an artist’s life experience no matter how absurd or silly.
That, more or less, was what I discussed with my kids while driving home from the pool the other night. Say yes to Indie Rock and Slow Food.Â
