From The Archive: Some People are Crazy

From The Archive is a special Friday feature. It features posts from my earlier (now-deleted) blog: Stuff & Nonsense and a few items from previous versions of A Tangled Rope that I feel deserve reprinting here, mainly as a way of archiving them. The dates are only approximate, I’m afraid, and there is a possibility that some links may no longer work (although, I will try to remember to test the links before republishing the piece).

Some People are Crazy - 20/03/2005

I had the John Martyn song Some People are Crazy swimming through my head as I read this with a growing sense of disbelief.

It is not the matter of whether Jackson himself is innocent or guilty - as far as I'm concerned he should be locked up just for being guilty of being Michael Jackson - if not for any other reason. His self-mythologizing self-obsession and self-indulgence goes beyond even the excessiveness usually encountered in pop stars into a realm far beyond parody.

What really stuns me is the nature of his 'fans' obsession with him. It says in the article that Fandom suits the immature mind, but these people have something far worse than mere immature minds - even those still within walking distance of sanity.

I find it bewildering to the point of incomprehensibility how someone can leave her own children to travel thousands of miles in the hope of being waved at by some complete stranger who is blissfully unaware, and - probably, up to that point - indifferent, to your very existence.

Even when I was in my teens and the proud possessor of a very immature mind indeed, I baulked at the prospect of becoming a fan of anything. Even the thought of becoming a fan of the local football team (Wolves, if you must know - thanks for the sympathy) seemed too much of a commitment to me. Something far beyond what I was prepared to do in the name of… in the name of… something beyond myself, I suppose.

There is another post on here about my lack of any sense of British-ness and I think there is a connection between that and this idea of fandom and my lack of a desire to become a fan of anything.

I suppose the most obvious concept is tribalism - the desire of people to belong, belong to something that goes beyond them. I can see how - even if I don't feel any need for it myself - can lead to such things as religion, patriotism, supporting a team, joining clubs and so on and so forth.

All well and good, but when it becomes an obsession - that is where the problems start. There seems to be a need for the object of the obsession to be without blemish - the fount of all wisdom and wonderfulness, despite any evidence to the contrary. Notice how - in the article - the fans are certain Jackson is innocent, and - no matter what the evidence - will continue to do so. Just like those who are convinced by their own particular obsession: the religious by the existence of their God, the UFO fanatic convinced of the reality beyond those lights in the skies of their minds, those that do not doubt whatsoever that Elvis does work down at the chip-shop, that the stars do - from countless light years away - hold sway over our destinies, the true-believers belief that one day there will be a revolution and their particular world-view will prevail, the deluded belief that Wolves will manage to stay in the Premiership for longer than a single season.

This need to follow, and to follow blindly - or, at least, choosing not to believe what we choose not to believe - is - I think - one of mankind's greatest failings.

I think that DOUBT, scepticism, uncertainty - call it what you will - is vital, essential. Socrates was right when he probed and poked at the assumptions of his fellow Athenians. Descartes was right to doubt everything he could. The only thing I'm sure of - certain of - is that it is best to be hesitant, doubtful, uncertain, unsure, undogmatic.

Or, am I?