"In vacant or in pensive mood..." I am: Bekah; 24; Law Student / Favorite Things: Carbs (so there!), Johnny Damon, Smiling at babies, Grilled cheese, Comfortable silence / Favorite Supreme Court Justice: Brennan / Favorite Wilson: Owen by an inch / Today's Special: Song: Elliott Smith, "Bled White"; Quote: "You know, there's like a butt-load of gangs at this school. This one gang kept wanting me to join because I'm pretty good with a bowstaff." Please love me: mmbekah@yahoo.com


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A Moment of Reflection on the Popularity of the Teacup Cottage Illuminated Musical Waterglobe

Whenever I write something like my entry below about Thomas Kinkade, I always feel a little pang of guilt. I feel guilty because Thomas Kinkade is the best selling painter in America. This means that his prints are probably actually inspirational to lots of people, and might have even saved someone’s life. Allow me to illustrate.

A few weeks ago, I was watching The Today Show. It featured a young girl speaking with Matt Lauer about her undying love for Mariah Carey. She was in tears, explaining all of the joy that Mariah Carey’s songs had brought her, and how those songs had given her the strength to cope with endless family troubles. She could actually listen to “Dream Lover” and be truly moved.

Remembering the look on that girl's tear-stained face, I began to wonder: who am I to denigrate Mariah and K-dog (my new, affectionate moniker for Kinkade)? Does the girl on The Today Show not feel real emotions? Is she not an authentic human being? Are people who order the “Streams of Living Water Lit Sculpture” really just lost souls in search of simple pleasures, not at all deserving of my scorn? In other words, am I snobby or mean-spirited for reviling the Christ Gardens or the inspirational messages that accompany them?

Ultimately, I have to say that the answer to my last question must be a resounding “No.” Regardless of the true emotions that Mariah and K-dog may evoke in their fans, it is obvious to me that such emotions are actually controlled by Satan, who will not cease in his quest to permeate the earth with clichéd music and commercialized, hotel wall-adorning, putrid attempts at art. If there is evil in this word, it is Thomas Kinkade. He, following the more tentative footsteps of Norman Rockwell, has forever tainted the art world with his foul and kitschy triteness. Sure, he claims to be a religious man. But do I have to count the number of times an evil person has claimed to have God on his side? Mariah Carey and Michael Bolton are Kinkade's musical cohorts. No one can escape their wrath.

But we can make fun of them.

posted by Bekah at 1:54 PM :: |