9/11: The Cash Cow

9/11 was a tragedy in the eyes of the majority of the world. I am all too aware of it, but unfortunately I have become all too de-sensitized. It was horrific on a grand scale; the initial shock of the events still haunt many today. I am no longer haunted by the image of planes slamming into buildings nor majestic structures crumbling into plooms of smoke and debris, more so the image of vendors at Ground Zero. The men standing with their postcards, flags, and t-shirts that might as well say "My Parents Went to Ground Zero and All I Got Was This Lousy T-shirt." The world, especially the United States, are notorious for cashing in on disaster. There should at least be a grace period to wait to cash in. I mean 1970 saw the first real WWII film "Tora! Tora! Tora!" Flash foward 5 years after 9/11; we have two films, not documentaries, feature films, one starring none other than Nicolas Cage (Seriously?!). I'm all for expression through different media outlets, but when you have Nicolas Cage playing a NY hero, faking a thick, almost comical "New York accent" you can't help but sneer and feel that it is all in poor taste. Our former Mayor, the always lovely and "eloquent" Rudy Guiliani, cashed in on 9/11 big time, making it the basis of his whole Presidential campaign.

The post 9/11 world has left me with a lot questions about art, the state of art, and the state of the creative mind. Does art still exist in a post 9/11 world and if it does, what does one make of it. Can one draw the line between pure expression and backwards propaganda, especially in a world where right after the events of 9/11 everyone ran out and bought American flags and began sporting them on their cars. I'm a cynic and feel that this blind display of patriotism is deplorable. I would be embarrassed to display the flag. I'd be more concerned with what was wrong with our country that would drive people to destroy skyscrapers and kill other human beings.

Ted Leo wrote a song called "The High Party" in which he addresses the state of art in the a post 9/11 world, this is a small poignant selection from the lyrics that sums up the state of art:

"if you're gonna call it art,
then there's a cup in front of you and right away.
if you're gonna play your part, you must drink it down.
but mind eyes have seen the glory
of the fields of flowers and factory floors,
and my mind's content to lie at rest for hours
behind my loved ones' doors and if there's a war,
another shitty war to fight for Babylon,
then it's the perfect storm in a tea cup,
but you must drink it down.
and what do you make of the nights
when you thought you'd make much more
than being too drunk to turn the lights out
and too tired to drink more?
and what does it take to not hear the cynics at your door saying
'it's time the turn the lights out, and you'll want to keep it down!'
so I'm lifting up that poison cup to drink a draught of propaganda,
or I'm giving up that other stuff in hopes that it will make me madder.
but either way, if you're gonna call it art"