"I never figured out how to come out and just start [blogging]"

In his brilliant stand-up film Hilarious, comedian and actor Louis C.K. explains to his audience that he is never quite sure how to begin his shows:

"I never figured out how to come out and just start talking. The first thing you say onstage always feels stupid, because there is no real reason for me to talk to you. I don't know you. [Most of] you don't even know each other."

I feel the same way, to a certain extent, as I sit here and attempt to write the first entry in a blog that was created to share my thoughts on various aspects of popular (and unpopular) culture. I should add that this blog is also intended to "engage" in the blogosphere and its pop culture discourse, if that is even possible. First of all, it feels self indulgent to participate in any form of social networking these days. I recently rediscovered Twitter after holding out for quite some time, and I feel awash in puerility and self-importance every time that I send a "first-person" tweet. The "first thing" I say will always seem foolish, even if I know only a dozen acquaintances are reading these tweets. Blogging is not quite the same, I suppose, because ideally a blog will provide some depth and description beyond 120 characters or inane Facebook updates. Nonetheless, I am not sure that there is any real reason to talk to "you." Ultimately, I may be writing to myself; "you" could be nobody, really (i.e. no actual persons). There is no demand, of which I am aware, for my writing or perspective on cultural, academic, or political topics, outside of perhaps a few friends and family members. I may simply be another random annoying dude who feels like writing about his interests and whom nobody is particularly interested in indulging, at least via this whole internet networking thing. But I am cool with that. At least Louis C.K. is confronted with an audience that is familiar with his craft and has paid money to sit in a chair, laugh at his one-hour monologue, and appreciate his art.

That said, here I am. This blog may simply be an outlet for me, but it still somehow feels good sit down and write and "publish" something (It has been awhile. Does my thesis count?). The bottom line is that I love and consume music, film, and most aspects of popular culture. I realize that one of the things I enjoy most is discussing and analyzing popular culture and current events. I also love to write. I blog, therefore I now exist.

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C.K. begins Hilarious by explaining how most people are actually dead, including Ray Charles and Hitler,  but being dead is probably the only thing that Ray Charles and Hitler had in common. "According to most accounts, Ray Charles killed very few Jews." C.K.'s stream-of-consciousness opening is his solution to a cold opening in a stand-up routine if one does not know how to "just come out and start talking." So here is my cold opening to a "blog routine" in terms of pop culture stream of consciousness:

I think an extensive collection of vinyl, which includes Sup Pop records and 21st century indie bands as well as decades-old jazz and blues records, is now the ultimate form of cultural capital in music "communities." I believe Bon Iver's second album is outstanding, and I think James Blake's album is grating. Their recent collaboration is thus difficult for me to reconcile. I enjoyed Tyler, The Creator's performance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon months ago, and I appreciate the fresh and innovative hip hop production from Odd Future, but I do not appreciate the aggressive homophobic "identity" on Tyler's Twitter feed. Das Racist is far superior to OFWGKTA. I agree with Justin Vernon that MTV is  in its current state sad and terrible, but that is also obvious.  It is also sad and terrible that The White Stripes broke up and I never got the chance to see them perform in person. It is sad and terrible that SC Johnson did not pay a penny in taxes on billions in profit over the last few years while teachers and public workers who make $30,000 or $40,000 a year are blamed and disrespected and accused of being "greedy." I think a person can enjoy and analyze fiction from David Foster Wallace and also obsess over Fantasy Football and Prince Fielder's OPS. I believe that The Wire is the greatest television drama of all time, and I am aware that every TV snob with a blog now says that. I think that Beginners is the best film of 2011 thus far. I have a major crush on Melanie Laurent, and I believe that my beautiful wife knows this. I suspect that I have a lot to learn about hegemony theory and its relationship to media. I am certain that Ray Charles' iconic rock 'n' roll song "What'd I Say" (or "What I Say") is one of the greatest rock songs ever, and I also know that listening to this song while playing "Be A Pro Seasons" on Playstation 3's FIFA 2011 can be an exhilarating and unique experience. I seem to remember Ray Charles making a cameo appearance in the 1993 film Rookie of the Year. I contend that Louis C.K.'s sitcom/drama Louie is currently the best new thing that exists on television. I suggest that you listen to Ray Charles once in awhile and watch C.K.'s stand-up film Hilarious, which is truly hilarious, and that is not hyperbole.

I sincerely hope that I will soon figure out how to "just start blogging."