Doubt Creeps in for Ed Zubrow:

>[...] as I was listening today to Integrales and some others I was
>struck by just *how* familiar the sounds were.  If I didn't know better,
>I would have thought I was listening to the sound track from a contemporary
>action thriller movie.  This was actually a bit disturbing to me.  How do
>we travel from innovative creative music designed to make us think, to the
>idiomatic background noise of the latest blockbuster without realizing it?

The only way to avoid contracting this kind of synthetic association is to
avoid contemporary pop culture in all its media.  This is about as easy as
setting up and maintaining a large-scale sterile environment.

I think quite possibly the effort is worth it.  I haven't seen more
than four movies in as many decades, have never owned a TV, and won't
stay in the same room with one.  My no-tolerance attitude turns me into a
specialized, very articulate Grey Panther when confronted with loud pop of
every kind on phone holds, in retail stores, and in other public places.
Now and then, a polite but intensely worded protest will actually get
results....

John Wiser
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