The pitfalls of cultural isolation
[ Editor's note ] I had an epiphany tonight after watching this week’s episode of Glee . Although I was pleased to see that it has transitioned nicely from a high school dramady to something more adult and solid, the epiphany wasn’t about the show. No, tonight’s epiphany was about me and how I relate to the world. Or, as you will come to understand, how I don't relate to the world. At some point late last year I made a committed effort to remove myself from a lot of things that most people would consider essential for the modern world. I logged off Facebook. I stopped watching popular television shows (this is where Glee comes in). I stopped going to the movies. I stopped listening to Top 40 radio stations. I even stopped reading the news, which long-time Jerry Curl readers have undoubtedly noticed. My abject rejection of contemporary culture is not really anything new. I could probably write a lengthy dissertation on the inadequacies of Taylor Swift. However, the persi...