Nothing's Shocking

I was listening to NPR the other day, gliding down one of the smooth macadam routes of New Jersey back country in my new car. The air conditioning was blowing pleasantly in my face and my ass was readily accustomizing itself to the leather contours of the vehicle's interior while outside, a stifling humidity and heat waited.

Terri Gross was interviewing Alice Cooper. Listening to it, I guess you could say my ass was like Alice Cooper and Terri Gross was the humidity. Alice was lamenting how it's impossible to shock people nowadays (which probably explains why he was on "Fresh Air with Terri Gross" promoting his new book, "Golf Monster", as opposed to getting his head cut off onstage in Milwaukee.

Anyway, it occurred to me that yes, it's impossible to shock people in a provocative sense. Short of a terrorist attack or an assassination almost nothing can offend the senses of our masses anymore. You could of course wipe your ass with the bible and feed the pages to your audience but I don't think that would really take off in a popular sense.

The only way to shock people anymore is to be good. If you truly express your art with uncompromising diligence and style, you will shock people. They will remember that it's not all about has-been celebrities demeaning themselves on reality shows and so forth.