___
Benjy: Think about – pod rhymes with god.
Paul: Okay Benjy…
Benjy: Don’t OK Benjy me! I’m serious here. The government actually invented a machine where we willingly – eagerly – put shit in our head and listen to what they want us to.
Paul: Benjy, the government didn’t invent iPods. They didn’t invent music. And they’re not in our heads.
Benjy: They are in our heads! We put those shit in our ears – fucking sound canceling headphone – what the fuck is that? And of course they’re inventing music! Why do you think it all sounds the same? Record producers might as well be wearing white coats. Think about it man: the media fucking owns this country. You think entertainment ain’t a part of that?
Paul: I think you’re losing it.
Benjy: Have you seen MTV lately? These fucks are getting younger and younger! I’m looking at 16 year old girls who look like they’re 30 singing about dating and young love and somehow I’m the fucked up one because I got a hard-on! It ain’t right! They’re fucking with my head, Paul, and I can’t fucking take it any more.
Paul: I don’t watch MTV.
Benjy: And then there’s BET. Might as well call it the Jigaboo Channel or Frightening-Darkey-Central. Or NNN.
Paul: Benjy, you can’t fucking talk like that, man.
Benjy: Why not! I’m saying it’s offensive. If I had a whole channel devoted to me and all they showed were fat loud people, murderers, and illiterate misogynists, I’d be fucking pissed off.
Paul: Yeah, you’re not illiterate.
Benjy: All I’m saying is that the media is saturated in every day life. I almost left here tonight without my phone. I panicked! I can’t fucking live without AT&T tracking my every fucking move. It’s sick. I’m willingly allowing myself to be tracked by a device I tell myself I can’t live without!
Paul: Benjy, listen to me because what I’m about to say is very important: there isn’t a room full of people controlling the world.
Benjy: But—
Paul: Let me finish motherfucker. There isn’t a small group of people controlling the world’s media. And record producers aren’t mad scientists tapping into people’s unconscious turning them into robots. The world operates in trends. It’s all about cultural movements. All the music sounds the same because that’s what people want to hear. Sure, people want to hear that stuff because the media pushes it…and yes, there’s a degree of media influence that’s dangerous – I’m not disagreeing with you. But you have to accept that you’re talking about forces that are bigger than you. There’s not a room full of people wearing Venetian masks fucking everyone and controlling the world. The world controls itself.
Benjy: So the only option is genocide?Paul: Yep.
Benjy: Oh boy…the thought of all that work is exhausting.
