And the winner is...

No one. Absolutely no one. In today’s society it is incredibly difficult — if not utterly impossible — to live without deeply-set, perhaps unconscious, cynicism.

If you doubt that, it may be a sign of your own cynicism. Or perhaps I’m wrong.
Personally, I don’t know. But every day I find myself confronted by questions that seem to suggest the former.

To illustrate my point, let’s look at this year’s Grammys.

Not only the most obviously commercialized part of the Grammys — the awards, the performances, the awkward introductions — but the part that is considered by most to have been the most radical performance of the night: Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’s performance of their song, “Same Love.” 

I wholeheartedly approve of Macklemore’s endorsement of same-sex marriage, even though I disagree with his blanket statements about right-wing conservatives and religion.

Not all right-wing conservatives and religions condemn homosexuality.

However, even as I approve of his overt political stance, and partially approve of the stunt of marrying 33 gay and straight couples, I find myself confronted with several questions.

I wonder if the marriages are a true political statement, or if they are a marketing ploy to draw viewership.

I also wonder if the producers of the Grammys care about the issue of homosexuality at all.

It’s hard to tell if we even care or if we’re longing for some kind of statement.
It seems the grandiosity and implicit commercialization of the marriages might undermine the message they are trying to send.

Or, look at the issue on a personal level.

A couple getting married at the Grammys becomes a highly commercialized and highly-viewed affair.

Perhaps they got married on the Grammys to make a statement or to be able to tell their friends, “We got married at the Grammys.” Perhaps it was a gimmick.

I don’t know their primary motives, and I’m not particularly sure if I want to.

This cynicism is not limited to the Grammys.

In politics, we never know when politicians are telling us the truth. We became disillusioned. We don’t trust marketing and advertising because it is directly targeted at our insecurities in order to influence our decisions.

We’re skeptical of religion, government, what causes or cures cancer, what’s in our food, products from China, Vietnam, etc. etc. etc.

Perhaps worst of all, we are even cynical about people.

People can’t seem to give money to a homeless person without wondering if he’ll just use it to buy drugs.

This article is less about the nature of the Grammys and more about why I — and, presumably, my generation — can’t believe wholeheartedly in something, whatever it might be. Personally, that ability is all I really want.

But I’m not sure we’ll ever be able to do so again.

­— allenjo@indiana.edu
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