Fundamentals of Interactive Journalism

Attention Brooklyn hipsters: your next soiree could play host to an unlikely party guest. Page Six reports that 57-year-old actor/comedian Bill Murray has been crashing house parties and hitting up bars that generally cater to the 20-something set. In October, Murray strolled into a Halloween party at an East Williamsburg loft, to the shock and delight of party guests. Apparently he had been party-hopping with musical duo MGMT after one of their shows. 

This Bill sighting is just one of many unusual appearances the actor has made on the nightlife scene recently. According to the Post, Bill was spotted a few weeks before at a bar in West Chelsea, where he joined a table of 22-year-old girls and bought them rounds of champagne. Last year, Murray earned the title of most helpful party guest after showing up at a bash in St. Andrews, Scotland, and offering to do the dishes after hosts realized they were out of clean glasses. 

Oh, and then there was a small incident involving Swedish police, DUI and a golf cart. 

Many are saying Bill’s behavior is a sign of an obvious midlife crisis following the actor’s public and messy divorce last spring from Jennifer Butler Murray, his wife of 11 years.

“I suppose he was slightly flirtatious, but really, it was more like he obviously wanted a bit of a chat. He seemed a little lonely,” one of the party-goers said. 

Whatever the reason, the man can do no wrong in my eyes. I absolutely adore Bill. So if any of you happen to cross paths with Murray, or spot him at one of your parties, sulking in the corner with a can of PBR-please, please invite me!

In a few short months I will turn the big 3-0 — I can’t wait. I’m probably way too old to be cool anymore anyway, but turning 30 will finally put a nail in that coffin. And thank god. It’s just way too expensive and time consuming to keep up with the latest bands and fashion trends. In just a short while, I’ll have these types of conversations to look forward to:

“Have you heard the new Tobacco album?”

“No, I’m 30.”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.”

Well, I’m not sorry. Focusing on yourself for ten years is long enough. After a while, it is nice to have other people to feel responsibility towards as well. Not that I am in a big hurry to have kids or anything, but I am becoming increasingly aware of an entire world outside of my own little universe.

And now when someone tries to get me to adopt some ridiculous fashion trend, I have a ready-made excuse: “I’m sorry, I’m way too old for that.” Just try to get me into skinny jeans and boat shoes! I know I already invalidated my being able to opine on such things, but boat shoes, really? Really!?

Here is something else I just thought of, people in their 30s can be great writers. David Foster Wallace published Infinite Jest when he was 34. Dave Eggers (don’t hate) has written most of his oeuvre while in his thirties. They were both still youthful, but had enough life experience to actually have some interesting things to say.

So, 3-0 here I come! When you see me after March 22nd next year just try and ask what I think about Deerhoof. You’ll probably get an answer like, “I love deer. Taking walks in nature can be a transcendent experience.” While you recoil in horror, I will have a smile on my face, because I won’t care what you think anymore. Unless, of course, you are cool and in your twenties, in which case I’ll probably start to feel really damn old.

Advertising has a knack of co-opting all that stands in opposition to it. This is no different with ironic skewering of Madison Avenue. Urban Outfitters sells ersatz retro t-shirts with slogans like “getting lucky in Kentucky”. What was once satire of slogans is now ironic slogan for consumerism.

Where does this leave our counter culture –- if such a thing even exists anymore? Do we battle the co-option of irony with yet another level of irony? Think Stuff White People Like. Or do we try and engender more earnestness?

I tend to go for the latter. Oftentimes the first level of irony is hard enough to grasp without adding another layer. There is only so meta you can get and still reach a broad swath of people. When I say young people should be more civically engaged I do so without cynicism. I really do think we can make a difference in the world! It is easy to be smug and snide. It is much harder to posit your own beliefs.

Now don’t get me wrong, I love biting sarcasm and satirizing American politics and culture as much as the next Brooklyn 20-something, but when the snark becomes affected attitude rather than a tool for pointing out hypocrisy and absurdity it becomes tiresome.

Can I subvert corporate capitalism through my clothing choices and sardonic detachment? Probably not. Can I register people to vote by sincerely telling them why I think it is important? Most definitely.

Because of the anxiety and alienation caused by modern society, people yearn for authentic interaction and a sense of belonging –- whether they consciously realize it or not. This is part of the reason millions of us join social networking sites. The co-opted cynical detachment about playing the role of consumer can make us realize the human desire for meaningful connection and action. In other words, the very forces that separate us provide an opportunity to bring us together, which, if you think about it, is kind of ironic.