Nailed by Stephen Colbert...in my own living room!!

[wednes]

Stephen Colbert had David Byrne on Monday night. I went to bed early, so I didn't see it until Tuesday 8pm. It was a great interview, and in it they touched upon something I have pondered many times before, but don't discuss very often.

Artists are often afraid of being "normal/average" people.

I have to wonder how much my fear of normalcy influences the way I live my life. Do I do things intentionally so as not to seem too normal? Do I lean into my own mental illness because I take some small measure of comfort in being "crazy"? I honestly don't know, but I'll be keeping an eye on it.

A while back, I don't know exactly when, I posted that having kids was far too normal a thing to do. I was trying to make myself feel better about the fact that I will never be a mother, but ended up offending some of you who were parents out there. I do think the whole getting-married-procreation thing is on the normal side, but that doesn't really make it average. After all, there are WAY too many styles of parenting, some are awesome and some range from annoying to abysmal depending on the day. But I'm not here today to talk about parenting.

Tell me, artists, do you fear being thought of, or presenting yourself as, normal?
How does that impact the way you life your life.

Didn't see the interview? Here it is:

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

David Byrne Pt. 1

Colbert Report Full Episodes
Political Humor

Rap Battle
Joke of the Day

"The last thing I want to do is be like everyone else, but then you realize maybe it's not so bad..."
--David Byrne

PS David Byrne also "produced" the Everybody Hates Ned Flanders song. Woot!!

Comments

[groovesinorbit]

I don't know if I'd call myself an artist, but I've never wanted to be like everyone else, and really find it almost impossible to do. Well, I can pass, I guess, but my head's never really in that frame of mind. I've always felt outside of what passes for normality.

There's a wonderful line in one of Utah Phillips' stories where he's talking about his daughter. She was a teenager at the time, and he was annoying her, as parents can only do. And she told him, "Dad, why can't you be normal?" A friend who was with them called her on that and said, "Your dad is normal. What he isn't is average."

For what's it worth.

(And I can't see the interview until I can get Flash updated. Come on, tech support!)

[wednes.livejournal.com]

Indeed, the difference between normal and average is an important one. Though I guess they are often used interchangably.

[groovesinorbit]

They are. I hadn't really thought about that until I heard Utah's tale. There is a difference.

[madush69.livejournal.com]

Well, I know I'm strange, and I have kids, so I guess I'm straddling both sides. When I'm doing the news I have to pretend i'm normal, but if I was just a DJ or a morning show sidekick, I'd probably let my odd hang out even more.

[wednes.livejournal.com]

Ew, now I've got a mental picture of that. ;-]

Yeah, I fake sane for work too. Then work people come to my pad and can't beleive it's so...not normal.

Also, I was waiting for your Paul Harvey post and never saw one. I'm surprised.

[everythingtold.livejournal.com]

Whereas my child thinks your normal :-) I'm sure he didn't mean it as an insult.

[wednes.livejournal.com]

I didn't think so!
;-]

[sudrin.livejournal.com]

I for one don't think you have to have the crazy for *ME* to like you. I like you for who you are. I certainly wouldn't like to think you have to threaten your mental health so people would like you.

[wednes.livejournal.com]

I don't think it's a question of getting people to like me. I realize that I am basically likable (when I take my meds). I do think though, that I get hung up on projecting myself as odd, unique or unusual because I desperately want to be seen as such. But that's probably more for my own benefit than for anyone else, if that makes sense.

[lirrin.livejournal.com]

I suppose I qualify as an artist, or artistic, or some shit like that. I don't spend a lot of time worrying about whether or not I'm normal; I do spend a lot of time realizing that I'm not like everyone else. That's fine with me.

However, I spent most of my formative years trying very hard to be viewed as Normal, to blend in, to fit in...I suspect precisely because I *know* I'm not average or normal. I don't have to worry about being different, I am, in a variety of ways large and small. I never wanted people to notice that until I *wanted* them to notice. I am also just like everyone else in a variety of ways, large and small. We are all unique. :)

Now that I'm older, I no longer care so much about whether people notice or don't notice, whether they think I'm average or not, whether they think I'm mundane or unique; I'm sometimes startled when they *do* notice something not-mainstream about me, as most people are oblivious and I'm so used to just kind of blending in. I just don't care either way. See me as normal, see me as the crazy chicken-and-bee-raising glass lady, whatever. Your (generic use) view of me says more about your life and inner dialogue than it does about me anyway!

[wednes.livejournal.com]

Your (generic use) view of me says more about your life and inner dialogue than it does about me anyway!

That's very true, and I totally was not considering that for some reason.

As a fat kid named "Wednesday" I had a tough time fitting in as a kid, which was (of course) the time that I desperately wanted to. I care less about that sort of thing than I did then, but I can't say I don't care at all. :- \

[sudrin.livejournal.com]

Well, I think in the great sea of people we are ALL odd, unique and unusual, as well as being the same, boring and normal. I know that I haven't met anyone in my life where I say "Well, now that I know this person, I don't need to know Wednesday anymore because they are the same". Friendships are a product of shared experiences too. Time can't take that away. I care for you now the way I hope to years from now, and I know even for the stretch of years I DIDN'T know you, I remembered you fondly, even if the circumstances weren't the most.. er... positive. It was an experience I shared with you and I cherished that. I expect even if the actual events had been different I would still have a reason to cherish that relationship. You are still the only woman to invite ME to a Star Trek movie. I know that I have conversations with you I don't have with anyone else. I don't yearn for someone ELSE to have those conversations I have with you with someone else just so I don't have to Come all the way to Detroit or something. I guess the gist of what I'm saying is, that you are you because you are YOU not because you have some special "Dog and Pony" show you put on that makes me constantly want to be your friend. Any relationship based on that wouldn't be worth having anyway would it?

[wednes.livejournal.com]

You make some great points here. I suspect that my upbringing makes me extra sensitive to how others see me. Usually, kids who grow up in violent homes grow up with a sixth sense as far as reading other people. I never quite outgrew being senstive to what other people think of me, even though intellectually I don't care.

This doesn't really apply to real friends. I want to write more on this, but I'm leaving work now.