:: Damien Hirst's Away from the Flock (1994). Steel, glass, lamb, formaldehyde.

Leave it to the maestro of Campbell’s soup-label-turned-modern-masterpiece to point out the fields of futility where art and society often collide. From “art collectors” with little interest in anything beyond appraisal appreciation to “artists” seeking shock value (we’re looking at you and your sheep swimming in formaldehyde, Mr. Hirst), sometimes art crosses the line simply for the line’s sake—for public fervor, for personal attention, even for cold hard cash.

Does art need to have a responsible relationship with society? Or can that relationship be perverted … and still be justified as 'artistic'?

The temperance movement’s coup de grâce was the failure of prohibition, but their mantra (an ancient Greek truism thanks to Xenophon)—”Temperance may be defined as: Moderation in all things healthful; total abstinence from all things harmful,” might be beneficial if applied, well, moderately.

List 3 aspects of your world that you think could benefit from a dose of moderation.

1. Lost. Sorry, I just don’t find it interesting and yes, I know that makes me the world's biggest douche.
2. Holiday hype. The mall is already putting up Christmas decorations—while I’m still rotting my teeth with Halloween candy.
3. Abstaining due to supposed food allergies. Dear friends, hearing about all the nuances of your various gastronomical situations is just a bore.

:: signage stating the obvious spied by justpat

This is a column about being torn. I’m torn about a lot of things. From awesome commercials produced by despicable corporations to whether or not a cartoon family is a good role model for my children. My goal is to weigh the odds and, ultimately, explore my own fractured feelings while discovering the people, places, and things that inspire me.

Today, I want to talk about porn. I wonder about it. On the one hand, I get it: sex, boobies, wiggling body parts, sweating, moaning. All good. But isn’t there something inherently sad and lonely about the person who watches it? “I am sad and lonely, so I want to watch other people simulating a pleasant experience so that I can possibly feel a physical sensation that will ultimately only remind me of how alone I am.”

I’m realizing this is not a typically male point of view.

]]> http://www.soulpancake.com/view_post/1460660/are-we-universally-addicted-to-the-search-for-meaning.html Thu, 05 Nov 2009 07:10:43 -0600 http://www.soulpancake.com/view_post/1460660/are-we-universally-addicted-to-the-search-for-meaning.html#topcomments

There’s no getting around it: A plethora of addictions are out there, waiting for people to get hooked. There’re cigs and booze, cocaine and celebrity ragazines, and endless outlets for midnight burgers and greasy fries. For some, it’s chocolate; for others, it’s heroin; for others still, it’s porn. Pick your poison.

But if there’s one thing that absolutely NONE of us can seem to live without, it’s the burning desire to understand the ‘why.’ We mine the depths of knowledge for analytical facts and figures, plunge ourselves into the philosophical and spiritual realms for enlightenment, and struggle frantically when meaning eludes us, like a smoker trying to quit who rifles through old kitchen drawers and empty coat pockets for that one, long, last, satisfying drag.

Is the hunger for meaning our universal addiction? And if so, is our meaning fix harmful, helpful, or somewhere in between?

:: @Mayachen

:: spiritual evolution by afeatheradrift

The most elegant part of scientific theory is the ease with which science accepts new information and adjusts past ideas and hypotheses that were incorrect. In a sense, the scientific method itself, like evolution, has a built-in feedback loop that can fix or abandon what doesn't work and pursue traits (or ideas) that are useful and rewarding. It made me wonder: Can faith evolve and grow in the same way?

For the answer, I’m turning to an unlikely place: evolution. More than 15 years ago, archeologists discovered Ardipithecus ramidus (or 'Ardi') in Ethiopia. Ardi was a likely human ancestor that walked upright around 4.4 million years ago in the jungle and is the earliest candidate for a human ancestor ever to be found. Ardi has the intermediate characteristics we would expect from a human ancestor—she was an able climber, yet could still walk upright on the ground; she had a more dexterous hand than a chimpanzee; she did not walk on her knuckles. In other words, she has characteristics that are distinctly unlike both chimpanzees and humans—characteristics unique to her species. Since the initial discovery, teams of researchers have been painstakingly performing and compiling research about Ardi, much of which was published last month in the journal Science.

]]> http://www.soulpancake.com/view_post/1458934/what-are-you-most-afraid-of.html Wed, 04 Nov 2009 07:45:16 -0600 http://www.soulpancake.com/view_post/1458934/what-are-you-most-afraid-of.html#topcomments

:: masterminded by justin johnson

:: photographs and art by Mui-Ling Teh

Artist Mui-Ling Teh, at the ripe age of 23, hasn’t yet made 2,000 micro-origami cranes from just one piece of paper, but she estimates she’s about halfway there. Teh folds cranes from 5mm x 5mm squares clipped from a single sheet and uses the end origami as inspirational subject matter for her photography. It’s fantastically tedious but wonderfully original, making us wonder what else could emerge from a single sheet of paper, a pair of scissors, and the artistic mind.

1. Get a piece of paper and scissors. (Tweezers are OK, but no tape, glue, pens, or markers.)
2. Transform 2D into 3D and create art.
3. Take a photo, and link to it here. (Don't embed or YOU will get microfolded.)

:: The Lovers by Rene Magritte, 1928

Back in the '50s, you weren’t officailly going steady until the girl got the guy’s class ring. In the '80s (and sometimes even today), things don’t get serious unless a couple trades in their class rings for wedding rings. In the Sicilian countryside, the wedding doesn’t even count unless it's consumated with the stain of conjugal bedsheets. Upload to the 21st century, and a relationship isn’t official until the couple’s Facebook status changes. The thing is, these are all outward signs of a relationship’s reality. The better question is: What's YOUR idea of the UNSEEN symbol of a couple’s affections?

What signals that a relationship has turned into something more permanent?

It’s cheesy but true: We go to the movies to escape, to laugh, to love, to cry. And there are plenty of movies that smack you with all those feelings simultaneously. But for every Shawshank Redemption and Little Miss Sunshine, there are just as many films that you wish had never played at your local cineplex. Maybe it was far too sick and twisted. Maybe it was unbearably pointless. Maybe it’s the hysteria left in its wake (we're looking at you, High School Musical). Whatever the case may be, what film do you wish you had never personally encountered?

List 3 movies you wish you’d never seen.

1. Gone With the Wind. Convinced me that a screwed-up relationship is a prerequisite for passion.
2. The Shining. I’ve never been able to look at hotel bathtubs the same way since.
3. American Psycho. So disturbing it made sense. And that was the most unsettling part.

:: @golriz

:: witches snapped by geishaboy500 & SophieLawson

It used to be that a ballerina or wicked witch outfit would suffice for girls to get as decked out as boys come All Hallow’s Eve. But these days, we might as well call Oct. 31 Hookerween: Women everywhere don’t seem to be content with their costumes unless it can also pass for “slut.” Just ask a woman what she’s supposed to be for Halloween, and you get a groan-inducing litany of skankiness:

“I’m a sexy nurse.” OR “I’m a sexy cop.” OR “I’m a sexy vampire.” OR “I’m a sexy… ”

... uh, prostitute? What’s worse, the trend of Halloween whorification is quickly moving down the age brackets. My 12-year-old niece was Snow White this year—complete with fishnets and a garter belt. So what gives? Have our youth devolved into a totally uninteresting, unoriginal demographic? Is it all Britney Spears’ fault? Maybe the better question:

Do we live in a society resolved to sexually objectify adolescent girls? Or are women just embracing their inner skank gender and sexual identities?

:: @CSW

What is God? That's the question that Peter Rodger has asked all in his path—from Ringo Starr to David Copperfield, from Princess Michael of Kent to Zen masters, from gun-toting Texas fundamentalists to Kashmir extremists—in his soon-to-be-released film, Oh My God.

Frustrated by a globally prevailing schoolyard mentality of religion, a concept he summarizes as “My God is better than your God,” commercial filmmaker Rodger—whose father George was a founding member of the Magnum Photography collective—ditched the cosmetics and Toyota ad contracts, grabbed two HD cameras, and hit the road, spending two-and-a-half years filming across 23 countries to complete this feature-length documentary, which explores people’s diverse opinions and perceptions of God.

Along the way, Peter lost all of his equipment in Morocco, was turned back at Palestinian and Israeli checkpoints in the Holy Land, and conducted interviews from behind the barrels of machine guns. Still, Oh My God ultimately uncovered a less visceral but more profound truth for Rodger, a truth that is delicately but deftly realized in the film’s final cut: that the world, for all of its publicized and glorified nastiness, is ultimately a surging sea of humanity and that the beauty of religion and spirituality lies in its simplicity. Those who embrace their religions with honesty, kindness, and a larger respect for the world in which we live are the truly faithful.

Rodger sat down with SoulPancake to talk about his film and how he hopes it will help audiences take away a new appreciation of their own beliefs and the beliefs of others.

]]> http://www.soulpancake.com/view_post/1450348/when-was-the-last-time-you-cast-your-creative-dreams-aside-for-a-paycheck.html Sat, 31 Oct 2009 08:24:08 -0500 http://www.soulpancake.com/view_post/1450348/when-was-the-last-time-you-cast-your-creative-dreams-aside-for-a-paycheck.html#topcomments

:: swirls-to-suits by Matt Goold

List 3 things you wish the world could go back to doing the ‘old-fashioned’ way.

1. Move over, eHarmony. I want a real date, not a flirtatious two-month text-athon.
2. Throw out the elliptical, treadmill, and rower. What ever happened to putting Adidas to asphault or kayaking on an actual river?
3. I've forgotten where my mailbox is. Don't send me an e-mail. Write a damn letter.

:: @golriz

:: soul-spy by -Vik-

Even if the Big Guy is watching us “from a distance,” isn’t it a little creepy to think that nothing we do goes without notice? Sure, there are plenty of things we like to keep private and away from heavenly voyeurism, including the times when we’re a little “into” ourselves. But there are also those moments in life when we want to banish the outside world—including the other-worldly—for a little “me” time. 

Do you resent or appreciate the notion that you are being 'watched'?

:: photo by Malcolm Browne

Back in 1963, prior to the whole Vietnam War sh*t hitting the fan, Thích Quang Duc, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, wanted to send a message to South Vietnam's Ngo Dinh Diem regime about their oppression of Buddhists. Instead of creating picket signs, Thích Quang Duc chose to pour a can of gasoline over his body and light himself on fire. He didn't move or make a sound during the ordeal, and he died from severe burns to his body. In the aftermath, images of Thích Quang Duc's self-immolation and act of extreme sacrifice called world attention to the policies of South Vietnam. President John F. Kennedy withdrew support of the Ngo Dinh Diem, and the regime fell four months later. We're not advocating flaming, public suicide, but what extreme sacrifices would you be willing to make in order to bring about change?

List 3 sacrifices that would cause you to stretch your boundaries in order to make a difference.

1. Sell my car and donate the proceeds to job counseling for the homeless. I'll figure out another way to get to the job I'm lucky enough to have.
2. Join Big Brothers/Big Sisters. My real family gets on my nerves anyways.
3. Stand up and say something to right a wrong on someone else's behalf. Even if everyone turns and stares.

:: Todd Steinberg

Brace yourselves. This is a column about … cue scary music … poetry. What does that mean, aside from the obvious? Hell if I know, but here’s the thing: We like to de-lamify things here at SoulPancake, and since poetry often gets written off as (and sometimes is, in fact) lame, I’ve put on my English major superhero cape and set to typing. The basic idea? To explore and discuss the use of words—beautiful, glorious words—while perhaps sparking more interest in (or at least a lesser aversion to) poetry.

Perhaps you’re wondering, “Why does it matter if I’m open to poetry?” Well, you’re still reading, aren’t you? Beyond that, the thing I love most about poetry is how it can capture a feeling, a moment, a life in a way that nothing else can. A poem can be deeply personal, with meanings only its writer understands, and at the same time, it can be relatable or appealing to everyone else.

Think about it. Poetry is one of the most flexible art forms we have. And today, art has reached the point where rules don’t apply. Translation: Poems don’t have to rhyme! You don’t have to count meters and feet, come up with a rhyme scheme or even a specific object, feeling, or person upon which to ponder. Feel that? It’s freedom. You can, of course, stick to some rules—structure’s not all bad, especially when trying something a little or a lot different. And pushing those boundaries are the poets themselves. Stodgy old men smoking pipes in velvet armchairs? Heck no. Today’s poets are graffiti artists. Heavy metal lyricists. Kindergarteners. Soldiers. Teachers. Preachers. And assorted fictional creatures.

]]> http://www.soulpancake.com/view_post/1444715/self-portrait-stand-in.html Wed, 28 Oct 2009 08:33:05 -0500 http://www.soulpancake.com/view_post/1444715/self-portrait-stand-in.html#topcomments [CHALLENGE: QUICK WRITE]

“Every man’s work, whether it be literature or music or pictures or architecture or anything else, is always a portrait of himself.” —Samuel Butler

:: moleskin-me by hawktrainer

Whether it’s that new guitar riff you’ve perfected, your masterful french toast recipe, or your trusty moleskin filled with unfinished sketches and scribbles, describe one of your ‘creations’ that could best stand in as your self-portrait.

BONUS: Snap a picture of it and post the link below.

I'm not in movies. I don't have a three-novel contract with a major publishing house. Supermodels don't have me on speed-dial. Wikipedia doesn't have me listed. My name is never on the list—I always have to wait in line to get in. I look ordinary. I make enough money to get by. I am not a genius. I can't solve a Rubik's cube. And I'm luckiest when I work the hardest.

There are two reasons why I'm thinking these things: 1) I'm planning a novel in my head. At first, I thought my protagonists would be crazy party-harders who had lots of promiscuous sex. Then I realized I didn't actually know anybody like that. Most people I know are not exactly French-Riviera-Dolce-&-Gabbana cool. 2) During lunch with a friend, she complains about her crush's recent impassivity towards her—and I get worked up over it.

"Dude, no way,” I tell her. “It's a matter of mindset."
"What is?"
"Everything. You're smart; you're a ton of fun to be with; you're caring; you're beautiful; and you're sweet as double-chocolate ice cream in that old-school way that's hard to find nowadays. Frankly, if he doesn't like you, I'm offended. Screw that guy."

Now add (1) and (2) together (one's not half two. It's two are halves of one), and you get:

Nobody's got it all. I mean it. I forget that a lot of the time. When someone young and beautiful drives by in a Porsche—or I see those kids basking in the sun, smoking cigarettes with trendy sunglasses on—I look down, frown, and walk on. What to do, right?

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