Now, For Something Completely Different...

Due to some unfortunate circumstances the touching not-quite-pop-culture novel Tender as Hellfire has been conveniently...

misplaced.

Of course, in a matter of months I might be organized enough to find it under a dusty pile of nameless objects. I will then pick it up, open it to where I brutally dog-eared the page, and resume my quest to open-mindedness.

Until then, my life has become much more interesting.

Chuck Klosterman may be the best pop-culture novelist of all times. I've read nearly every one of his books such as Killing Yourself to Live, Fargo Rock City, and (my personal favorite) Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs. Don't be alarmed, my friends. It's all just rock and roll history. The last of the 3 told the story of his cross-country journey, equipped with nothing but a backseat filled with CD's and the occasional rock band hoping to catch a ride with this obsessed audiophile. From these three separate but fascinating studies of rock criticism, my good friend Chuck drilled it into my head to never love a band. It is absolutely necessary, however, to examine the band in question's significance to culture, to mention the band's influence on future groups, and never to forget to mention their most daring musical endeavors, whether ear-pleasing or not. Whether or not the critic enjoys the band, the correct adjective is almost always "interesting", which can be either a good thing for revolutionary groups as well as the perfect word to describe bands who play off-key electric mandolins and scream songs about how the world is flat to an audience of none. Sound unlikely? The average listener would be appaled, but to an experienced critic, they're... interesting.

Therefore, (according to Chuck's critic lessons) Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs is an interesting compilation of the travels of one rock critic's nationwide journey to criticize rock and/or roll. Writing by day and spending time with one of three different women whom he will meet throughout the trip, he wrote of his travels in one of the most significant pop-culture novels of our era, Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs.

By George, I think I've got it.

Now that I've learned to be completely dry about the topic I love, it's time for some discussion on the book that I am actually reading.

Chuck Klosterman VI, not V, not III, but Chuck Klosterman IV is this book, indeed. If it begins with the author's name, it must be significant. As I browse the table of contents, wondering how the story would match up should I read from back to front (hey, it could be interesting), I find some interesting titles. Bending Spoons with Britney Spears, The Amazing McNugget Diet, and Local Claravoyants Split Over Future are a few that stand out, along with a list of "hypotheticals" such as The Joe-Sixpack Hypothetical, The Hitler Theft Hypothetical, The Stereotypical Jesus Hypothetical, and The General Tso's Hypothetical. I wonder...

So, a very brief summary of the first twenty pages or so would have to go something like this: Chuck is miserably obsessed over the Challenger explosion, which he studied in the eighth grade, and he hasn't been able to sleep without dreaming about it since. He has the privilege of interviewing Britney Spears after her pantless photoshoot, bashes the media for turning her into a redneck, and points out his obvious use of the present tense throughout the story.

Conclusion: I have been reading too much Chuck Klosterman.

Oh well. At least I can sleep well tonight, not needing to toss and turn over whether the book I'm reading is truly pop-culture or not.
This one is.
And I love it.


This blog was furiously typed to the frantic vocals of "Girl Anachronism" by The Dresden Dolls. Check it out for all your fast typing needs.

Klosterman, Chuck. Chuck Klosterman IV. New York: Scribner, 2006.