Why is love considered cheesy? I have heard this on the radio, CBC, several times, by different people. Any mention of love, of kindness, community, compassion, or what have you, is always qualified by that mild stench of "I know this sounds cheesy, but..."? Why is it fashionable to find love embarrassing, cliche. or even worse, unfashionable? Or cheesy? What does this say about us and the times we are living in? Well, I think it might do some of us well to think a bit about just how much has changed in the last fifty years or so.
We had just survived the sixties. Along with the extreme racial tensions, and conflicts, there was a critical social revolution occurring throughout the world, or so it seemed. This has a lot of names, such as the counter culture, the hippy movement, but essentially there was a growing awareness, fanned by mass media and pop culture. Our lives and politics had just been hugely influenced by the likes of Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, and the signing and ratifying of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Then came the Beatles with their famous "All You Need Is Love" and other artists singing "Everywhere, love is all around", "Come on people now, smile on your brother, everybody get together, and try to love one another right now". And the beat, as they say, goes on...
This wasn't simply romantic or sexual love, though it was of course there. This had to do with people actually caring for one another. Regardless of familial, tribal, national or racial affiliation. An open declaration that we are all family. Remember the song "We are family"? Aretha Franklin, I think. So, what happened?
Well, among other things, capitalism. Not the small mom and pop small business capitalism, but big C Capitalism, the unrelenting tsunami of globalized greed and consumerism that turned the world into a gigantic shark tank and everyone not strong enough to swim, kill, and eat, were suddenly shark bait. The Cold War gained renewed momentum and elected leaders became cynical oligarchs holding their people in hostage of fear and imminent nuclear annihilation. Because of capitalism, the poor and marginalized became demonized and criminalized as an existential threat to the shrinking middle class.
Fear, as the bitter fruit of greed and selfishness, came to dominate our thinking. Growing economic inequality helped create gated communities and monster homes with sophisticated security systems, while the rest of us continued to fear and loath each other. Helicopter parenting became the norm as parents became increasingly worried about their precious little spawn, pampering, coddling and protecting them, nurturing them into weak, sissified neurasthenics that will go through life incapable of caring for themselves or others.
So our use of language also changed, echoing the ethos of the ugliest shadow of Darwin and the survival of the fittest. We are now paying for this, and dearly. Can you believe that I remember a time when we did not have homelessness? We are finding now that in so many ways, we actually do need one another, and this for many is very frightening because of how it threatens the false autonomy and individualism we have been brainwashed into accepting. We still want to appear strong, tough, independent. So we preface anything that threatens our precious autonomy with such vile little prefixes as "This might sound cheesy, but..."
Well, Gentle Reader. I happen to like cheese. I love cheese. Cheddar, Emmental, Gruyere... or how about something Italian, like Parmesan, Sardo, Asiago, or Gran Augusto. Gorgonzola anyone? And there is Camembert, Tilsit, Muenster, Edam, Gouda, Samsoe, Danbo, Manchego, and I could go on, and on, and on. Cheese is good. Cheese is lovely. Love is good, love is lovely. Learn to love Love. And if you are neither lactose intolerant or vegan intolerant, learn to love your cheese.
And while we are on the subject, reach out to someone today in a spirit of love. Accept from me, Gentler Reader a big beautiful hug. Now pass it on. There, that wasn't so difficult, was it, darlings?
All for now ducks.
Much love,
Aaron
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