Writer's Block Rambling
Start writing a post
Entertainment

Writer's Block Rambling

The absence of substance can be the substance in itself.

23
Writer's Block Rambling
Lulu

A written language is, perhaps, the most important qualifier of a sophisticated civilization. It serves not only as an effective means of communication, but also as a symbol for the immortality of knowledge. Writing has allowed us to uncover secrets of the past, as well as to prepare for encounters in the future—from hieroglyphics to algebra on a satellite, writing has been our path to discovery and beyond.

Writing, of course, is not limited to essays and novels. Plays, music, and even television shows are forms of writing, and all serve their own transcendent purposes.

Plays, beyond just entertainment, often grant us a glimpse into past cultures and practices. Maybe women weren’t shooting themselves in every household, but Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler tells us of the social constraints faced by women. Maybe the Devil didn’t guide scientists down a path of mischief and lust, but Goethe’s Faust, in at least one playful scene, shows us the legitimate animosity and competition that existed between playwrights. Maybe women weren’t actually burned at the stake for witchcraft—actually, The Crucible is pretty straightforward (bonus Red Scare cultural glimpse, though!).

Music has the unique ability to be a direct channel of emotion. In—what my unsurmountable amount of bias drives me to claim to be the best example—jazz, this is probably the most imminent. The roots of jazz sprouted in cotton fields, as slaves would call “work songs” to one another in an attempt to retain some form of sanity through the endless hours of arduous labor. Not only did this calling out beget the incredibly prominent style of “call and response” found in jazz, it made the genre one of pure emotion and expression. Eventually, brass at Congo Square and some slightly less twisted ivory ears nurtured this form of expressionism into the form of jazz we’re familiar with today (at least, in the recordings of Charles Mingus, not necessarily those of the Big Phat Band, but the case could be made either way). Because of this, jazz and genres with related roots (blues, gospel, R&B, etc.) tend to be the most moving with raw emotions, from Mingus’ “Work Song” to Snarky Puppy’s “Sleeper.”

Television shows are actually pretty deceiving. Often times, the culture we thought we had been watching had really been fabricated for entertainment. What television shows do tend to address are relevant topics to the time period. Shows like Blackish tend to take on civil rights and racism stories that happen in current events, most shows have in some form or another tackled the whole Trump debauchery, The Simpsons has long been playing on current events almost to an encyclopedic extent, and Mickey Mouse and company was actually a hidden window into an almost shockingly racist entertainment practice of the time (check out from where those white gloves and black faces were inspired).

Writing is such a ubiquitous and essential part of this and any culture that maybe, sometimes, a good topic on what to write about, is not knowing what to write about…

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Content Inspiration

Top Response Articles of This Week

Kick off spring with these top reads from our creators!

1000
Hand writing in a notepad
Pexels

Welcome to a new week at Odyssey! The warmer weather has our creators feeling inspired, and they're here with some inspiration to get your Monday going. Here are the top three articles of last week:

Keep Reading... Show less
Featured

No Sex And Upstate New York

A modern-day reincarnation of Carrie Bradshaw's classic column

4394
Pinterest

Around the age of 12, when I was deciding whether or not to be gay, Satan appeared on my left shoulder. “Ramsssey,” he said with that telltale lisp. “Come over to our side. We have crazy partiessss.” He made a strong case, bouncing up and down on my shoulder with six-pack abs and form-fitting Calvin Kleins. An angel popped up on the other shoulder and was going to warn me about something, but Satan interrupted- “Shut up, you crusty-ass bitch!’ The angel was pretty crusty. She disappeared, and from that moment forward I was gay.

Keep Reading... Show less
Featured

To The Classes That Follow

I want you to want to make the most of the years that are prior to Senior year

4992
To The Classes That Follow
Senior Year Is Here And I Am So Not Ready For It

I was you not that long ago. I was once an eager freshman, a searching sophomore, and a know-it-all junior. Now? Now I am a risk taker. Not the type that gets you in trouble with your parents, but the type that changes your future. Senior year is exciting. A lot of awesome things come along with being the top-dog of the school, but you, right now, are building the foundation for the next 4 years that you will spend in high school. I know you've heard it all. "Get involved", "You'll regret not going to prom", "You're going to miss this". As redundant as these seem, they're true. Although I am just at the beginning of my senior year, I am realizing how many lasts I am encountering.

Keep Reading... Show less
Featured

The Power Of Prayer Saved My Best Friend's Life

At the end of the day, there is something out there bigger than all of us, and to me, that is the power of prayer.

4878
Julie Derrer

Imagine this:

Keep Reading... Show less
Featured

Why Driving Drives Me Crazy

the highways are home

3779

With Halloween quickly approaching, I have been talking to coworkers about what scares us. There are always the obvious things like clowns, spiders, heights, etc. But me? There are a number things I don't like: trusting strangers, being yelled at, being in life or death situations, parallel parking. All of these are included when you get behind the wheel of a car.

Keep Reading... Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments