The Vancouver Riots, Fight Club and Perpetual Adolescence

While the media acts outraged about these riots, they have definitely played their part. The media’s thirst for advertising revenue has created a society where perpetual adolescence and a strong sense of entitlement is encouraged so people will keep buying all the things they don’t need (like $230 Canucks jerseys or 4 $30 Canucks flags on an SUV for example). In a city where everyone seems to be from somewhere else and there is little common identity because so little is invested in the arts and culture, the Vancouver Canucks are the cause that people throw their hopes and dreams behind. Canucks slogans like “This is what we live for” say it all.

Judging by spectacle last night, a lot of young men (who from media accounts are mostly from the suburbs…) can’t handle a little bit of liquor and have trouble expressing their feelings when things don’t go their way. So like any good adolescent they get angry and lash out and attack the wrong people (in this case, trashing their own city). Which is really ironic, because Vancouver is one of the most privileged cities on the Planet and if people think life is hard here, they clearly haven’t been anywhere else in the world.

The Vancouver riots reminded me of this quote from Fight Club:

I see in Fight Club the strongest and smartest men who have ever lived. I see all this potential; and I see it squandered. God dammit, an entire generation pumping gas and waiting tables; slaves with white collars. Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don’t need.

We are the middle children of history, man. No purpose or place. We have no great war, no great depression. Our great war is a spiritual war. Our great depression is our lives. We’ve all been raised by television to believe that we’d be millionaires and movie gods and rock stars – but we won’t. And we’re slowly learning that fact. And we’re very, very pissed-off.

But seriously, if something pisses people off, they should do something productive about it. Get an education, forge relationships with influential people and make a difference. If you’re angry at the state of affairs, do something productive about it.

These are the best commentaries I’ve read on the Vancouver Riots: