I was recently on another YouTube binge, and I found myself re-watching SNL skits and other comedians. I was reminded of George Carlin's "Entropy Fan" segment where he makes an interesting observation about the planet, and I figured it would be interesting enough to spark a conversation.
First, let me contextualize the man. Carlin was a comedian who notorious for his commentary on American culture. He would mock and ridicule phycology, politics, religion, and other taboo subjects. He is widely considered to be one of the most influential American comedians. If you wake up one morning feeling grumpy about life, the universe, and everything else, look up Carlin. He will confirm your worst suspicions, and then make you laugh it all off.
Anyways, Carlin has this bit on entropy. He essentially is making fun of humanity's hubris and morbid interest in violence and decay. The section relevant to our topic of environmentalism goes as follows (transcript link here, link to full segment below):
"We’re so self-important, so self-important. Everybody’s gonna save something now: 'Save the trees! Save the bees! Save the whales! Save those snails!' and the greatest arrogance of all: 'Save the planet!' What?! Are these f****** people kidding me?! Save the planet?! We don’t even know how to take care of ourselves yet! We haven’t learned how to care for one another and we’re gonna save the f******* planet?!...
"Besides, there is nothing wrong with the planet… nothing wrong with the planet. The planet is fine… the people are f*****! Difference! The planet is fine! Compared to the people, THE PLANET IS DOING GREAT: Been here four and a half billion years!"
Granted, this must taken with a grain of salt--comedy is defined by straw man arguments and hyperbole. However, the central idea of his segment is interesting. He ridicules the "save the planet" rhetoric, saying we truly want to save ourselves. There is also an element of an extreme version of Stoicism--even if the earth gets screwed up, life will still go on.
Ironically, Carlin's segment reminded me of Bill Peet's book, The Wump World. The story takes place on an imaginary planet. The Wumps enjoy a carefree life frolicking in the meadows and forest glades until the spacefaring Pollutians colonize and settle the planet. The Wumps are forced to relocate to caves and survive off of fungi. Meanwhile, the Pollutians strip the planet of its natural resources. Eventually, the world cannot maintain the Pollutians, and the aliens relocate to another planet. The Wumps reemerge to find their world covered in a concrete jungle, the meadows and glades are long gone. However, the book ends on a surprisingly happy note. Despite the industrialization and pollution, the last picture in the book features a small plant growing amidst the cracked pavement. Even though Wump World will never be the same, the natural world lives on.
Both Carlin and Peet paint an interesting picture. Humans have been here a short time (relative to the rest of the universe). Even if humanity manages to push Earth beyond the brink and the ecosystem can no longer sustain human life, the universe will keep moving along. For George Carlin, that is a message of humility. For Bill Peet, that is a message of hope.
What do you think?
Link for George Carlin's segment (Note: Carlin can be vulgar and cynical, viewer discretion advised)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7W33HRc1A6c
That's a really creative coupling, Levi, George and Peet.
ReplyDeleteGeorge's comic persona, as we discussed in class, was indeed that of a grump and cynic and misanthrope. But you'd have to be both misanthropic and nihilistic to think that "the planet" devoid of life--not just ours, but of all the species our Pollutian-ist indifference has compromised and will extinguish--would be just fine. The rock would still revolve and rotate, sure, but a healthy planet Earth is abuzz with species diversity and mutual interdependence. That Earth is in trouble. I think George would probably have conceded as much, off-stage. I also think, though, that while we can indulge comic exaggeration for its entertainment value we should not allow ourselves to be seduced by the thought that we're too small and insignificant either to damage the earth or to save it, and its whales and snails and all.