Is Sincerity the New Irony?

first written way back when. And funnily enough, there's a typo in here that changes my intent completely. But I won't change it, or point it out. Think what you will.

Monday, April 10, 2006
Is Sincerity the New Irony?

You know who's not as bad as you think he is? Mr. Rogers. My kid's a big fan, and that means I have to see the show on a semi-regular basis. In fact, I usually wake up to the chimes of the trolley on the way to the Land of Make-Believe, as the boy will turn on the set in my bedroom at 7am.

Why does he love the show? Or, more specifically, the man himself, the late Fred Rogers, as he is of course the show. I think it's because Mr. Rogers is sincere. Completely and totally honest. He doesn't talk down to kids, the way I used to think he did. And neither is he creepy, as I'd thought before I had children -- that requires a secondary level, a hidden agenda, and this guy only has one. He talks as an adult who cares about you does, he's not a jokey, smartassy guy. He's sincere. The boy will turn off the set when SpongeBob comes on, or most any other show that vaguely might appeal to me (an admitted wiseass), any of those shows designed to be viewed on two levels, with winks to the adult audience and toyetic eye-candy for the kids. But he loves Mr. Rogers.

Someone announced the death of irony not long ago, I think it was around the time of the September 11 suicide missions. And no less an authority than my long-time pal and heterosexual lifemate Erik recently commented that he was no longer a fan of kitsch. (Actually, I think he said "camp," but camp is a complicated word and the subject of a completely different rant, so for the purposes of this discussion, I'll go with his intent, kitsch.) And Erik's middle name is "Irony." (Actually, his middle name is Erik, which makes him "Erik Erik Bosse," even his parents were ironic.) Even I can't think of many things I love because they're awful, and that used to be my meat.

I don't believe irony's dead. Maybe it's just that we're overloaded with irony, in our lives, in our politics, in our entertainment, so much so that we hardly recognize it anymore. But when I see Mr. Rogers, I know it's still there. Because the rest of the world stands out in such sharp contrast.