“Going against the grain is important when you can really identify what in your life or your art is negatively sapping you or if you can identify normative institutional patterns that are actually oppressive and need disruption or destruction. But to simply be a contrarian for the energy of it in a way can be reckless. Look at our last political administration and what a disaster it was, in part, because of the reciprocally admirative relationship between Trump and his supporters around triggering behaviors. In other words, being an asshole. I was thinking about that as Biden won this week. You saw people cry in the streets. How much was this country hurting emotionally because of the other side’s chosen troll avatar? We’ve been living through a cycle of spite.”
