Back in 2005, I penned an Old Testament-sized post about a strenuously dubious theory initially proposed by pop culture writer, Chuck Klosterman, specifically regarding how Radiohead’s “challenging” fourth album, Kid A eerily predicted the events of September 11th, 2001. That’s them above, incidentally, snapped in …uhhh… 2001, by Danny Clinch. Odd, that.
Anyway, it was not a theory I personally subscribed to, nor one I think even Chuck Klosterman took very seriously, but it did make me listen to that record again with a new pair of ears. In any case, it was fun post at the time, and that was that.
Strangely, out of all the entries I’ve published on this silly blog over the past decade, it is the one that will not die!
As mentioned in this post from 2010 (which already feels like a lifetime ago), the post was picked up by the fine, funny folks at Cracked.com, which gave the still percolating post (seemingly roundly invoked on many a Radiohead chat board) a fresh new boost. And being that Cracked routinely gets far more deeper clicks than this silly blog, that original post’s placement on same kept people coming back to it.
Then, in 2014, Noisey also pointed to the post in a cheeky takedown of the band called Radiohead is for Boring Nerds, and –- again -– the clicks rained down.
Today, in 2016, Noisey must have revived that post in light of the long awaited release of a new Radiohead record, as this blog has received both a huge spike in page views and a fresh new crop of correspondence from feverish Radiohead fans and detractors alike.
Here’s the thing: I DON’T CARE!
I do actually like Radiohead, although I’d hardly call myself an ardent fan. I thought the new single with the claymation “Wicker Man” theme was perfectly alright. I’m not sprinting out to buy it, although I’m not even sure I could if I wanted to, being that I think it’s a digital only release and, … on yes, … THERE AREN’T MANY PLACES LEFT TO BUY A PHYSICAL COPY OF IT, but that’s obviously a different, tenaciously stinging grumble.
But in terms of the merits of the original theory about Kid A and September 11th, I’m sorry -– and I’m relatively certain Chuck Klosterman would agree –- it was just a bit of silly rumination and juxtaposition, not something you should really be taking all that seriously.
There are bigger fish to be fried, no?
Recent Comments