Martian Thoughts

Successful decay

Success is so immune to questioning or criticism that it soon replaces its inception: it no longer matters who was successful in doing what; all that we care about is the fact they were successful. Success breeds success. When mediocrity is successful or when success’s output is mediocre, mediocrity will advance undeterred.

Sadly, it is almost inevitable for success to become mediocre in its expression. Mass-appeal must be generic. We’d rather think that incredibly original and unique artists shape the mass, but, more often than not, it is the other way around: the mass shapes the artist.

I’ve always opposed judging art based on its success: pop could be good or bad despite itself. Perhaps this was yet another instance of my naivety, and one should always be guarded against success due to its natural inclination towards mediocrity.