Be careful what you wish for! Every artistic expression, no matter how slight, how off-the-cuff, how, seemingly innocuous, has as its base motivation megalomania—which, though it can be fun, is nonetheless a dangerous member of the mania family, and should be approached cautiously. Manias, like many other poisons, produce an initially euphoric effect, and can be used recreationally in small doses. The Beatles referred to the strange behavior of their fans in the mid sixties—screaming, weeping, tearing their hair, and attempting to rip off pieces of their heroes’ clothing—as “the mania.” All that enthusiasm caused the band, eventually, to stop playing concerts, then to break up altogether; John Lennon was killed by an obsessed fan and George Harrison had to sign autographs for his radiologists’ son on his death bed. You might like the White Album, but would you, personally, want people to treat you like that? Our culture loves to iconize, and their chosen field has a breakdown, collapses, checks into rehab or jumps off a bridge, overwhelmed by the adulation and expectation they have brought upon themselves, we shake our heads in uncomprehending sadness, bewilderment, and perhaps a little bit of disdain… How would you react if our own subliminal desires were realized, if our dreams came true?
From Burn Collector
by Al Burian
-Jonathan Harnisch
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