Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (April 11, 1994)
Pal i \ Lw kjne Cobain was victim of success 44 feel stupid and contagious/ Here we are now, entertain Touted as the next John Lennon and the pioneer of grunge rock, Kurt Cobain — father, husband, singer, songwriter,guitarist and Nirvana front man—lay dead at age 27 from a self inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Cobain joined an era of young musicians taken to that great big mosh pit in the sky. This “shot heard round the world” shocked millions of Nirvana fans into disbelief. Many of them said on call in radio shows and MTV that they couldn’t believe a man with so much fame, notoriety, money and success would trash it all at the peak of his career. What they don’t realize is that all that fame, notoriety, money and suc cess, which Cobain supposedly had to live for, is what killed an intelligent, thoughtful young man several years before his time. Sure, the rumors will circulate that Cobain’spast history involving heroin and other illegal substances, along with his recurring family disputes, led to his death. These were only the symptoms, though, of a deeper cause — one not isolated to Cobain. Last December, I saw Nirvana at a concert in Omaha. They had a won derfully orchestrated, well-packaged little set. Cobain and company came onstage, performed and left. They marketed themselves well, and the audience went home feeling like they got a good deal out of the whole event. It was almost like a shopping trip. The line between musician and businessman was erased. Performing became analogous to prostitution. Musicians were literally selling them selves and their talents on stage to millions of screaming fans. This leads to too many people who Earth needs health care, too This nation divided by vio lence, fear and greed is in need of unification. No, I’m not talking about the sort of superficial unity obtained by kill ing tens of thousands of fellow hu mans with thousands of tons of explo sives. or the unification gained by the destruction of these people’s roads, sewage systems and homes. I’m talk ing about positive unity, working to gether to make this world a better place for present and future genera tions. What better way to unify our ailing nation than caring for the environ ment and getting in touch with the natural world, which we are more dependent on than we realize. What can you do? Start by reading this column. There is nothing to lose by being an environmentalist, but much to gain. Environmentalism is not a negative concept as many would lead you to believe. The good feeling of knowing you’re working toward a secure life for future generations outweighs any lifestyle inconvenience. Environmen tal awareness also has the fringe ben efit of increased health through better diet and exercise and a decrease in pollution. And it’s so easy! Just like voting, change will never occur if we as individuals do not take part. We cannot continue to live at the expense of future generations. They will be the ones dealing with the mas sive waste we have generated and the polluted, depicted resources, which we left for them to survive on. Here arc some suggestions on how to start preserving the earth. Change your diet to one that is not only environmentally sound, but healthier as well. Eat less meat and dairy produclsand more fruits, grains, beans, potatoes and nuts. These healthy foods take much less wildlife habitat, water, pesticides and fertil izer to raise. Support your local natural foods store by shopping there and buying organic food when pos sible. Many things are surprisingly Performing became analogous to prostitution. Musicians were literally selling themselves and their talents on stage to millions of screaming fans. don’t enjoy music anymore. They start to consume it. And in any market economy of supply and demand, these consumers keep demanding more and more. In the case of Cobain, the de mands and the pressure of his “cus tomers” became too much, and the supply ran out. Cobain seemed to have caught onto this. As he was hounded by reporters, fans and industry cels, he kept refut ing his fame. People wouldn’t stop telling him he was the spokesman for the cliched “alternative generation,” the founder of garage-band rock and the model for flannel. And as Coba in ’s au tobiography was written for him, a small voice whis pered “Hey, I’m just a musician. I just want to make some music.” He didn’t do it for the money because, contrary to popular belief, musicians don’t earn that much. No matter how many Rolling Stone cov ers, platinum albums and sellout con certs there were, they still had to make ends meet. The 1 ivesofmusiciansscemglossed over with feature stories on how won derful their lives have suddenly be come, when they can’t walk into a Kwik Shop without being mobbed. More and more bands I’ve talked to have become less concerned with success. They feel their performance isn’t movingan audience; it’s feeding them. They are repeatedly raped with every ticket they sell. Although I’m far from a Nirvana guru, I think that before diving into the feeding frenzy himself, Cobain started Nirvana as an innocent at tempt to have some fun doing what he loved while making enough to keep him on peanut butter and jelly santL wichcs forever. And when he was done, he and his wife, Courtney Love, and his little girl could settle down to a nice house with a picket fence in Seattle. Instead, Cobain fell into the ever watchful public eye, and his family was scrutinized with every move. This isn’t related solely to music. This curse of success reaches into every aspect of social life. A former Arkan sas governor could even tell you that. I couldn’tsay the lives of the presi dent of the United States and an “al ternative” (for lack of a better stereo type) rock star are parallel, but the toll success has taken on their lives is comparable. A few years ago, Cobain was an undetected “Seattle sloth.”Today, he’s a legacy, but what a price he had to pay for his song. Lavtgac li • freshmaa aewi-edhorial Ma jor aad a Dally Nebraikaa colunalst. P \l I KOI s I I K Environmental awareness also has the fringe benefit of increased health through better diet and exercise and a decrease in pollution. And it’s so easy! a (Tordabl c a nd be t tc r bee ausc theyhave not been sprayed with poison, a prac tice I believe we need to eliminate. Until westart supporting organic farm ers. we will continue to be supplied with a contaminated food supply. Pes ticides also affect the soil, water and the workers who are employed in the fields. Boycott table grapes. In Califor nia, workers and residents are experi encing higher cancer and birth de fects, and the migrant workers arc made to go into freshly sprayed fields. White collar criminal activity must end in this nation, but first the con sumer must stand up and be heard. Eat less often at restaurants, espe cially wasteful fast food joints, where everything is packaged in paper, plas tic and styrofoam, and nothing is re cycled. Learn to cook. Invest in a good vegetarian cookbook. Cook ing is quite simple once you gel the basics, and there’s so much more out there to eat than meats and cheeses. Drive less, join a car pool and plan errands so that many things can be done in one trip. For short trips, walk or ride a bicycle; It’s great exercise as well as a stress reducer. Automobiles pollute the air we breathe and arc a major contributor to global warming. We should be re searching alternative transportation systems, not totally basing our economy on a resource with only 30 years of reserves, a resource that places us in the vulnerable position of for eign dependency. Shop environmentally. Buy bulk foods, and don't buy products with excessive packaging, especially when there are alternatives. Reuse paper bags and. as much as the checkout person acts like you’re insane, don’t accept a sack unless you really need it. Don’t support bars that serve drinks in plastic cups, and buy beer by the glass or out of rcfillable longnccks. Recycle glass, paper, aluminum, tin cans and milk and soda bottles. It’s quite easy to rinse containers, remove the labels and drop them o(Tat one of the recycling drop-ofTs listed on page 37 of the phonebook blue pages. Re cycling saveslandfillspaceand spares land that must be tom apart to obtain additional resources. It also saves en ergy, energy generated with the use of fossil fuels that increase global carbon dioxide levels (global warming). Few think about it, but most of our electricity comes from power gener ated by coal. Coal plants are a major cause of global warming and acid rain, and they belch heavy metals, waste particles and radiation into the atmosphere. So reduce your energy consumption. Turn down the heat, use less air conditioning and turn off lights when not in use. Write your leaders. Educate yourself. Change your lifestyle. Most of all, think of the future, and don’t forget to save some resources. Koester It a senior toll science major and a Dally Nebraska a columnist. If ROSS UNIVERSITY If ' FINANCIAL AID AVAILABLE ' SCHOOL OF MEDICINE 4- American Med School Curriculum ♦ Complete Your Education In 37 Months 4 Guaranteed Clinical Rotations In US Hospitals VETERINARY MEDICINE 4- American Veterinary School Curriculum 4 Usted In AVMA Directory. 4- We are Affiliated with US Veterinary Schools For Clinical Clerkships. 4- Complete Your Education In 3 Years Approx 2,000 Ross Grads Currently In Residencies or Private Practice In The U.S.A. Accepting Applications for both Schools lor July A Nov 1994/Jan A April 1995 Semesters 'Ross 'University n.ys'ioooi International Education Admissions, me i \ 2-279-5560 TEXAS GRADUATE SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT 14(H) Ocean Drive #702A.Corpus Christi.Tcxas,78404 "Study Graduate-level International Management in the Heart of NAFTA" ♦Full-time and Executive International Master in Business Administration (IMBA); including Foreign Consultancy ♦Spend summers in Cosla Rica. Holland, or Japan *1 year Program (15 intensive three-week modules) ♦Assistance with private business slart-up/growlli ♦MBA degrees issued and conferred by the International University of the Americas. San Jose. Cosla Rica. "We arc Teaching Global Success” If vou arc interested, call or fax us at (512)888-8885. Win Free Birkenstocks! Register today and on April 14, Foodooae and Fancy may announce your name as the winner of a FREE PAIR OF BIRKENSTOCKS! Also, meet Birkenstock specialist, Sally Setton, who will be on site to answer your questions and show what’s new with the Original Comfort Shoe.** gift with every Btrkenrtork purchase! wkiU mppim tan _ Arizona7” The original comfort shoe/" Footloose & Fancy % 1219 "P" Street £ \ Open Thursday until 8:(X) P.M. O 1904 Birkermock is a registered trademark. With good behavior, you'll be out in just 5 months. With a 4 year college degree, you can begin your career in law as a paralegal in just 5 months. • Approved by the American Bar Association • Free lifetime national placement assistance • Financial aid available for eligible students • Includes a 100 hour internship Call today for a free video "Your Career In Law" 1-800-848-0550 DENVER PARALEGAL INSTITUTE 1401 19th Street Denver, CO 80202 □ Please provide information on the paralegal profession □ Please send free video "Your Career In Law" Name_ Address _ City_ State _ Zip. Phone _ Age Graduation Date _ DENVER PARALEGAL INSTITUTE 1401 19th Street Denver. CO 80202 1-800-848-0550
