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The James Altucher Show

Ep. 280 - Chuck Klosterman: From Yesterday to Today: Comparing How We Interact with Culture

The James Altucher Show

James Altucher

Education, Business

4.6 • 2.7K Ratings

🗓️ 20 November 2017

⏱️ 61 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

I can't just call Chuck a writer. He's arguably one of the most successful pop culture critics. "Oh sure," he said. "And I have a big advantage. Most critics want to be the first to write about something, I get to be the last person. And that puts me in a very good position." "Why?" I asked. "I'm not just reacting to something," he said. "I'm looking at all the other reactions." He's interpreting our interpretations. And defining the 21st century.   They say Deja Vu shows us when we're having the right experience at the right time. The other kind of "repeat experience" is monotony. The same "day-in and day out." I think humans have a desire to look for newness.?? If you look down at your feet but forget to look at the sky and see a new day, is it a new day??? The way to achieve newness is through interpretation. ?No song sounds the same to any two people. No business opportunity or investment looks as golden to two people. We see the world through ourselves. ?Chuck Klosterman analyzes Pop culture. He's the author of "Fargo Rock City," "Sex Drugs and Coco Puffs,"Kill Yourself to Live (85% of a True Story). (I love that "85% of a True Story".) Last time he came on my podcast, we talked about his book "What If We're Wrong." And now we're talking about his latest book is "X. "??He told me about the age of Led Zeppelin... when artists performed for themselves. People always asked, "What's this lyric or that lyric mean?" And the artists would say, "You decide. "??But now we live in a 24/7 awake world. ?? People don't want other people to have control over "their" creation. "The artists now have a desire for people to understand what they did," Chuck said.?? I wanted to understand why... ??And what I found out is that interpretation is a form of control. Or a form of freedom (depending on how you use it.) In this podcast, Chuck teaches you how to become an observer from the inside... how to change your view of yourself, your life, of the world. ?I think this podcast is about choosing to look each day the way you'd want yourself to... and then taking action that matches the rhythm of your heart. That's how I make meaning out of anything and everything.?? This is what Chuck did. He's created a micro category. He dives deep into every aspect of a niche category (pop culture.) And if you study how he thinks, you'll learn something very important. ??No one else thinks like him. And no one else thinks like you. The world changes because our thoughts change. Anytime I've been in the gutter, I told myself, "the world changes if my thoughts change." Maybe nothing happens, except for the exchange of an old mindset for a new. You can read my show notes here: https://jamesaltucher.com/2017/11/chuck-klosterman-2/ And don't forget to subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" on Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts! ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcript

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0:00.0

This isn't your average business podcast and he's not your average host.

0:06.6

This is the James Altiger Show on the Choose Yourself Network.

0:12.6

Today on the James Altiger Show, there was a time when the idea of art was you did something

0:19.7

and you hoped people would interpret it in interesting ways.

0:23.0

Now I think artists want people to understand what they did.

0:26.3

It underlines that criticism and interpretation has now become part of the art and extension

0:32.2

of the art.

0:33.2

Oh sure, if you're able to appreciate the lyrics of a song, the first time you hear them

0:39.8

usually means the lyrics are kind of shallow.

0:42.6

But the best songs you gotta listen to for a while and you realize when it might actually

0:46.7

mean the opposite of what they say, the things that are great take a while to get.

0:51.1

That's an interesting point because when somebody performs something, they want to be liked

0:57.2

and understood right away.

1:07.7

So I've got once again Chuck Klosterman, one of my favorite creatives.

1:14.8

I don't even call you just a writer, I call you a creative.

1:17.0

You're like one of the most creative people I know.

1:19.6

And which is interesting because you're a cultural critic, people don't usually call critics

1:25.2

creatives.

1:26.2

There's like the artist and then the critics and they're like a separate universe.

1:29.9

But you, I think.

1:30.9

I really view criticism as sort of just intellectual entertainment.

1:34.9

I do think it is creative to be honest.

...

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