by Scott Heffernan (bio)
Well not much really...except...
1) One of the founding members of this blog is a huge Arcade Fire fan (me).
2) Lead singer, Win Butler, has some Mormon roots. During an interview with NPR, he relates, "I went to church a bit. My mom's side of the family is religious and my dad's side isn't. My mom's side are Mormon, but they're all musicians, so kind of like, martini drinking Mormons." I bet they would be fun to hang out with.
3) There is a song on Arcade Fire's latest album, The Suburbs, called "Modern Man." (This had nothing to do with the naming of this blog.) The lyrics of the song are not terribly optimistic. The song paints a picture of the Modern Man purposelessly taking a number, waiting in line, and going nowhere. Redundant, waiting to die, with a vague and fleeting awareness of broken aspirations. The lyrics illustrate the existential crisis that the Modern Man is faced with, realizing his life has no meaning or value.
I can definitely relate to the angst described in the song. I don't believe Mormons are immune to the existential crisis. Is this portrayal of the Modern Man accurate? I hope this blog can help contribute to a redefinition of the Modern (Mormon) Man. Not only in regard to the human condition, but more so in exploring today's perceptions of masculinity, family, culture, love, and orthodoxy. I hope we can "break the mirror of the Modern Man."
