On Saturday I laid out the pros and cons to the burning out
part of Neil Young’s famous “it’s better to burn out than to fade away” line
from the song “Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)”. Now the time has come to turn our attention to
the fading away part. Below I have
presented a few pros and cons to those who fade away into that good night.
Pro: It doesn’t hurt
to live the last years of your life being known as a rock ‘n’ roll survivor or
a living legend. Being called a survivor
of rock is one of the greatest compliments that can be bestowed on those who
read the warning labels or decided to stick it out in rehab. It means you moved above the madness and have
entered a sphere of fame and adulation that few alive can boast subscription
to. Walking around as a living legend
sounds good to me if only for the revered silence that will accompany you’re
every movement.
Con: That moment when
you realize you aren’t the center of the hurricane anymore. World leaders speak of your most famous policies
as outdated and irrelevant, talk shows book you as the second guest, and rumors
of your physical death start to prop up more than you’d like them to. Giving up an adoring spotlight to lead a life
of semi-fame and casual appearances on VH1 nostalgia panel shows is an arduous way
to live out the rest of your life.
Pro: Seeing the accolades
roll in. Eventually the masses will appreciate
what you brought to the public discourses from those great scenery chewing
starring turns to your later more nuanced character work. By following the ever popular the law of
averages, an award is bound to fall straight into your lap. It could be anything from an Oscar to an
honorary hall of fame induction. Sure
you can win an award if you succumb early, but how will you know and enjoy the
glow that comes from basking in the respect of your selected peers and distinguished
enemies? Being the guy who spends the
rest of his days accepting awards for past successes sounds like a decent way
to go out.
Con: You’ll probably
have made some moves that would embarrass and disgust your younger, cooler
self. These choices could range from
collecting donations from the NRA to inserting some lite dubstep into an
album. The longer you live, the more
likely you are to make a few critical blunders and to attract the vultures of
the “what ever happened” crowd. Nobody
wants to read the part of their unauthorized biography that discusses the “unpopular
years that lead to their swift removal from the cool kids table”, especially if
the chapter has that exact title (it also says that your work needs to interest
a better group of biographers).
Pro: Not everybody
fades away. The greats that make it find
a way to keep on keepin’ on. Bob Dylan
survived his brush with martyrdom (the motorcycle crash in 1966) and we are all
better for it. Filmmakers like Martin Scorsese
and Woody Allen certainly haven’t faded away and have continued to make great
films into their golden years. Getting
up there in years doesn’t mean the spark of creativity fades away. Seeing multiple generations connect with your
work and vision must rank high on the list of things that make the
designer/evil corporate suit/airplane pilot village elder year’s happy ones.
Con: Being compared to
Norma Desmond. You could host an
extensive taxidermy collection, decorate your house in paper clippings of all your
former triumphs, or give numerous rambling interviews to HLN but you’ll never
be able to out crazy Norma Desmond. She
is the end all of those who fade away and you’ll always be a medium shot to her
close up perfection. My advice is to
quit while you are way behind.
There ends my take on the old debate between burning out and
fading away. Feel free to comment on
which lifestyle you prefer and any other pros and cons to either lifestyle
choice that I may freely appropriate into my next column about this topic.
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