Clichéd Reality

I'm watching Reality Bites while cleaning the house, rediscovering old pictures of the days when drinking and debauchery were the only things that mattered. Welcome to my 20s.

I hadn't seen this movie in quite some time, until I received it for Xmas last year. Upon watching it one cold December morning, I realized that the birth of my love affair with musicians can be traced back to 1994, with the release of this movie.

I cannot stand Winona Ryder, but somehow, I forgive her supreme acting AND personality flaws when it comes to this movie. And it was back before Ben Stiller became...well, Ben Stiller. Because there was that one archetypal character that made it all worthwhile. I admit that, as a tender 16 year old, I fell prey to the romantically flawed ideal presented by Ethan Hawke's character, the dirty unwashed Troy. Because it was the mid-90s and subversive meta pop culture irony made that okay.

Remember, I was only 16. You cannot hold that against me.

Several years later, happily bouncing along in college, I found myself surrounded by the reality of a life with musicians. It did not bite, as evidenced by this random smattering of strangers bonding on the road to Vegas for a weekend of sex, drugs, and rock n' roll:




Where's GPG?

I've known too many guys since then that completely embodied the Troy character, from the goatee to the flakiness to the tortured soul bleeding through his music. And I've loved every single one of them.

I'm laughing at how silly we were, how much fun it was, and how few battle scars I actually have. The self-obsessed are usually pretty harmless, if you don't let them get in the way.

The other funny coincidence of all this is that the movie is set in Texas, where I will be next weekend, with the very musician we were going out to support in that picture.

This, also, does not bite.

I guess I'll never be able to let go of that part of my life. Or those boys that I still idealize, despite knowing better.

Eh, what can you do?