Mid-Week Music: IDLES - "Television"
There are songs that make me cry. Not necessarily out of sadness, but from a spontaneous overflow of emotion that I can’t stop. Maybe there’s a special set of frequencies or particular sounds that do it for me. I don’t know the criteria. They are magical and I cherish them.
“Television” by IDLES is one of them. In this song, the singer expresses aggressive care toward the listener, acknowledging the pressures of media and negative self-talk to distort our self-perception and self esteem and then giving us his example of a way out. Here’s the first verse and the chorus:
If someone talked to you
The way you do to you
I’d put their teeth through
Love yourself!
…
I, I go outside, and I feel free
‘Cause I smash mirrors, and fuck TV
I go outside, and I feel free
‘Cause I smash mirrors, and fuck TV
And magazines
first learned of this song and the album from which it comes, Joy as an Act of Resistance., during lockdown. Going outside seemed borderline dangerous then, and cooped up inside we were very much subjected to more media than normal, whether through the news online, or scrolling through social media, or losing ourselves in television. The idea of running around outside and smashing mirrors and screaming "FUCK TV" into the void which was otherwise filled with the sound of wailing ambulances was pretty compelling.
And some of you might relate to the crushing criticism to which I used to subject myself each morning, when I would tell myself what a shit I was for drinking yet again the night before, and muddily promise myself that I wouldn’t do it again. I think Joe Talbot (the singer and lyricist for IDLES) was talking mostly about media and self-esteem around one’s appearance, but I bring myself to these songs and make them my own.
I was lucky enough to get to hear IDLES play “Television” live a few nights ago here in New York CIty. It was an amazing show, particularly because it seemed that every person in the large audience knew every word to every song. They have a few albums, and a new one coming out next month, but I think Joy as an Act of Resistance. is a great place to start if you’re interested in their loud, feminist, anti-racist, witty post-punk.
Another great place to start with IDLES is their charming Tiny Desk Concert for NPR:
Thanks for reading and listening and maybe watching. I hope you liked it, but if you didn’t, my musical tastes are all over the place so we’re bound to come together on another song in the near future.
I love you,
David
