Madness Is Contagious
Let's connect through our collective malaise.
If you are reading this, you likely recognize, just as I do, that “there’s something wrong with the world” (to quote my hero Morpheus from The Matrix). It’s as if the zombie apocalypse and/or the rise of the machines is already upon us and that those of us who remain conscious and willing to resist have been castrated or otherwise cowed.
I, for one, will not go quietly: “I’m as mad as hell” (to quote my other hero Howard Beale from Network), and the only weapon I’m willing to use at this point is my message, which is one of unity — even though it may not always seem like it. I don’t mind offending you, or anyone else, if it makes you more likely to listen. Like Beale, “I’m not going to leave you alone.”
The reason is simple: We, the angry, crazed truth-seekers, soothsayers, and cultural critics of the technocratic 21st century, need to assert ourselves. We need to (re)join the public domain with a vengeance and carve out our rightful, sacrosanct place in it for posterity. We need to stop worrying about what our employers, colleagues, family, friends, hairdressers, judo instructors, or other flesh-covered robots might say in response—except to use said responses as fuel for our raging fire.
For the last five years, I’ve chased the so-called “American Dream” until I became crippled and hardly able to run or even stretch out my arms at times (this is an oblique reference to The Great Gatsby, for you bookworms out there. For the uninitiated, TGG is likely the best book ever written about the (white) American Dream. Despite being a white man brainwashed into believing success is inevitable, I’ve suffered for over two years with an incurable chronic illness; I’ve lost jobs, friends, and hope (numerous times); and I’ve never felt more existential dread.
Yet, I’ve never felt more motivated to change things—even subtle things—about the world. The list in my head is endless, and if you subscribe to my musings, you will quickly discover how deep the rabbit hole goes (intentional reference to both The Matrix and Alice in Wonderland, which, despite what people think, is NOT a children’s story). There aren’t many things I don’t have strong opinions on (including Alice).
Of course, it helps to have facts to support those opinions, so I intend to provide useful information along with my rhetoric. I hope you will also see me as part educator (my previous career) and part journalist (my undergraduate degree)—while totally and delightfully mad in both senses of the word.
My goal is to create community (not just content), to spread much-needed madness like a virus. So, if you don’t like what you see or want to see more of something you do like—or otherwise have clever, condescending suggestions (I know the type because I am the type)—do not hesitate to comment on a specific post or contact me at subscribe.madmanmatt@gmail.com
I can promise a thoughtful response for every thoughtful comment.
Now, it’s time for me to produce material worthy of comment. Subscribe now and stay tuned for the madness.