"The King of Carrot Flowers, Pts. Two & Three"
Neutral Milk Hotel
from In the Aeroplane over the Sea
1998
Here's a good question: Should we hang a religious cross in above our doorway? (NOTE: not a crucifix, as Pam is wont to tell me when I misspeak—a crucifix features six-pack-abs Jesus hanging by the nails as well.) Neither Pam nor I am religious at all, and there are times when I actively dislike religious communities. If a cross is supposed to tell your guests something about you, then it's sending the wrong message. If a cross is supposed to "bring you blessings from God" or whatever, but I don't believe it, then I guess the absence of blessings is not going to actively harm me in any way. If a cross is supposed to be just another little decoration that makes your not-even-that-religious-either parents happy, then what the fuck can I do but hang it? As the days in the new house pile up, there will come a point where I don't even see it as my eyes scan the room. It'll be just another invisible background tchotchke. I'm overthinking it.
An unrelated question: I saw a tweet the other day questioning whether the Anne Frank stuff on In the Aeroplane over the Sea was "problematic," but that's bullshit, right? I can't think of a single reason why it would be an issue. Mangum is pretty much talking to a ghost on this album, and doesn't really comment on anything about the real Anne Frank's life besides allusions to hiding and whatnot. I dunno, that smells to me like some anonymous jabroni on Twitter trying to start shit, but I'll keep an open mind regarding any opposing arguments.
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