Monday, February 1, 2010

This American Life covers college partying

I love This American Life, so it seemed strange when I found myself unimpressed after listening to their episode that chronicled the booze-soaked partying of college students at State College, Pennsylvania, where Penn State University is. Then I realized that as a college student, I'm just so used to the scene that they describe. It's so typical to me as to seem banal, but it actually is interesting. I was a fish who didn't see the water. The episode is no worse than any other. Indeed, it's great, as always, but because it covers a subject so close, listening to it forced me to step back and rediscover how insane this aspect of America really is. An outsider looking at the situation must be fascinated.