Editor’s note: This editorial was written by Playboy Club creator Griffin Maria. You can read our Q&A with her here.
“May you live in interesting times” is an English quote that has a lot more going on under the hood than it seems. In truth, it’s actually something of a slur with more than a touch of irony packed in there. The key here is the word “interesting.” The quote isn’t wishing us a life of wonder, in fact, and when you replace “interesting” with the implied word “troubling,” the truth of the statement takes on a new light. I think another good saying that floats around is “no one wants to live through history.” Here in America, despite what side of the fence you may be on, it seems very clear that we’re definitely in interesting times. As Dylan says, the times they are a-changin,’ and like it or not, we’re right smack in the middle of history.
Right now, we’re at a juncture in this country. We’ve got ourselves a big divide, some of it real, some of it manufactured, but all of it ugly. The result has left many people feeling lost or even afraid as uncertainties threaten a particular way of life. The very symbol of our flag has been hijacked by groups who either do not understand the Constitution it stands for, or who outright denounce it. Sadly, there are those who have flown their flags for decades who have now decided to take them down rather than be associated with such people.
There’s a growing sense of uneasy anticipation and despair in many corners of the country with a lot of people losing their sense of hope. But quite simply, we can’t allow that to happen. The stars and stripes are a symbol of our country, not a symbol of one political party. That flag, that symbol, belongs to all Americans.
And it’s time we take it back.
PLAYBOY Magazine is back! Preorder your copy HERE
So, the question is, how do we do this? The answer is complicated, particularly when you factor in the notion that history is written by the winners. But if this is true, then I think it’s fair to say that despite what history books may later claim, the truth will be found in the arts. And that is how we prevail.
A few months ago, I spent some time in my home state of Michigan and while there I visited both Motown and the Detroit Institute of Arts. In retrospect, it occurred to me that so many of the Motown hits we know and love were born in a time of racial strife. Paintings and sculptures in the museum showed scenes of hardship, civil unrest, and historical change. These artists, whether through song, or paint, or clay used their talents to capture and record specific moments in time. And these were crucial points in history that needed recording.
I think that applies now as much as it did then. It is with all of us who have artistic talent that this burden rests because it is in times such as this that our country needs that talent most. Our social media breeds doubt and confusion, and news outlets profit from fearmongering. But those in our world with an artistic voice have the unique power to bring hope.
And it is with that in mind that I come to you, all of you with any type of artistic talent. The country needs its authors, photographers, musicians, poets, painters, podcasters, street artists, comedians, actors and so much more. Now is the time to embrace that passion. Grab your paintbrush, pick up your guitar, dust off that camera, crack those knuckles and get behind your keyboard.
PLAYBOY Magazine is back! Preorder your copy HERE
I’m calling on you because by creating, by making something, we have the power to bring about change. It doesn’t happen by storming the Capitol, or online bickering, and hope doesn’t spread through violence, or hate, or lies. Our art needs to encapsulate this moment in history while at the same time ensuring that hope still endures. That is how we recapture our flag and all it stands for.
Song is our revolution.
Comedy is our coup.
Performance is our insurrection.
This is our call to arts.
Griffin Maria is on The Playboy Club. Talk to her here.
