Why Coupland’s JPod is a disappointing read…
Note: I am planning on posting pics of both Rogue Wave and Intonation Festival bands in the coming days but for now, here’s a book review with some spoilers.
I’m a big fan of both Douglas Coupland and Canada. I’ve read pretty much everything Coupland has put out-both fiction and non fiction and I have to say (just having finished JPod today) that I’m kind of disappointed with this one. First, let me start with some strengths. Coupland has always been adept at his quirky and flawed characters and in postmodern fashion, he has them actually meeting him (as if he is just another character in the book) and implies he has actually just stolen the entire story for the book from the information off of two laptops. There are some interesting metaphors and it captures a day in the life of these gaming programmers pretty amusingly. It’s an easy read and it’s fun in the way that conversations going well are to have.
But, the Coupland I love is the one who taught us to love every single moment of every day in Life After God (I’d provide a quote if I hadn’t lent it to my friend Jon-but basically it’s one of his very best) and to rebel against meaningless contemporary society in Girlfriend in a Coma. I mean, is this really the same man who wrote: “If you’re not spending every waking moment of your life radically rethinking the nature of the world…then you’re wasting your day.” ??? Instead, we have more of a jaded and apathetic, “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” kind of mentality at play here. The characters never really grow into realizing that the world isn’t built on the weekly shoe imitation releases and instead they invest in mega Coupland stock where they can accept the world for the mess it is and just be okay with it. In other words, in ends happily and without any sort of challenge to try to make the world a better place.
Like I said before…could this be the same Coupland who taught us at the end of Girlfriend in a Coma to look at our sorry lives and reform…to make a difference in this world even if you look crazy-to stop caring what people think and invest all energy in change? Could this really be the same author?
I believe in the earlier Coupland and that message. I think there’s something desperately wrong with the heroin shooting coke snorting “I’m entitled to everything” culture that uses up a tremendous amount of world resources and forgets about the third world slave labor involved in their little luxuries. I believe it’s bleak but you’ve got to keep trying. You can ride your bike instead of driving. You can take the train instead if you live in a big city. You can buy fair trade items. You can support an independent business instead of Coca Cola and McDonald’s products (and btw, if you don’t happen to like these products, it doesn’t also mean you’re probably just some militant man hater. You could literally be a great person who just happens to care about the world.)
The opposite of despair isn’t acceptance. It’s trying to create positive change and realizing it’s the trying that increases your quality of life and makes you a better person overall. JPod is fun and easy like the equivalent to mcnuggets. It acknowledges the problems in society and has a “Who cares?” sort of mentality.
I mean, why worry when everything seems happy and you’re making lots of money? Well, I suppose maybe because you might not have your soul.