FJM offers his take on virtual reality and technology.
Back at it again, Father John Misty has unveiled a fiery new track. ‘Total Entertainment Forever’ gives us FJM’s take on the 21st century’s new found obsession with technology and, more specifically, virtual reality. Taken from his forthcoming new album, Pure Comedy, the track opens with line “Bedding Taylor Swift every night inside the Oculus Rift/ After mister and the missus finish dinner and the dishes.” Yikes.
It’s not the first time an artist has penned a controversial lyric about the ‘Blank Space’ singer. On his track ‘Famous’, Kanye West spouts “I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex / Why? I made that bitch famous.” Father John Misty — real name Josh Tillman — has, however, revealed the meaning behind his lyric in an interview with Exclaim!:
“Human civilizations have been entertaining themselves in disgusting ways all through human history — I mean, whether it’s lighting Christians on fire, or whatever. We have to consider that maybe there are ways in which we entertain ourselves now that are equally as disturbing. I think that that’s important — to not assume that everything about the way we live is the direct product of progress.
The fact of the matter is, I don’t want that to happen to Taylor Swift. That is the worst thing I can think of; that is so horrible. But again, this plays into progress, where like, the internet was supposed to be this new democracy, a utopia of information where everyone had a voice and we were all interconnected, and we would experience true democracy — and it turned into pornography, followed only by outrage. The tools represent some kind of technological advancement, but if we can’t act like more than angry ecstasy freaks with the most advanced technology in the world, then how much have we really progressed?
And if you don’t think that this virtual reality thing isn’t going to turn into sex with celebrities, then you’re kidding yourself. That face recognition stuff? I mean, there are people working on it right now. It’s absurd. Someone sitting with this headset on, you know? Oh God, it’s just, how many different ways do human beings need to masturbate?
So on the album there are more than a few songs where I’m saying ‘Is this progress? Like, is this really what progress looks like?”
Unlike Kanye, Tillman seems to be trying to make a pertinent point about modern technology. Anyway, Swift-ness aside, the track is a raucous clash of jazzy bongos, crisp guitar and woozy organs. Basically, peak FJM songwriting. Check it out below.
‘Total Entertainment Forever’.
‘Pure Comedy’