Why Bo Bice and "Postmodern" are dead to me

Back in the beginning of Hungry Planet's history, we were a think tank that also published books for "teens and the postmodern mindset."

Most everybody got that (or pretended to.) The postmodern was still being defined, but loosely it was the tail end of baby boomers through Generation Y. It was a demographic and the way they assimilated information and consumed it.

Not anymore.

In Christian circles (in which we work and occasionally hang,) postmodern now means you have a particular theological bent. It's no longer just a sociological grouping, this is all about doctrine baby! At a minimum, you're 'seeker-friendly'. At a maximum (worst or best depending) you're classified as 'emergent'.

In other words, the label 'postmodern' is slowly becoming a polarizing one in the Christian church. Postmoderns are either part of the new reformation or are heretics. For those of us that used the term liberally (no pun intended) in a sociological and demographical sense, there's a bit of identification with Charles Grodin's character in the movie "The In-Laws."

"Serpentine! Serpentine!!"

So rather than play this socio/theological game of duck and cover, HP's lingo has changed. Now, instead of using the phrase, "postmodern mindset", we spout out words and phrases like "assimilator," "multi-tasking mindset," and "visually engaged culture."

As Eeyore used to say, "oh bother."

It's funny. In an interview with a reporter from Salon Magazine (not yet published), we had an epiphany that Christian media are surprised how conservative Hungry Planet books are (considering our covers, content, and writing style) while secular media are surprised how liberal we are in our approach (assuming all Christian publishers are stuffy and out of touch.)

The point is, we're neither with the heretic hunters of postmoderns nor the labyrinth-walking, emergent conversationalists. Frankly, the heretic hunters would hate our book covers and titles (Sexy Girls: How Hot is Too Hot comes to mind) while emergent-types would thumb their generous orthodoxy in our general direction to our authors' stands on homosexuality and the differences between men and women (The Dirt on Sex, Dateable, Marriable, et al.)

So we say "adios" to the word 'postmodern'. We never felt like you were a demographic anyway, but more of a mindset. But we certainly didn't define you as having a certain theological stand. But now, every pastor, church, or publishing/media exec wants to identify with your "too cool for school" self. We're sorry you got thrown under the bus by warring theological factions. But consider the following reality check 'postmodern':

Castro still thinks he's a revolutionary though he's the Cuban establishment. Denial is the only way the rebel survives, ultimately, unless the rebel always stays in the minority. In which case, the rebel isn't winning. Sucks huh?

The Beatles were rebels once. Now they're on classic rock radio. Sandwiched in-between Def Leppard and Bo Bice. By the way, Bice's CD is the most over produced, awful CD I've ever been gifted. And that cover art. Ugh.

So to the word 'postmodern' and the 'artist' Bice, you're both dead to me.