There's a lot of reality in the world that deserves our fright more than Ozzy's latest vid + I don't care about music vids / never did - my point above is related to the music. As far as my daughter's concerned, I'll respect her choice - she could do worse than Ozzy imo from what I think I know - but hey, we don't really know the guy - we only know a persona (1/2 invented by Sharon most likely) and some revealed addictions that a lot people have, and some revealed health issues that a lot of people will have possibly at a younger age than Ozzy.
That's OK, and I respect your choice. Please indulge me by reading the following.
My feeling is that reality often takes a wide detour when it sees trouble ahead. I'd do the same if I felt there were something in the road ahead that might pose a problem, and require considering a separate route.
Case in point: This evening, I'm sitting at home in front of my computer, with the AC and fan on. Not watching TV because after 11:30 PM my brain effectively shuts down and "thinks" it's asleep. However, my body knows better and is awake while the rest of the neighborhood has gone to sleep for the evening. My usual work schedule tends to cause some late nights, and I sometimes stay awake until 2:30 or 3 AM.
You might say that I enjoy the socialization on this forum, but it's really quite "addictive" because it causes me to lose sleep and makes for a day tomorrow where I might need nap during the day to make up for lost sleep. Is this type of "addiction" bad? Some might say yes, others, no. Does it cause health problems? Weight gain, perhaps. Associated health risk factors with being overweight. Yet, are we speaking about "addictions" of substance abuse, or of a physical type?
My personal feeling about all of this is: Enjoy life, but do what you enjoy in balance and moderation. If you're a workaholic, find time to balance work with recreation. If you enjoy celebrating life every chance you get, remember that your health may suffer over time as you age. In this instance, celebrate occasionally, not all the time. Remember that when you were a student, you really didn't have a lot of free time or money to waste pursuing trivial things. TBH, I still live with this mindset, because it was ingrained in me as a student. Although I've already graduated college and found a job that pays modestly, my life is very much full with activities each and every day instead of spending inordinate time pursuing trivial things.
Like others, I take time to appreciate little things, like a clean apartment, a warm shower, a soft bed, and moderately good health. And being able to wake up each morning and begin my daily routine. I personally try to live by higher standards, simply because failure to do so would bring dishonor and calamity to myself or family. Like others, I work, pay taxes, enjoy a modest single apartment life. I have no plans for marriage, and enjoy my singleness.
I drink only in moderation, don't smoke or abuse drugs, am not involved in a relationship, and am content with what I currently have. Might there be a temptation somewhere? Of course, but it's relatively easy to recognize temptations when they crop up, and I most often avoid them. Some might say, "What's wrong with this guy? Doesn't have any fun or enjoy painting the town red. See ya." To these people I just say that their definition of fun is not the same as mine. Does everyone enjoy fun and games? Not necessarily.
I can say that my definition of fun does not include the latest Ozzy video. Not into the mark of the beast, demons, or Satanic rituals. Yeah, I know, Ozzy was heading that mindset as early as his Paranoid LP. And as much as I respect Tony Iommi, Randy Rhoads, and Zac Wilde's work, the metal / hard rock / speed metal music, I really couldn't enjoy.
Why? I'm old school, that believes that music needs to swing in order to involve an audience, not bang your head in unison while the lead guitarist rips it up on stage. I don't do mosh pits, but can easily sit in a coffeehouse or open-mic venue tapping my toe or fingers to a performance.
A similar question: Why? Because coffeehouse and open-mics are quieter, though they own a PA system and amps. Last time I attended a major indoor concert (VH, 2007), the ear plugs I brought only muffled the music, and when I removed the ear plugs, my ears couldn't stand the decibel level.
By stark contrast, jamming on several acoustic songs accompanied by a friend or singer goes much farther towards saving my ability to hear than trying to shout over a bar band while munching on wings or fried food. I'm sure you've done this yourself, but have not yet realized that age quickly catches up with you after arriving home 2 AM or so and needing to work at your job next day afternoon.
With that, I happily offer you my blessing of a restful night's sleep and a good day tomorrow. I do hope that somehow we all can find inner peace that no one can take away from us. Perhaps Ozzy has been fighting his demons for such a long time that they're manifested in his music each time we hear something new from him. If it were me, I would have rid myself of whatever was causing the problem to begin with, moved on with my life, and found peace and happiness in the process. I can only pray that Ozzy has the sense to avoid certain things that are causing his problems, instead of feeding them.
If a person continually feeds their negative emotions with "evil" things, would it not occur to you that you might adopt that mindset as your own? Same with TV. I've cut back on how much TV I view because of the violent content. Ask yourself, "If life imitates art, why are there so many shootings?" Could it not be that as a society we've adopted a culture of violence as the norm? THAT, my friend, is why I choose to not view Ozzy's video, because I do not wish to act out with respect to what I view on TV. Now ask yourself this: "Would I ever act out what I viewed on TV, on YouTube, or video game, in real life?"
Perhaps this is why society's culture of violence continues to persist, when we should pursue more peaceful activities.
