Reclaim Your Inner Bohemian

It's nice to step away from these never-ending political scandals du jour once in a while and do something to take one's mind off the greedy, inept criminals running our nation into the ground.
The movie RENT fills the escapism bill.
Originally adapted for the theater from the opera La Boheme and now translated to film, it's nice to be reminded that some people still consider art, sex, fighting AIDS and freedom from the materialistic rat race important enough to celebrate.
In a country where Bohemians, artists and liberals are often considered Satan's children, it's nice to sit in a dark theater for a few hours without having to see, hear or think about neo-con bilge.
When a culture dies, anthropologists measure art, music, science and literature as benchmarks for the culture's level of evolution.
Warmongering, neglecting the educational needs of children, religious and political intolerance and political graft are measures of a culture's devolution. Flaws like that destroy cultures, in fact.
Seeing RENT reminded me that this administration is an artless one. Cultural growth has stagnated. Artists and free thinkers are considered subversive to this government, like with most fascist governments. Nothing even remotely indicates the Bush clan gives a damn about culture, beyond patriotic Country music and NASCAR racing.
The movie is gritty and sexy and druggy and disturbingly exhilarating because nobody is judging anyone. Even the Big Business villains are relegated to background scenes and given no dialog. What a relief to see them muted.
Go see it.
For a few hours, you'll be set free and reminded that art still exists, despite neo-con efforts to destroy it.