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An argument over the future of music... in 1982 or so.
DISCLAIMER: ...No, wait, I actually *do* own the characters and suchlike this time. In that event, steal them and die. Ask to steal them and I might be a little more lenient. XD
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“I can’t believe you’re listening to this.”
“What’s your problem?” Meredith replied calmly. “I like the New York Dolls; I happen to be driving. Driver picks the music. If you don’t like it, please, feel free to walk.”
“Punk is dead, Merry.”
“For the last time, don’t call me that. At least not till I’ve found a literary Andrew worth torturing you with.” A pause for thought, then: “And punk is not dead.”
“You can’t seriously think people will be listening to... to this stuff twenty years from now.”
“It’s at least fifty times more likely than anyone blasting disco.”
“That one I will give you,” Andrew conceded. “But still! You’ve got New Wave to contend with. It’s killed the punk movement, you may have noticed.”
“So now you’re trying to tell me A Flock of Seagulls is the next big thing. I’d say the MTV addict in the passenger seat is the crazy one here. Speaking of which, did you finally break your Betamax or something? Haven’t heard about your music-video taping in a while.”
“Rufus did. I’d throttle the little brat if he wasn’t in daycare all the time. That store downtown with the parts closed.”
“You’re making it sound like the end of the world. And it’s not Thursday, so I doubt we have to worry about that. Anyway, if we may return to our original topic, I’ll have you notice the passage of time hasn’t exactly ended the rock movement.”
Andrew scoffed. “A mere technicality. I’m telling you, punk is dead and buried, and New Wave is what you’re left with. Flock of Seagulls, Talking Heads--”
“Ha!” Meredith smacked the steering wheel triumphantly. “I’ve got you there! Talking Heads is more punk than Giant Wave or whatever. Thanks for proving my point, friend.”
“Um, I don’t think they’re actually punk. Come to think of it, I don’t think they really fit any label, except maybe odd.”
“Maybe you should be more careful about those technicalities of yours.”
“Whatever. I stand firm on my position. Think about it - nobody’ll want to look at the Rolling Stones in twenty years.”
“I don’t want to look at them now. But that’s not my point. My point is, music is a very hard thing to kill. People still listen to Beethoven, don’t they? And he’s been dead for at least a century. We won’t know which of us is right till we get there.”
