Where'd We Get Our Name?

The film, Pump Up The Volume, starring THEE Christian Slater and THEE Samantha Mathis (real heads know), kicked off the 90's with a big ass bang. Coming off the degenerate 1980s, with its plastic ethos, and the continued, rampant delusional posturing of the United States as the end-all-be-all-of civilization, the kids of 1990 were rightly fed up. No wonder so many responded so enthusiastically when Kurt Cobain screamed bloody-murder through all the bullshit and straight into our hearts!

This film was a similar cry. Upon a recent (re)viewing, it is our humble opinion that this film totally holds up, and in fact, it feels more utterly relevant now than ever. Abuse of power is still the name of the game; our politicians and administrators of pretty much every kind of institution (including here at SFSU) are all drunk on hubris, beefing up their pockets, in bed with special interests, all while The People perennially get the raw end of the deal.

We strongly encourage our listeners/readers to give it a view. Contrary to what was said on our show the other day, it is NOT available for streaming anywhere other than the Internet Archive, which, as far as we're concerned, beefs up its Indie-ness all the more deliciously. Here's the link.

Before you watch, here are some quotable quotes from the film that, unless you have been living under a rock the past few years, or are a billionaire without a finger on the pulse (or a pulse at all), these quotes will be hashtag relatable.

"They say I'm disturbed. Well, of course I'm disturbed. I mean, we're all disturbed. And if we're not, why not? Doesn't this blend of blindness and blandness want to make you do something crazy? Then why not do something crazy? It makes a helluva lot more sense than blowing your f-----g brains out."

"Feeling screwed up at a screwed up time in a screwed up place does not necessarily make you screwed up."

"Ok, this is really me now. No more hiding. Listen, we're all worried, we're all in pain. That just comes with having eyes and with having ears. But just remember one thing, it can't get any worse, it can only get better. I mean High School is the bottom. Being a teenager sucks! But that's the point, surviving it is the whole point! Quitting is not going to make you strong, living will. So just hang on and hang in there. You know, I know all about the hating and the sneering. I'm a member of the "why bother" generation myself. But why did I bother to come out here tonight, and why did you? I mean, It's time. It's begins with us, not with politicians, the experts or the teachers but with us. With you and with me. The ones who need it most. I gotta believe, with everything in me, the whole world is longing for healing. Even the trees, the earth itself are crying out for it. You can hear it everywhere. Same kinda healing I desperately needed and I finally feel has begun, with you."