all or nothing #30 - are you dumb?
table of contents
1.events 2.words 3.missed connections 4.horoscope 5.listen
»looking forward
beneath the masks by cesar finamori
new york is the city of faces. on the sidewalk, on the subways, in a cafe, you’ll come across thousands of faces that you’ll never remember or see ever again. in passing, those faces are simply the masks of strangers, shrouded in the mystery of unfamiliarity. but what if you could peer behind the masks and get a glimpse into the rich world lurking just behind a stranger’s eye? well, painter cesar finamori and curator blackmore, j. are exploring such feelings of intimacy and strangeness in an exhibition that will be on view at our 77 e 3rd street location from october 4th through 25th, 2024.
»looking back
khrome rain by amani heywood
there’s faces on the walls, rain in the street, and people standing on the ground. all street’s east village location was transformed by abstract visual artist amani heywood this past weekend into a destination of creative revelry and dripping paint. music was played by a human dj, art was made in real time, coca-cola was drank, thanks to a sponsor we won’t name. and what about the vibes, you may ask? well, as usual, the vibes were immaculate.
words
+playing dumb+
One of my favorite games is playing dumb. That’s not to say I’m not dumb. I am, in fact, very dumb. But, like most of us, I’ve figured out how to generally play smart. Or, rather, a base level of acceptably not dumb. So when I get the opportunity to play dumb, it’s less of an act or a game and more so a shedding of the well-polished armor I've cultivated through years of conforming to reveal my true dumb, fleshy self. And god, it is so freaking liberating. Disregarding the stresses of tomorrow, living in the moment, following your impulses. None of that is associated with being intelligent, but from my calculations as someone who hasn’t taken a math class in nearly a decade, those tenets strongly correlate with being dumb and, more importantly, being happy. It’s really all about trying less to be something you’re not. And rather than overthinking every tiny decision and possible outcome, it’s about just existing and reacting in a way that feels natural. Unfortunately, this isn’t a one size fits all diagnosis; therefore, one must only, “play dumb,” as it's a fleeting state. In the context of our current world, it’s not a sustainable way to permanently exist. To offset the fun and games of stupidity, you must hone your ability to “act smart” at opportune times. Luckily, it’s pretty simple. You see, everyone is so concerned with thinking they’re the dumb ones that they won’t even notice how dumb you actually are. So with that smokescreen of self-perception, you honestly just have to do the bare minimum. Mostly, it’s a confidence scheme. Act like you belong and people will believe it. I’ve even learned some five dollar words to sprinkle into my very limited vocabulary as well as colloquial phrases that give my manner of speaking a little bit of jazz and color, resulting in quite a unique je ne sais quoi, if i may say so myself. And that’s really all it ever is: saying so yourself. Making the proclamation that you are smart and sending that signal out to the world. School, academia, the corporate job ladder is rooted in the ability to emit and detect certain signals of belonging. Which, at the end of the day, is just marketing and putting together a package that instills confidence in what’s being sold. A degree grants the freedom to actually be dumb. At a certain point, that’s all that education really is good for. Technically, once you “master” something, you no longer need to prove yourself to anyone, you can just ride on the coattails of your past achievements and do nothing. Typically, though, school has the inverse effect. School instills such an intense inferiority complex that once you graduate, you are then put on a path of feeling the need to constantly prove yourself to others. This desire for validation can often rear its head in rather ugly ways as the best skill gleaned from school is really how to make other people feel dumb. Those with less education are seen as targets to criticize and embarrass in order give yourself a quick self-esteem boost, tiding over your validation addiction before you can get that next real hit. The real grand prize is exposing the true idiotic nature of someone that’s perceived to be “highly intelligent” in front of a group of other “highly intelligent” people. Huge men wearing tights and giving each other brain damage in pursuit of a ball may be barbaric and dumb, but nothing is as dumb and cutthroat as watching two people that read too much debate something at a dinner party, a standing around party, or a bar or wherever else people engage in the morally dubious sport of “conversation.” In actuality, this “conversation” always boils down to a self-righteous pissing contest over a concept that neither party has any first hand understanding of yet gets way too passionate about. But as long as they're not screaming, it's a “debate,” not an argument. No matter how many veiled insults are hurled back and forth. But make no mistake, such debates are not games but bloodsports with the intention of ruthlessly destroying and discrediting the intellect of their opponent in front of a group of their peers in order to bolster their own fleeting sense of intelligence. That’s not to say some things aren’t worth fighting for, but intentionally trying to embarrass someone else is, in fact, not smart but actually very, very dumb and not in a fun way at all. And, by masking your point, you may end up birthing a villain in the process.
missed connections
+9.21 ny queer zine fair
You: successfully made a fool out of me
Me: ready to rush in
Description:
you’re dense, incoherent, boring and, quite frankly, hard to read. but luckily, i don’t read for fun, i read for pleasure.
+9.26 khrome rain reception
You: staying dry while others feel the pain
Me: built a tent to make the world dry again
Description:
your words landed like rain, washing over my body, cleansing me of past sins, sand leaving this rotting skin-suit i inhabit anew, slick and smooth like a baby seal frolicking through the rain.
+9.27 vittorio + declan concert
You: look like a song
Me: listening with open ears
Description
the room sounded like a spectrum of colors and looked like a cacophony of music, but you cut through the sound, you cut through the visuals. you became all sound. you became all color. you are now my everything.
horoscopes
+Aries+
thinking the earth was flat used to be an “intelligent” opinion. remember that the next time you feel dumb.
+Taurus+
calling someone else dumb is objectively the only way to look dumb.
+Gemini+
hkhghk;aweljgfda;lkgfjsslkjavnmxbcxmbvcm,xmcnvx,mbnvxxcmbv,mxcoerlkkjfdgnxmc,xcmnbvc. am i right? oh, sorry, did you not understand that first sentence? exactly. that’s the point. you see, intelligence is a spectrum of smoke and mirrors. just ‘cause you can’t read the psychobabble in my head doesn’t make you stupid, but it does make me a genius. that’s right, you heard it here first, folks. i am, in fact, a genius. and you want to know why? because i told you so. JK. you see i almost got you there, though, didn’t i? and that’s the metaphor of being dumb. nothing exists. nothing is real. everything is made up. how does my mastery of an imaginary code of symbols make me any better than you? maybe the architects of this language had brains that were a little more similar to mine and, therefore, it’s easier for me to grasp it. however, had different architects crafted this godly tongue, then perhaps i’d be wallowing in stupidity like you filthy lot. the world may never know, but who cares because as long as we keep accepting what we’re spoon fed, then we all remain dumb and in the dark. everyone we think is “smart“ is just branded so by other people that were “chosen“ by other “chosen“ people and the cycle just continues on. so i’m asking you to stand with me and declare today “being dumb day,” for we will no longer be dumb in the silence or accept this violent chain of hypocrisy. so, in closing: “sfsjhlasklgdsfsjhssl!!!”
+Cancer+
if you have to ask yourself if you’re smarter than a fifth grader, then you’re probably not smarter than a fifth grader.
+Leo+
the only thing you were born knowing how to do was breathe, cry, and poop. maybe it’s time to get back to the basics?
+Virgo+
the only thing iq measures is how insecure you are. and if you take offense to that statement, then maybe you need to do some self reflection.
+Libra+
sometimes the brightest crayon in the box is nothing more than the brightest crayon in the box.
+Scorpio+
a famous canadian once pondered, “are you dumb or stupid?” but in real life, no one’s grading your work, so whatever the answer may or may not be is totally your business. so don’t let impromptu questions catch you off guard because adults don’t do pop quizzes.
+Sagittarius+
how many significant memories were born out of a moment of intelligence?
+Capricorn+
contrary to popular belief, forgetfulness is not a sign of stupidity, it’s actually a form of self-regulation and a sign that whatever you were going to say isn’t actually - wait sorry i forgot where i was going with that one.
+Aquarius+
you’re not as smart as you think you are, but neither are they.
+Pisces+
everyone is a genius in their own way, except you.
playlist
+Send us your writing, ideas, notes, observations or anything you want to gallery@allstnyc.com to be considered for future editions of all or nothing+
image credits
artworks by amani heywood from his exhibition, khrome rain, previously on view at all street gallery from september 26-29