Impermanence and Death Metal

Warning: If you’re offended by strong language, graphic content, or Death Metal (or if you don’t have a funny bone in your body), do not read on.

Back in 2006, I was really into watching a series of mature (or not-so mature) animated programming on Cartoon Network’s, Adult Swim. The late night line-up featured the show Metalocalypse. It’s about a fictional Scandinavian Death Metal band, called Dethklok, with a following so strong, it ranks them as the seventh strongest economy in the world. So as I said, purely fictitious and very funny in my opinion.

An episode came to mind recently; the one where lead singer, Nathan Explosion, gives a speech at a Harvard graduation ceremony. Although it’s clear he’s a fish out of water (misreading “salutations” as “solutions”), I remember actually feeling like I could get behind his message; that it actually resonated with me.

Listen, Harvard. I’m a billionaire. And most of you are gonna graduate, and move back in with your parents! I’m gonna tell you somethin’, though. We have something in common: we’re all gonna die. No matter whatcha’ do, no…