The nihilism of popular culture matters because, in a world where the influence of institutions such as the family and the church has diminished, popular culture has become an important source of values for many kids. Which brings me back to Harris and Klebold. I saw Silence of the Lambs . I ve never even thought of harming my classmates. That s usually true, but it s important to understand that the Nihilism in pop culture affects different people in different ways.
Many people are temperamentally incapable of perpetrating violence.
Instead, they manifest the effects by becoming depressed and indifferent. Or they adopt a posture of irony what Hibbs might call the Seinfeld syndrome where they embody the superficial and passive creatures, always seeking to be amused, whom Nietzsche called the last man. The antidote to nihilism is, of course, faith. And, in an ironic way, Harris and Klebold themselves proved how powerful an antidote this kind of belief is. If we did, we wouldn t be here.