is there more to tailgating than setting up shop (or a tent) in a parking lot, hooking up a grill, keeping some cold beers in a cooler, and lounging around with some friends, some strangers all day long before watching a football game (or sometimes a big concert)?
personally, i've only ever been to one tailgate party, and it was in northern virginia before a dave matthews band concert. there were acres full of parked cars and people playing drinking games and eating burgers and dogs, blasting music (not all dave matthews i might add). i happened to be in decent company, so it didn't feel like a total waste of time. at the same time, i also thought it was interesting that a bunch of people that were around our part of the parking lot were planning to leave before the concert even happened because they couldn't get tickets. so they couldn't go to the show, so they drove from wherever they live around there (and this place was kinda off in the cut), just to hang out in the parking lot.
i can't help but wonder what, if any, real positive social value is generated by this tradition. some would ask how much of our time can we really dedicate to contributing to positive social change anyway? point taken, i don't think even the most active activists among us can rightly claim that their every moment is dedicated to bettering the world. nevertheless, if we don't ask ourselves these questions then we don't have any hope of determining the proper balance between working towards the common good, and simple relaxation.
i guess, on a certain level, when i saw the tailgate picture in my newsfeed the other day it was just a reminder of the disproportional emphasis on personal fun and self-satisfaction that dominates our culture in this country. i wonder how many hours are spent tailgating, or watching football, or watching summaries of football games, or watching people talk about football games, or watching people talk about what they did wrong (or right) in football games, or watching people pick other people to play in football games, etc. if even a fraction of the human energy that goes into feeding the football culture in this country was redirected towards getting to know our neighbors better, and helping each other, what could be accomplished?
