a.k.a. V.J.

Griffin recently told me that he heard Glen Campbell’s “Rhinestone Cowboy” for the first time the other day, and we started comparing notes on the song. I told him that, for me, “Rhinestone Cowboy” is a lot like Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline.” Both songs are undeniably pure cheese but, at the same time, undeniably great pieces of pop music. You can be cynical and too-cool-for-school and try to resist their charms, but if you’re being honest with yourself, “Rhinestone Cowboy” and “Sweet Caroline” are enjoyable as hell. Sometimes, you have to give up your pretenses and submit to the cheese.

My personal history with the New York State Fair — a Syracuse institution going back to the 19th century — is another example of that phenomenon. When I was a little kid, I loved going to the Fair. In my teens and twenties, I avoided it, calling the proceedings corny, lame, and outdated. But over the years, the Fair has pulled me back in. Maybe it was a result of being a parent and regaining an appreciation for things that appeal to children (and the inner child of my adult self). Part of it was probably from living out of state for a while and coming to appreciate the Fair as one of those Central New York traditions that I missed while away. Frankly, some of it comes down to the Fair simply improving over the years — with the powers-that-be upgrading and expanding facilities and diversifying attractions to appear to a broader range of interests.

Whatever the reasons why, I now make it a point to attend the Great New York State Fair every year, and I happily submit to the cheese. Today, Griffin and I paid the Fairgrounds a visit and I took a lot of photos.