David Foster Wallace on "real rebels" in writing today.

"Real rebels, as far as I can see, risk disapproval.
The old postmodern insurgents risked the gasp and squeal:
shock, disgust, outrage, censorship, accusations of socialism,
anarchism, nihilism.

"Today’s risks are different.

"The new rebels might be artists willing to risk the yawn,
the rolled eyes, the cool smile, the nudged ribs, the parody
of gifted ironists, the "Oh, how banal." To risk accusations
of sentimentality, melodrama. Of overcredulity. Of softness.
Of willingness to be suckered by a world of lurkers and starers
who fear gaze and ridicule above imprisonment without law."

-David Foster Wallace from "E Unibus Pluram: Television and U.S. Fiction" (1993)

And I could not agree more.
(Thanks to Tim Ramick for this quote from David.)