There used to be a time, not too long ago, when it was possible to live a halfway decent counterculture lifestyle and still exist within the mainstream. I recall that elusive era in the early 90s when grunge and gangsta rap music were still popular among the masses, yet the artists were not labeled as sellouts. Independent films were popular around this time, and cable television was an alternative mass medium. Remember “Beavis and Butt-head,” and the beginnings of a now defunct salute to cynicism known as “Daria”? Man, those times were good – especially for an outcast like myself. For once, the media were giving “regular” kids a glimpse into my sick and twisted world. Then something changed: The popular kids won out.I’m not sure when it all began, but I do recall that MTV was the culprit that started it all. I could blame its parent company, but I choose to single-handedly blame Carson Daly. Did anyone else notice that right after he appeared, puppets known as “pop music artists” came on to the scene, all rap videos began to have bright lights, platinum, Bentleys and P. Diddy, and grunge gave way to stock-rock acts like Limp Bizkit? The saddest part for me was watching my beloved independent films being taken over by Hollywood producers and actors looking for side projects. The Sundance film festival used to be a haven for the struggling filmmaker looking for a negative pick-up deal.Now, it’s a mini-Oscar night complete with Joan and Melissa Rivers.All I’m saying is that the outcasts had a place in recent history. But the forces of capitalism were just too tempting and caused some to sell out and join the in-crowd. There are still a handful of us out there trying to make a difference. Musicians such as Tool, Erykah Badu, Tori Amos, KRS-One, Bjork and Tricky continue to push the mainstream envelope. Filmmakers such as Hal Hartley, Atom Egoyan, David Lynch and “Bad Taste” director Peter Jackson (Oh yeah, he also directed the little-seen movie “Lord of the Rings”) remain auteurs of indie film.As a final note to all of the kids out there who just bought the latest J. Lo CD, enjoy it while it lasts. Just take a note from all of the former ages of excess and their ultimate demise. The counterculture can only be pushed so far before we begin another revolution.