ERNEST BECKER AT COSTCO
An Interview with Kris Megyery
Kris Megyery is a guitarist in The Brokedowns – a Chicagoland punk band that has been around for a few decades, best described as Yo La Tengo meets Youth Of Today. Kris is a father, husband, carpenter, and self-described chronically late responder to emails.
How did you get exposed to the writings of Ernest Becker?
A teacher briefly mentioned The Denial of Death in a class during my comedically brief stint at Community College 20 years ago. Shortly after I went on a long road trip and that was one of the books I brought with me. It took me a long time to get through because I would always read it when I was a little stoned so I would need to put it down and go for a long walk.
How did The Denial of Death inspire Ernest Becker at Costco?
Nothing can throw me into an existential tailspin like a trip to Costco on a Sunday mid-morning.
From the bloodthirsty soccer moms in the free sample lines to the East Berlin checkpoints throughout the store demanding you show your membership card. Conversely, Nothing makes me forget about my own death anxiety like scoring 100 cubic feet of Cheerios.
What do you hope your listeners will take away from EB at Costco?
I hope they will laugh a little. I hope they will be a little bit more thoughtful about how they spend their free time. I hope they will resist the very real urge to deny their own mortality by hunting down a pallet of Sun Chips.
Do you think you’ll include Becker’s theories in other music you write?
Death anxiety and the endless pursuit of cosmic significance is a vein that runs through our entire canon, so I would say yes!
ERNEST BECKER AT A COSTCO
Get in line for the offering you just can’t beat the price
Say c’est la vie to the sky high fees
Say hello to paradise
I’m in the bargain bin
And I can not decide
Between the shrink wrapped shit
Or the sweat shop skid
I’ll bring a pallet jack next time
Down where the waters rushing
They’re wishing for a slice
Of a day without waves crashing in
Pestilence and flys
They don’t know the pain you’re in
They don’t know sacrifice
Kickoffs missed for grocery lists
Keeps us from thinking
We’re all born to die
But I was born to buy
I want on my grave
In bold britannic type
He bargained and he haggled til the very day he died
He never bent or caved
He never paid full price
He didn’t need Valhalla
He found hot dog heaven
Right here in the aisles
You were born to sweat in peace
I was born to buy
You were born to fill my feed
I was born to buy
Beckerian Podcasts
Ernest Becker ideas and TMT have been featured on over 70 podcasts and counting (including some episodes directly featuring the EBF)! Check our website for a full list. Some of our favorites:
Spark Hunter (Debuted Oct 2022)
The Denial of Death—Lit Century Podcast (March 2022)
Death—Deeply Human Podcast (May 2021)
Til Death do Us Part—Indirect Message Podcast (May 2020)
We’re All Gonna Die—Hidden Brain (Sept. 2019)
Becker on Record
List of Becker/Terror Management Theory references and inspirations for musical albums:
KALI—“Terror Management Theory”
Boobs of Doom—Terror Management Theory
Skyline + Seluekos—“Terror Management Theory”
Under Threat—“Terror Management Theory”
Hallucinogenius—“Terror Management Theory”
Outblinker—“Ernest Becker”
Clark—Playground In a Lake
Pink Communist—“Terror Management Theory”
Demorphed—Denial Of Death
Rich Aucoin—Release
Car Seat Headrest—Teens of Denial
Terror Management Theory (Band)