Welcome to the first of many editions of Advert your Eyes! As a consumer of media and of life, my conscious state finds infuriation at the completely bastardized blizzard that is modern media. As far as I'm concerned, the already pinpoint line that separated advertising and media is consistently assaulted by a massive pink eraser, and it's now to the point where this line is invisible to both human and artificial means of sight. This will be the core of Advert your Eyes, the assault of the culture of advertising. How it affects and effectively battles common intelligence, at times cackling straight into our collective mind's face.
The facet of this phenomenon that is most frustratingly peevish to me is cross promotion, the persistent placement and forced synergy between companies, events, and media companies. This ruse is so often employed by ABC/ESPN/Disney that it is difficult to bear. Reference the countless cross promotions of movies and basketball games, sponsored television segments, and the like. Arguments are made citing the corporate, financial, and profit-based benefits of such marketing schemes, and if such pursuits simply ruin any possible enjoyment of a sporting event or television series or further fortify the unbearable nature of commercial breaks, my eye lash bats not.
Then today, I watched ABC News with Charles Gibson (actually, I think we're calling him Charlie now). Now, to put into context the the information that could have been potentially bestowed upon viewers on the WORLD NEWS of this day, June 17, 2009:
1.Iran Election Chaos
2.Chaotic consequences in South America stemming from this violent swirl.
3.Consistent mayhem on a third continent.
4.A fourth continent and all its nonsense.
The above four stories, all massively important world affairs worthy of true focus and attention. A 23 minute program could devote a 6-6-6-5 minute split on each of these stories, and at least begin or bolster the information process; and at least let the program live up to its billing of world news.
And yet.
A human interest story on a popular golfer, "Lefty" Mickelson and his wife, unfortunately diagnosed with breast cancer. 4 minutes in length, and the closing statement of ABC World News Tonight featuring Charlie. Breast cancer, obviously a serious issue. Raising awareness of it and all cancer, a true social responsibility. An inspiring yet ultimately unimportant pursuit in the face of personal and familiar adversity, for many. But at its root, a commercial.
The segment closes, as you've probably already seen, with Charlie reminding us all that ESPN's coverage of the United States Open golf tournament, coverage which will not doubt focus and be fed by the storyline of Lefty playing for his spouse, who in all likelihood will be fine considering the admitted "good" prognosis and the mountains of cash in the Mickelson coffers.
Phil, all the best to your family in this time of struggle, and I hope the odds hold true and wifey turns out just fine. I don't know if you ask for this attention, and if you do, whether you're doing it for shameless reasons. But because of what this story line has become I will be disappointed to see you the victor. But a gutsy 2nd or 3rd that earns you respect and admiration, and allows ample camera coverage of all the pink, I can live with that.
Disney, such a story deserves no place on your world news program. The two dozen World News watchers who now care about the US Open enough to watch the inevitably pink-shirted Lefty try to lift the silver cup for his wife, is it number and margin enough to sacrifice a segment on your program. Are you even trying to hold up the facade that your program billed as World News is simply a tool to self-promote and proliferate ignorance on vital current affairs amongst its admittedly small viewership?
Please stop. And let us eliminate the notion that true news can be found by those who look hard enough for it. It is now our responsibility to seek out root sources and obscure reporting buried in piles of human interest, marketing drivel, which is fine, if mass media was not radiating the stench of purposefully administering ignorance and sacrificing its already paper thin time allowance for alleged World News.
Advert your eyes today from ABC World News, and from Lefty and Charlie. And the faceless dollar sign suit wearers behind the tube's travesty.
16 June 2009
Mission Statement, or something like it
In my mind’s opinion, this has been a long time coming.
Like so many of you, I hope, the dizzying reality of our world has created in me a need to share, to publicly hope, to reach out and find the masses. We have a lot of work to do. And I intend for this forum to be the beginning of my work, the beginning of my personal involvement in the culture we must shape in order to save.
Without question, so many thousands are already in the toil, and through reporting and reflecting and writing so many thousands are fortifying our communal intelligence and vying to unify the like-minded towards the common and unspeakable goal, I hope, millions have within them. I want truly to join in this crusade of culture, this Iditarod of intelligence and communication that will inspire the many to strive for the one.
What I am seeking first is self-improvement. Most basically, as a writer. Using this bare-bones beginner’s forum, it is my goal to write constantly and improve consistently. Concurrently, I hope to widen the gaze of my communicative abilities, use this uncomplicated forum to begin reaching and connecting with people. It is my understanding that so many minds are overwhelmed by the amount of media and culture to be consumed. The internet is an infinite ring circus, and I intend to focus my mind, but on many things. Chiefly, my thoughts being shared and responded to by a community, and the manifestation of my multiple interests.
And although it is likely not apparent from the tone of this introduction, I hope to do so with the wry-smiling satire that is the fuel to a healthy perspective of this world. As I write and we all write about current events, music, culture, thoughts, and ideas, I intend to never forget the sense of satire and awareness passed down through the artistic and cultural chain. As we all must, I hope to use it as effectively and effortlessly as possible. “Life is too serious to be taken seriously.”
We all have something to say. And we all have a lot of work to do. No one, certainly not me, know exactly what that work, this life entails. This is my initial entry towards the public seeking and finding of our meaning. Currently, it’s lost on me. I’m lost, we’re all lost, yet together. We open our eyes in the morning and find posts and tweets and crawls and updates on violence, the threat of bigger violence, and its unending repetition. We know so little of the world and its billions, but the turmoil is apparent to us by the dozens of means with which we interact with one another. Unlike its distant kin who use expression to take advantage of this broken system and its residents, we take solace in media and culture and satire that attempt to spark, ignite, or at least truly inform us. This is my entry into this circus, at once existing simply to create personal catharsis/inspiration and gradually inspire the same catharsis/inspiration in anyone who cares to join in the finding. We are all waiting, we are all hoping, let us all be finding.
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