Saturday, April 3, 2010

Finding blog subjects...

I currently live a very sheltered life. By choice.


It's something I mentioned here before but I have a huge interest in what goes on in the world. I think we're capable of so much and yet we're kind of shitting on each other in a big way. Wars, conflicts, killing, maiming, torture are commonplace and almost always for the wrong reasons. And much of that is supported by people like us working for particular people, owned by particular corporations. We're part of it. Just doing our jobs.

Very little of that is reported by mainstream media. But it's all out there. It's not really hidden. And the more you look, the more things you'll find that will haunt you.

That was a major issue for me when I was in advertising. Trace who your clients are and who owns them and what they've done and, well, it's only a matter of time before you find out that you're a Stormtrooper working on the Death Star. I had to get out of advertising and I did but that doesn't mean things stop happening.

I had to go on a media blackout because these things haunted me and prevented me from living my life. I'm not completely happy with that choice because it's only by knowing about these things we can do something about them. Although, personally, I think the only real way things will change is by tearing down the whole current system and starting again. And that wouldn't be pretty.


I suspect it will happen some day in the not too distant future though. There's only so long this society's charade can continue. But that's a whole other subject.

Most of what is happening, I can't change. Not in my own little life. But I can contribute positively and choose carefully what I do and who I do it for. And I do that.

But I'm still on a media blackout.

And that sometimes means I don't have a huge amount to talk about.

7 comments:

Andy Latham said...

I currently feel like all I have to talk about is animation. I live and breathe the subject. I must annoy the hell out of people!

Red Pill Junkie said...

Why don't you blog about your parenthood experiences, then? The way your young daughter is starting to take her first steps into the world.

Steve said...

If you can achieve Media Blackoutness, you're v. lucky. I like the idea, but just getting on a tube train and listlessly leafing through the shite that is free-paperdom suckers me in every time....

susan said...

It does help now that it's Spring/ Summer I can go to the park and just write in my journal for hours and people watch and forget about the rest of the world. It helps.
So you use to work in Advertising ? Has "Mad Men" made it across the pond? Brilliant show. Might make a good blog entry no?

My dreaded block ended, the entry from hell written, and you and RPJ inspired me to one piece for this week and my Dwarf piece is being fine tuned. Thank you very very much. I cannot think of too many things worse than a writer's block.

And yes, I agree w/ RPJ. Write about your daughter,. or children. You are due for one of those pieces. I love when you write about children.

Anonymous said...

As I tell friends and family, I take great pride in being ignorant of pop culture, news, and everything else that goes on around me. I found out Reagan died a week after it happened, for example. I read no newspapers, have no TV access to news, don't have time to read things online, etc., etc.

I guess it's not the best solution, but I've got my own problems to worry about. Paying attention to the news just depresses me (literally, I've had depressive episodes triggered by it). It's not that I don't want to do something about the current situation, but the task is so daunting as to seem impossible.

susan said...

I would love an Astro Andy.

Bitter Animator said...

Steve, yeah, those free papers are a killer. Everyone brings them into work but even catching a glimpse of them usually reminds me why I'm on this media blackout.

Thanks for the suggestions, guys. And I may see if I can get Astro Andy back at some point.