Not everyone will understand your journey. That’s fine. It’s not their journey to make sense of. It’s yours.
Author | Photographer | CG Artist | Filmmaker
We give assclowns and bad news the most press and then wonder why there is so much bad news and so many assclowns in the world.
Don’t support what you don’t want to see more of. Encourage what you do.
Lead by example.
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If your source of news has a consistent opinionated narrative, it isn’t news, it’s propaganda.
True news delivers the details without spin.
It should be up to individual audience members to make up their own minds based on the information provided and not have opinions marketed to them in order to promote a particular agenda.
Stories can be easily altered by repeatedly focusing on a single point, perspective, or person or by not sharing or airing key details.
Learn to recognize when you’re being mislead, misdirected, and manipulated by the media.
Remember to fact check and don’t rely on only a single source of information (or meme).
Know that there is always more than a single side to a story and that repeatedly stating something doesn’t make it true.
Refuse to let the media pit you against people or causes you know nothing about except what they’ve told you.
Form your own opinions, don’t let your opinions be formed for you.
“How many legs does a dog have if you call the tail a leg? Four. Calling a tail a leg doesn’t make it a leg.” — Abraham Lincoln
prop·a·gan·da
noun
1. information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view.
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Liars. Cheaters. Drug addicts. Racists. Homophobes. Wife beaters. The selfish. The narcissistic. The willfully ignorant…
Just because someone is on TV or sells a lot of records doesn’t make them a good role model. And it certainly doesn’t make them “cool”.
Just because someone has a lot of money in their bank account — and is considered “successful” by that standard — doesn’t mean their life is a blue print worth following.
Yes, controversy attracts a crowd, but just because someone has a strong moral compass or leads a life involving little to no controversy doesn’t mean they aren’t worthy of attention.
The folks worthy of emulating and drawing attention to are not those who do whatever outrageous things they can to get attention in order to put more money in their bank accounts.
They are those who live modestly and with integrity doing the right thing and whatever needs to be done regardless of who’s watching.
They could be your neighbor, a coworker, the founder of a non-profit. Anyone.
Stop simply accepting the commercially driven role models that are mass marketed to you. You’re playing their game. And they’re winning. Every time we give them attention, we give them free advertising and power. Power that is often abused.
Hold your idols to a higher standard than simply being famous for being famous. Find people worth admiring, whether they are famous or not.
We owe it to ourselves to have truly positive role models, not assclowns on TV and on the covers of the magazines in the magazine rack.
We can do better.
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From the comments:
Eric: Now what the hell could you possibly have against sleeveless undergarments?!
Zero: “Girlfriend beaters” just doesn’t have the same ring to it…
CONTENT ADVISORY: This blog post is a major change-of-pace from my usual fare and also contains strong language. Many people have applauded this post, but you may find it a turn off — and that’s fine.
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It is complete bullshit that inauthentic assholes without an ounce of integrity keep rising, while others who try to do right are left to struggle.
I am so tired of seeing douchebags in the news and on the cover of magazines. I am tired of seeing people get famous for being narcissistic assholes.
I am tired of having my privacy violated from all directions as if it is for my own good.
I am tired of seeing the rich get richer and crooks get rewarded with bonuses.
Steal a fountain drink and go to jail. Rob millions of people of billions of dollars and get a bonus at the end of the year.
Get caught smoking crack, even McDonalds would fire you. But if you’re a high-ranking member of the government — where it is your job to be a responsible and trustworthy extension of the voice of the people? No problem. “Everyone makes mistakes.”
I am tired of seeing others get rewarded for cheating the system and playing into people’s fears or making promises they cannot or do not keep.
I am tired of “12 ways to get…”, “3 simple things you can do to…” and “Try this one simple trick…”
This is just manipulative and it’s over-the-top ridiculous.
We are surrounded by bullshit.
Why do we keep buying into it? Why do we keep rewarding the people and companies who do this?
There are so many truly good, truly talented people in the world who are truly worthy of promotion, and yet I need to see the fact that one of my friends “likes” that the (cancer-causing) McRib is back at McDonalds while others promoting health, kindness, love, and integrity starve for exposure?
Fuck.that.shit.
Go seek out someone who hasn’t sold out.
Go seek out someone who appears authentic.
Go seek out someone who doesn’t manipulate people.
Go seek out someone who could use the exposure.
Go HELP THEM. Not the people or companies who sit back and manipulate you and keep getting away with it.
Stop rewarding the people and companies who abuse and take advantage of you.
Stop letting your life be dictated by a box or a product.
Stop letting people convince you that you need things you don’t. That you will be happier with more. You won’t.
Stop wasting your time following someone else’s idea of the ideal life.
Focus on your health and well-being.
Focus on becoming a better person.
Focus on finding ways to make a positive difference in the world.
Focus on finding truly positive role-models and heroes.
Seriously.
The following comic (XKCD 137) supplements this post nicely:
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Supplemental Reading:
Dear marketers, media, and advertisers –
There is a huge difference between fulfilling people’s actual needs and preying on people’s weaknesses or desires. Marketing doesn’t have to be so manipulative.
Don’t try to sensationalize it. Don’t create conflict where none exists. Don’t promise me miracles. Don’t try to bait and switch me. Don’t feed on my fears. Just provide me with the facts. Let me make up my own mind. Stop all the bullshit.
Want to fill a niche? Want to fulfill people’s needs? The answer is integrity. We need integrity in marketing, the media, and our relationships now more than ever.
Prove to me you’re honest, authentic, and have integrity, and you will have a loyal customer/consumer/friend and someone who will work on your behalf to provide honest word-of-mouth for life.
That is far more valuable in the long run than meeting your short-term & short-sighted goals, monthly quotas, and quarterly reports.
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