Chapter 15: The Sandy Hook Massacre - "It's too easy for the monsters to succeed."

I don't know what it's going to take to change the minds of those that believe owning a high-powered assault rifle is a God-given right. 

Kids, man.

20 kids, only five, six, or seven years old. They were murdered in Connecticut yesterday because an unstable, heartless monster had access to his mom's assault rifle and two handguns.

Kids. Not going to be able to grow up and experience their first kiss, first dance, first date, first love, first car, first A+, first F, first anything. Kids, man. Babies. They didn't even get a chance to be somebody.

Because in America, their society is governed by a piece of paper drafted over 200 years ago, and to some right-wing gun nuts, this document is infallible even in the wake of a horrific tragedy.

I get it. Bad things happen every day. Horrible things happen every day. Monsters exist and they want to lash out and hurt as many people as they can. Sometimes for no reason at all.

Yesterday, the same day as the Sandy Hook Elementary massacre, 22 children and one elderly woman were stabbed at a primary school in China.

22 children, no deaths.

Let me repeat that. No deaths.

Horrible things happen every day, but in a world where we know there are unstable monsters around every corner, we need to put strict access restrictions on weapons and tools that can cause widespread harm.

If the man in China had access to an assault rifle... you think those 22 children would still be alive?

High-powered, semi-automatic assault rifles aren't necessary to be in the hands of civilians. Trained, or untrained. They serve no purpose, other than a false sense of security from threats that don't exist.

Assault rifles are not necessary. End of discussion. Anyone who chooses to argue otherwise is choosing an archaic, 200 year-old document written during a different set of circumstances over the lives of 20 kids.

No one in their right mind can make that argument.

I "favorited" a bunch of tweets from yesterday. There was, and still is, a lot of emotion on Twitter and in the media, and for good reason. Here are some of them:

Twenty families have been ruined, forever, because America is a backwards Country that is so afraid of the monsters lurking in the dark, that they've created a perpetual horror-machine that breeds the very monsters that they're trying to protect themselves from in the first place.

Columbine, Littleton, Virginia Tech, dozens of others, and now Sandy Hook Elementary.

You're making it too easy for the monsters to succeed. Something needs to change or this perpetual horror-machine is going to continue to end life after life after life.

Chapter 14: "That wasn't so bad.." - A walk down memory lane.

14 blog posts in 14 weeks.

It's done!

I started out not really knowing how this was going to go, if I'd find it fun or daunting, pleasurable or annoying, useful or not... and I can honestly say it was a... memorable, worthwhile experience.

I wrote about things that pissed me off, things that made me think, and things that even forced me to (attempt to) define who I am.

I talked about journalistic ethics, where I think journalism is headed, and on the other side of the spectrum: shocking PR stunts.

The whole experience wasn't always unicorns and rainbows, I found myself struggling to get a post done every single week, but only because I wanted to ensure I was talking about something interesting and make it a worthwhile experience for anyone that actually took the time to sit down and read my words.

First semester is officially done when I hit the "PUBLISH" button on this blog, which is absolutely bittersweet, because we are about to be shuffled around and put in entirely new sections.

I know it's a cliché, but I've met people that I will be friends with for a really long time from this section. And it sucks that I won't be with them 40+ hours a week anymore.

But there's about to be 17-18 new people in my section and I'm sure there will be some of them that'll be able to tolerate me as well. ;)

Looking forward to it, because as I see things, we're just getting started.

                                                                                      -NxB

Playing: Planetside 2 by Sony Online Entertainment

Watching:  Dexter

Listening to: Hopsin - Ill mind of Hopsin 5

Chapter 13: My Near Life Experience - "...aka, a javelin to the head."

The following essay was an assignment for my "Writer's Craft" class taught by Chris Petty. It was an interesting assignment, in that it was completely open ended. We could write on any topic we chose, but the essay had to fit a personal essay format.

I chose to talk about an incident that happened over a decade ago, where I was struck in the head with a javelin. Yes, a javelin.

A real, metal, roughly 2 pound, pointy stick, used in the Olympics.

In the head.

Here is a rough visual approximation of what it probably looked like:

Except mine was in the FUCKING HEAD.

Sorry for swearing. It felt right. Here's the essay. Enjoy.

“Well, Nolan, I’ve got good news and bad news,” the Doctor began. “The good news is, you've got a brain in that head of yours. The bad news is… I can see it right now.” My mom let out an unnecessarily dramatic sigh of sorrow, as mothers often do. My dad, without missing a beat, stood up from his chair, crowded around my hospital bed, and chimed in with “can I see?!”

This was roughly ten hours after the incident that put me in the hospital bed. I was accidentally struck in the head with a 2.6 meter, 1.76 pound steel javelin by my friend Preston, a mere three inches from my temple/eye socket, on the top right quadrant of my cranium, fracturing my skull and leaving my brain literally exposed to the world.  It was a freak accident that took place near the end of my grade 9 gym class.

Sitting on the high-jump mats, waiting for gym class to be over, I felt a sudden THUD on my head. I assumed it was the high-jump bar, so I placed my hand on my head, attempting to quell the immediately severe pain. Blood bubbled to the surface like a volcano and I was covered in red almost immediately. I rushed to the school office, where I was then rushed to the local hospital, and then finally to the Winnipeg hospital – four hours away. I was conscious during the entire ordeal but wasn’t allowed to take any painkillers for fear they would put me into a coma. As a proud, stubborn 14 year-old, I only cried once: when they used a 50-cent disposable razor blade to dry-shave the hairs surrounding the hole. I needed 30 stitches and 12 staples to hold together my fragmented skull, and reconstructive surgery to reattach the membranes surrounding my brain. 

Until I had called to report that I was okay the day after the incident, my schoolmates all assumed I was dead and a rumour persisted in neighbouring towns for years after, that ‘some kid’ had been killed by a javelin to the head during gym at Major Pratt School in Russell. The doctor told me if I would have been hit in the temple, the carotid artery, or the eye socket, this rumour would have been true. I would have been dead. I could have easily been killed that day. 

There is an old adage that your life flashes before your eyes when living through a near-death experience but I certainly didn't have one. It hurt, but I wasn't scared; everyone around me was screaming, crying, and frantic, but I didn't panic; I was covered in blood, but at no point did I even realize my life was in danger. The near-death experience requires consciousness and awareness that death is life’s inevitable, feasible conclusion. However, at the time, I was an invincible teenager that thought he was going to live forever. I was untouchable, unstoppable, unkillable – there was never a thought in my head that I was going to die, despite feeling like I had been cracked in the head with a baseball bat by Babe Ruth. 

The arrogance of youth knows no bounds, and posture, despite the prospect of death, is no exception. I remember vividly not understanding what the big deal was, as well as not understanding why everyone was crying. I didn't understand the fear in my parents’ eyes, or the concerned looks from doctors and nurses. Death wasn't an option to me. And although we often say teenagers don’t/can’t comprehend the gravity of death, it’s weird to vividly remember it first hand, this indestructibility and arrogance of youth.

If this incident would have happened this year or last, as a 26 year-old, I can undoubtedly say my reaction would have been different. I would have freaked out, thought about my loved ones, perhaps even made an impossible-to-keep promise to God if He helped me get through the turmoil. Though I can’t pinpoint the moment I accepted death as a plausible outcome, I now know that it awaits all of us. I now know that I was mere inches away from not walking away from the accident, despite only realizing it in hindsight. 

In hindsight, I can only live through the experience as if I was watching it happen to someone else. Since I have a new set of beliefs, feelings, and understandings, I can only reminisce and empathize with the young boy going through the nightmare and I can’t apply the experience to the new version of myself although I wish I could. There are stories of cancer patients winning their battle and miraculously turning their lives around, devoting themselves to living full, happy, charitable lives. Others tell of near-death experiences with sunset endings, where lives are changed, people are vindicated, and the quality of life vastly improves afterwards. I wish this happened to me, I wish my life flashed before my eyes, I wish I had the near-death experience, I wish I could be inspired to live each day like it was my last. But I didn't, so I don’t. 

Life is a funny thing. Lessons can be taught but until one learns something firsthand, the lesson taught isn't yet ingrained into one’s psyche. A mom can preach, beg, and scold for her kids to not to jump on the bed, but until the kids actually fall off and break an arm, they won’t learn their lesson. It’s the same with all of us. All of life’s lessons need to be learned in this manner, so despite a potentially life-changing incident happening to me, it was to a version of me not yet equipped to take from it something that few people recognize and understand: We should live life to the fullest and live each day like it was our last. Maybe next near-death experience, it’ll be ingrained for good.

                                                                                      -NxB

Playing: Planetside 2 by Sony Online Entertainment

Watching:  Sons of Anarchy season finale!

Listening to: Slash ft. Myles Kennedy - Starlight

Chapter 12: "Jumping on the Personal BRANDwagon" - A personal branding assignment.

Advertising class has been a blast this year. Kenton Larsen (@kentonlarsen) knows more about the advertising business than I know about any subject. Our last assignment of the year is one of Personal Branding.

We needed to present ourselves as a brand. Tell a brand story, make a brand promise, and define ourselves based on whatever criteria we choose. 

It was one of the most difficult things I've done all year.

Not difficult in the sense of stressful, or difficult in the sense of boring, or difficult in the sense of time-consuming. (Although I probably spent more time thinking about and preparing this assignment than any other this year, it just didn't feel like work.)

Difficult in the sense that how does one define his or herself in a five minute online presentation?

How do I condense 27 years worth of experiences, thoughts, feelings, and knowledge into something so focused and... permanent? How can anyone make a statement like that with utter confidence?

It was an interesting trip, one that began with me staring at a blank computer screen for about 10 minutes, trying to think of "5 adjectives that describe you as a brand," and ended with me adding and tweaking my presentation until 2:30 in the morning, hoping time would stand still so I could work and add and tweak forever.

Funny thing is, I don't think I know what my personal brand is or should be because I think it changes every day... but here's a little snapshot into who I perceive myself as, November 30th, 2012.

Go fullscreen for full effect, or just >> Click This Link <<.

Nolan Bicknell: Who Am I? on Prezi

                                                                                     -NxB

Playing: Walking Dead, Episode 2:  "Starved For Help" by  Telltale Games

Watching:  Sons of Anarchy, Dexter, Walking Dead

Listening to:  the silence of my Creative Writing classroom.

Chapter 11: "You're not your fucking khakis" - Black Friday Reflections

This might be my least favorite day of the year.  Thank God I'm Canadian.

Despite that, I'll go ahead and say that it is. Least favorite.

Black Friday. I just spent 30 minutes sifting through Black Friday videos on YouTube. I can honestly say I haven't been this angry in a long time. But, I did it to myself. I've angried up my own blood. It's my own fault.

Everything I hate, condensed into one magical day. Celebrated by some, mocked by others, and known by all.

I don't remember it being like this, when I was a kid. I don't remember hearing about people using pepper-spray when they wanted to purchase the Super Nintendo Entertainment System for their children. I guess Xboxes are just that much better:

I don't remember it being okay to trample an elderly Wal-Mart greeter because you need to get a half-price bigscreen TV:

I don't remember lining up with my friends outside a retail store, screaming my head off, and rampaging through a store like a Walking Dead Walker, hellbent on purchasing crap that none of us need for cheap cheap cheap! It's the most! wonderful time! of the year:

\

I could propose ideas about why people do it, but I won't. I'm no psychologist.

I could condemn and mock the people that do it, but I won't. I'm no better than any of those people.

I could stand on my soapbox and proclaim that we, as a species, are nothing more than cannibalistic consumers, hypnotized by a capitalistic consumer culture.

but I won't. I'm in the minority, here.

Everybody's gotta have the new iPad, the new Tablet, the new video game system, the newest, biggest, freshest, most hip, most exclusive, most innovative, most impressive, most ___________ product on the market, because if you don't, then apparently you aren't worth anything.

No.

You're not defined by what you own, what you purchase, what's in your wallet, what's in your room, what's on your wall, or what's in your house. 

Sound familiar?

You're not your fucking khakis.

Happy Black Friday, everyone.

                                             -NxB

Chapter 10: Online Personas - "Are you who Twitter/Facebook says you are?"

I used to party pretty hard. No specifics need to be given but I've done a lot, seen a lot, and experienced a lot. I have a high tolerance for crazy bullshit.

That being said, when I see tweets and blogs about professionalism in the workplace and in your online persona, I tend to disagree with a lot of the comments. Everyone seems so afraid of posting something, saying something, doing something, or crossing someone that will ruin any future chance of getting a job, landing an internship, or making it in whatever industry we end up choosing. I don't think this mindset is warranted.

Without getting too specific here, let's just say I think it's pretty hypocritical of people to call someone out for being 'unprofessional' when said person is simply doing what all of us do, or what all of us have done in the past.

People who work hard tend to play hard. I don't think we need to censor ourselves and pretend that everyone in the world is an angel. Hell, I'm more suspicious of someone without a blemish on their record. Squeaky clean is boring. I like people with an edge.

We've been talking a lot about professionalism when we're not in class. Whether or not, in the future, a tattoo will screw you over, whether tweeting the wrong person will screw you over, or whether posting a questionable picture will screw you over, and I don't enjoy the self-censorship that we're being conditioned to live by.

Okay, now call me hypocritical, but I might not hire this dude...

Not saying we shouldn't watch what we say, not saying we should spew whatever pops into our minds 24/7, and not saying there should be no accountability for our online personas. People need to be held accountable for their actions.

After the 2012 Presidential Election, "Hello There Racists" was set up to publicly shame certain people for things they've posted online. That kind of pure, racist, ignorant hatred needs to be stopped by any means necessary. That's not what I disagree with, though, I disagree with all of us censoring aspects of who we are because of fear of some sort of future retribution.

I get why we do it, though. I understand that having a public persona these days means potential employers can look you up, see what's on Twitter and Facebook, and then decide whether or not you'd be a good fit for their company. So we present a facade. We create a hologram. We are misrepresenting ourselves in order to fit the mold that, we think, will allow us to be accepted and, eventually, hired.

Now, no, you don't want to be smoking meth, attacking people, and/or being a racist bigot - but employers need to take a step back and realize that who someone is online is not necessarily who they are in real life, and that goes both ways. Get to know someone before you judge who they are online. You might be surprised at what you find.

We all hide aspects of who we are, and I honestly value people more when they aren't afraid/ashamed of the things they've done, or afraid/ashamed of who they are deep down.

Cheers to those people.

Chapter 9: The Source Code - "You don't wanna piss off your sources."

Two nights ago I was listening to a local journalist give an interview on TSN Radio 1290. The journalist in question is a respected one. Columnist for the Winnipeg Free Press and host of Lawless and Order, a sports radio show on TSN 1290, Gary Lawless (@garylawless) and he was giving an interview about the NHL Lockout, and specifically a 'secret meeting' that the NHLPA and NHL were having in New York City.

What stuck out about the phone interview he gave, was a comment he made in regards to his sources. Lawless was asked why he and his colleagues were waiting at their hotel for an announcement instead of calling one of the members of the NHLPA, or the NHL, to try to get an update on what was happening at the secret meetings. He said:

"You don't wanna piss off your sources. If your sources are angry with you, you'll have no story."

That line is going to stick with me forever.

I think that statement is an important snapshot of the dichotomy that's developed between journalists and the industries that they're supposed to be covering in a non-biased, objective manner.

Whether it be a sports journalist, video game journalist, entertainment journalist, political journalist, or any mainstream media news coverage specialist... "Don't piss off your sources" is the attitude most seem to have, and Journalism with a capitol J is suffering because of it.

I couldn't help but be reminded of the September 2008 exclusive multi-part interview that Sarah Palin (@SarahPalinUSA) gave to Katie Couric (@katiecouric) right before the (at the time) biggest election in American history.

"Um... All of 'em. Any of 'em..." - Someone who almost won the 2nd most powerful elected position in the world.

I understand there is a fine line between being a straight-up asshole during an interview, and asking tough, hard-hitting questions that help to progress the public discourse.

But if journalists are more worried about maintaining their exclusive access than demanding answers to tough questions, then how is the public supposed to remain reasonably informed?

As it stands right now, journalists have none of the power. Political figures, celebrities, and companies hold all the cards. They have the information, they have the answers, and they only allow an exclusive minority in, to ask them questions. Naturally, these select few want to retain their status, so they don't step on any toes or piss anyone off by, well, calling "bullshit!" when they hear it..

Listen, I know I'm making some pretty generalized comments about a very large industry. I know there are hundreds of great journalists out there that ask the tough questions, that demand answers, that have integrity and are trying to do the right thing, day in, and day out.

It just leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth when I hear someone in the mainstream media blatantly hold back because they are concerned with angering the very person they're supposed to be covering. Sometimes, that's the point!

"Don't piss off your sources."

One has to wonder if that'll be a chapter taught in journalism class in a few years.

                                                                                      -NxB

Playing: Angry Birds: Star Wars Rovio

Watching:  Sons of Anarchy

Listening to: Childish Gambino

Chapter 8: Ethics in the Media - "Halo 4 Presents: Doritos and Mountain Dew!"

Today in Melanie Lee Lockhart's (@Lockstep) class we had a lengthy discussion on ethics in PR, personal ethics, and how it'll eventually apply to our professional careers.

Not one hour later did I was reminded about an article I read last week that spoke of video game journalists in regards to their relationship with video game PR people. Evidently Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) a highly respected games journalist has been infamously portrayed as a bit of a whore for the Halo 4 Presents: Doritos and Mountain Dew XP Mashup For The Ages (paraphrasing their relationship, of course) with this image, courtesy of Eurogamer.net:

"Portrait of a New-age Journalist" - what is going on here?

Now, referring back to CreComm class this morning, we had an interesting scenario brought up, which I think is applicable here.

"You are the publicist for a professional sports team that will play in a pre-season exhibition game with an area team. The owner of your team suggests that you send 20 complimentary  tickets to each of the daily and weekly newspapers in the province, for distribution to their staff members. Would you send out the tickets?"

Most of the class said they found nothing wrong with sending out the tickets, although some of the class said they would rather send "Press-only" press passes for the games, so the journalists would be the only ones going, not their families or friends.

I find it interesting that there are not universal laws or rules that govern journalists or PR people when it comes to 'gifts' and 'perks' and 'freebies' etc. (unless you are a part of the CPRS or IABC) but for Journalists, it seems to differ for every organization and sometimes, every individual.

Yes, I understand that journalists need to accept video games, tickets, albums, meals, gadgets, etc for reviewing purposes. I understand that and see nothing wrong with it.

Melanie said something interesting that I'll never forget, she said (paraphrasing again, this time, not sarcastically) "Perception is reality. What the public perceives as dishonest is dishonest."

Something seems dishonest to me, about a 'well respected' journalist in a commercial for Halo 4, Mountain Dew, and Doritos. If an established, respected video game journalist is shilling Doritos and Mountain Dew as a part of some promotion for a gigantic video game, what is the public supposed to think? What is he getting out of the deal? Where is his journalistic integrity?

These days, I think the problem is, well respected/famous journalists/editorialists/reviewers/writers are, in a way, trusted public figures now, and companies want to attach themselves in the hopes of getting publicity in the form of "journalism" from these trusted "journalists".

The line is blurred between journalism and advertising and it's only getting muddier. 

As a PR person, sending a journalist your product in the hopes that it will receive coverage is not a new endeavor, but at what point does a journalist have to say "Thanks, but no thanks" and refuse to be used to further corporate agendas?

Oh... and one last thing, while we're on the topic of Halo 4, Doritos, and Mountain Dew.. 

Don't even get me started on THIS:

If this is the future, just kill me now.

                                                                                        -NxB

Playing: Bad Piggies (on the busride home) by Rovio

Watching:  Sons of Anarchy

Listening to: Childish Gambino

Chapter 7: "Livewrong" - Poor Lance. Poor, poor Lance.

Lance Armstrong has been in the news lately. Every single day there are dozens of articles written and released chronicling this once-great superstar's fall from grace.

He's stepped down from his position at the helm of Livestrong. (despite staying as a board member)

He's had all 7 Tour de France titles stripped from him.

Every former teammate has turned on him, contributing to a report with allegedly indisputable evidence of Armstrong doping.

Yet, he retains his innocence.

There's something to be said of that.

I started this whole fiasco carrying a pitchfork and a torch, too. I was the first person to tweet and retweet old quotes from Lance where he replied to his critics with a seemingly ironic and hilarious complete lack of self-awareness. Here's one gem:

“To all the cynics, I'm sorry for you, ... I'm sorry you can't believe in miracles. This is a great sporting event and hard work wins it."

Additionally, a quick Google search of Lance Armstrong Quotes brings up some Hilarious Results, given the context.

“Pain is temporary. Quitting lasts forever.”

I guess he means it. He doesn't seem like he's going to quit claiming he's innocent any time soon.

“Winning is about heart, not just legs. It's got to be in the right place.”


Yes, but if your legs are pumped full of chemicals that don't let them feel tired, I bet that can help.

---

It's easy for anyone to sit back and say what a terrible person he is, that he's a cheater, a liar, an egomaniac, etc, the list of critiques can go on forever.

But let's not forget, he didn't fail a test. He didn't officially get caught cheating. He was participating within the rules of the sport he excelled in.

Remember the badminton teams during the 2012 summer Olympics that were disqualified for 'throwing' matches? This fiasco is similar to that fiasco in the sense that both parties were only doing everything they possibly could within the rules, to guarantee themselves the best possible chance of winning. Yes, it's 'against the spirit of the games' and yes it's 'frowned upon', but they didn't break any rules.

How can you fault someone for wanting to win at any cost, as long as he or she doesn't break any rules?

Did Armstrong really do anything different?

Ice-T famously said "don't hate the playa, hate the game."

I can't help but agree.

                                                                                        -NxB

Playing: Nothing. NO TIME FOR VIDEO GAMES AHHHHH

Watching:  Walking Dead Season 3

Listening to:  Killswitch Engage - Holy Diver

Chapter 6: "Journalism vs. PR" - Journey to the Dark Side

This week has been interesting.

We're learning how to write news releases in Public Relations, to give our client the best chance of being covered by various forms of mainstream media.

We also learned that news releases typically include little-to-no "news" in Journalism, and essentially, as a journalist, it is considered lazy and/or bad form to accept news releases from PR people and run their stories. For Example:

Don't hate the player, hate the game.

It's interesting to see the dichotomy between Public Relations and Journalism. They're both so similar but at the same time they both have such separate functions and intentions in the media. Our J instructor jokingly refers to PR as "The Dark Side" and I can see where he's coming from. PR represents one side of the story, typically. PR is worried primarily with its own bottom line, and in most cases, will do anything to help said bottom line. That's its function.

The problem with casting PR as The Dark Side is that the only reason PR exists is because journalists allow it to.  What I mean by that is, journalists don't have to use the news releases PR people supply them. They don't have to run the story the PR people want them to, they don't have to 'tow the company line' as it were... but it seems that because of how our news cycle is set up, because of how much content journalists are required to produce these days, they have to cut corners to keep up, and that means getting 'news' from wherever they possibly can, whenever they possibly can.

Consumers are constantly bombarded by breaking news, updates, tweets, photos, stories, articles, blogs, etc. Every day. 24 hours a day. Seven days a week. There is a serious quality vs. quantity discussion that we need to have, because when you take a look at some of the crap we're being fed on a daily basis, the direction things are going needs to change. Consumers need to start caring about the quality of news they are consuming.

As soon as news media was made into a for-profit business, everything went to hell.

Multiple privately owned 24-hour news channels means multiple channels with 24 hours of time to fill. A newspaper every day means tons of space to fill, as well. On top of that, there are dwindling numbers of Actual Journalists (with a capitol J) to fill all the time/space. PR takes advantage of this fact, and is cast in a sinister light because of it.

I love having these conversations, but every time we do, I come to the conclusion that Journalism simply isn't done how it used to be done and it's still (d)evolving. The question is, what side of the fence am I going to be on when all this is said and done.

                                                                                        -NxB

Playing: Bad Piggies by Rovio 

Watching:  Dexter

Listening to:  Hopsin - The Ill Mind of Hopsin 5

Chapter 5: "Shock Stunts" -A human flesh butcher shop?

Resident Evil is making headlines again. The franchise began as a video game way back in 1996, developed by Capcom, and has since grown into a world famous juggernaut. Books, action figures, comics, multiple blockbuster movies, you name it, RE has done it.

So, in a recent Public Relations campaign, the RE franchise did something that many people are calling The Grossest and Grimmest PR Stunt Ever.

Quick disclaimer: If you have a weak stomach or are easily grossed out, don't click on any of the following links.

Resident Evil 6 launched mere days ago and to support the launch and drum up some media attention, Capcom sponsored a PR Stunt labelled Wesker & Son Wholesale Meats, a make-believe butcher shop that sells "human" flesh.

Via cakeheadlovesevil.wordpress.com/ Go to her blog for the really disturbing images.

Emma Thomas (aka Miss Cakehead (cakeheadlovesevil.wordpress.com/)) is the London-based creative director of this Shock Stunt and her previous publicity stunts have been known to be a bit on the edgy side as well.

Her blog has pages and pages of pseudo-disturbing shock art and exhibits, but the Resident Evil stunt seems to be the one that got most mainstream press coverage.

Dozens of news media sites and video game sites covered the shock stunt because as far as bizarre news goes, this is one of the most bizarre/newsworthy publicity stunts in recent memory.

PR Stunts are a great way to get press coverage and you can be sure that people who were unfamiliar with the Resident Evil franchise were made aware because of this stunt. But... is it too far? Is there such a thing as too far?

I'm reminded of PETA and their constant attempts at shock stunts, there's even A Top Ten List of PETA's best (or worst, depending on how you look at it) publicity stunts ever.

I'm not easily offended but the human carcasses packaged in a butcher shop definitely gave me pause, especially the "offal" picture. If you clicked the link, you know what I mean. Pretty disturbing stuff.

Again I ask... Is this going too far? Is there an ethical boundary Miss Cakehead is crossing?  Have there been other advertising campaigns or PR stunts that offended you? If so, what were they?

It's too bad RE6 is getting lackluster reviews from various websites but I suppose once in awhile, promotion for a product can sometimes become more (in)famous than the product itself.

                                                                                        -NxB

Playing: Guild Wars 2 by ArenaNet 

Watching:  Sons of Anarchy Season 5 (finally caught up!)

Listening to:  Coda - Mae Dae

Chapter 4: "The Future of Journalism" - A cautionary tale

We've been having an interesting discussion about the Future of Journalism in class recently and these conversations have got me thinking about the direction things are headed. A friend and classmate Posted Her Thoughts via an editorial in the Winnipeg Free Press, we spoke at length in Journalism class, and even my instructors, Kenton Larsen and Duncan McMonagle have weighed in.

My turn!

I have been thinking about An Article I read about a month ago that introduced me to the term "Hit Board", which I found out, is a public record of how many pageviews or "hits" every single article has, on the the videogame-journalism site Kotaku, The article focuses on Kotaku's new EIC Stephen Totilo (@stephentotilo), his philosophy on journalism in gaming and how his website measures success.

Apparently, with this site and all subdivisions of Gawker, Kotaku's "parent" blog, the content producers use the "Hit Board" as a tool to help tailor their future content to what is most popular and what got the most pageviews because essentially, these articles got the most advertising views.

Tailoring content towards the masses seems like a dangerous concept to me, because of what the general population seems to value in today's instant-gratification, change-fearing, reality-TV/celebrity obsessed culture that we've created. 

This creates an atmosphere where contributors to the website would steer away from writing a potentially interesting, engaging story about something no one has heard of yet, and instead choose to write a puff piece about something already popular just because it's guaranteed to drive high traffic.

Kotaku is a good example of this degradation in quality of content already. Articles and editorials about videogames and systems released months (and even years) ago are being written and posted on a daily basis, because the writers know that established fans will read a familiar article about something they like, as opposed to an article about something foreign to them.

This is a dangerous system for journalism to operate under but it seems like one of the only business models that is proven thus far, at least, in the realm of online media. 

Popular = Hits, Hits = Ads, Ads = Money, Money = Success!

One might argue that journalism should never be concerned with what's in or what sells, but in order to operate an actual media outlet that can pay its employees and continue to do business... It will need to bring in revenue somehow. 

For content producing sites, is there another business model that can or will emerge? Will subscriptions or paywalls emerge as profitable options? Are people even willing to pay for premium content?  Or will our content producing journalistic media be forced down a dangerous path of writing to appease the masses? 

Only thing I can say for certain is... It's a damn interesting time to be a Creative Communications student. 

                                                                                        -NxB

Playing: Guild Wars 2 by ArenaNet 

Watching:  The Office

Listening to: Childish Gambino - Camp

Chapter 3: "Does Obama's Product Placement Belong Inside Our Media?" - An honest question

In 2008, when President Obama was campaigning for President, he did something that no politician had ever attempted before him; he placed a virtual advertisement in a video game.

Two actual in-game advertisements from 2008, photo via blog.epromos.com/

Electronic Arts Inc. was the first to allow such practice to occur, in their NHL, NBA, NFL, and Need for Speed franchises. Virtual Billboards were purchased with Obama's face plastered all over them, and this practice is to continue in the 2012 election.

Now this makes me wonder, why are blatant political shills allowed to exist in this genre of entertainment and not others? 

What if, at the end of the The Dark Knight Rises, Obama walked out, shook Bruce Wayne's hand, and said "I hope I can count on your vote in November. Obama/Batman 2012!"

I mean, aside from being awesome, and Fox News literally imploding on itself... What else would happen? Would there even be an uproar?

How far away are we until we see Political Product Placement in our mainstream media? It's already happening in video games but no one is batting an eye. Artists are already whoring themselves out for both American political parties and they are applauded for it.

Can you imagine the metaphorical shit-storm (and Twitt-storm) if Walt from Breaking Bad or Jax from Sons of Anarchy walked past a Romney billboard in the season premieres of their respective shows? Would the potential outrage be the same if it was an Obama billboard? Do political ads even belong in the same vein as the commercially driven product placement we see every single day? 

Obama/Tellar 2012!

This is a slippery slope and I, for one, hope that political advertising doesn't infiltrate/penetrate our entertainment any further. Artistic integrity is hemorrhaging to death and is almost non-existent in today's culture, but is nothing sacred anymore?

                                                                                        -NxB

Playing: Borderlands 2 by Gearbox & Guild Wars 2 by ArenaNet 

Reading:  Whatever I'm assigned to read in school.

Watching:  The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

Chapter 2: "Twitter Followers, How Bad Do You Want 'Em?" - A reflection

Yesterday, Ben Kuchera (@BenKuchera) of The Penny Arcade Report (@thepareport) wrote an interesting editorial titled Lying to get press: the seemingly bought or faked Twitter followers of NBA Baller Beats.

To summarize the article, Kuchera received a press release from videogame developer Majesco Entertainment for their upcoming game NBA Baller Beats a new-concept videogame you play with an actual basketball as your controller.

 Official trailer for NBA Baller Beats, via YouTube

In the press release, Majesco stated the game has nearly 700,000 Twitter followers. Kuchera investigated the claim found that 95% of those Twitter accounts were either fake or inactive, leading him to believe that Majesco gained these followers in an unethical and/or dubious way.

The most damning evidence is the Baller Beats Twitter handle (@NBABallerBeats) gained exactly 21,321 followers per day, starting August 19th. Every day. Never more, never less.

Majesco denied the accusation but the evidence is hard to ignore. Especially since blockbuster videogames like Call of Duty only have 570,000 followers and it is widely considered to be the biggest videogame franchise in the world.

NBA Baller Beats vs. Call of Duty... Something doesn't seem right...

For the sake of argument, let's assume Majesco actually bought over 650,000 followers. This brings up an interesting question: Why did they decide to do this? Why take the chance that the public finds out, and potentially damage the integrity of their brand and their product?

The conclusion I've come to is that they believe, that consumers must believe: Quantity Of Followers = Quality Of Product and the risk of being caught misrepresenting themselves was outweighed by the potential consumers gained.

We were taught the first week in PR class, essentially, that honesty is the best policy when dealing with the public and this is one instance where misrepresentation could turn around and bite them in the ass.

Quantity of followers = quality of product...

Is it, though? When you follow someone on Twitter, do you see how many followers they have first? When you buy a product or watch a TV show or download a song, do you see how many other people did first? When you're in line at the grocery store, do you see what other people are buying before you decide what to put in your shopping cart?

I don't mean to be dismissive of the fact that if a product is popular, there might be a valid reason and therefore, people are more likely to give popular products a try.

I can see where Majesco is coming from and why they (allegedly) did what they did. It's too bad, really. The game is a very cool concept and seems to harness the Xbox Kinect in a very unique and intriguing way.

What gives me pause is this... If a relatively small videogame developer is (allegedly) capable and/or willing to mislead the media and the public, then anyone can. Musicians, comedians, writers, journalists, anyone! You have to wonder, when it comes to Twitter's inherent popularity contest, who's really following who?

                                                                                    -NxB

Playing: Guild Wars 2 by ArenaNet  (still!)

Reading: Guild Wars: Edge of Destiny by J. Robert King  (still!)

Watching: Sons of Anarchy (Season Premiere TONIGHT!!)

Chapter One: "The Virgin Diaries" - An introduction

My name is Nolan Bicknell, I am a Creative Communications student at Red River College in Winnipeg Manitoba. This is the first real blog I've ever sat down to write and in all honesty, it has been a struggle so far. Not a good sign, considering we're only two sentences in...

I don't know what this is going to be. Perhaps it will grow organically into something worth reading/writing, perhaps I'll find a new pastime, perhaps I'll make new connections with friends and professional acquaintences. Perhaps all, or none of the above. I guess we'll see.

I intend to write about the things that interest me the most: Videogames, media, gaming journalism, artistic integrity in the medium, and any other topics in the entertainment industry that pique my interest. I hope to engage in conversations with like-minded individuals, learn from them, and hopefully walk away with more knowledge and a better understanding about various aspects of the industry. I guess we'll see what happens, this is all very new to me and I'm learning as I go.

If it isn't already blatantly apparent, I'm new to blogging and uncomfortable with the whole idea. I'm from a dying generation of people that believe "public diary" is an oxymoron and until now I have kept my personal thoughts, feelings, and opinions private. I believe my Journalism 1 Instructor said it best during the first or second day of class when he callously, honestly, and accurately announced to the entire class "no one gives a shit what you think."

I guess we'll see.



                                                                                                               -NxB

Playing: Guild Wars 2 by ArenaNet (epic)

Reading: Guild Wars: Edge of Destiny by J. Robert King (see a pattern?) 

Watching: Sons of Anarchy (reruns)