"A cavalier disregard for customary fiction." Chapter 29: Breaking Convention

If you haven't been keeping up with Breaking Bad, simply put, you're doing yourself a disservice.

I've only recently become enamoured with BrBa, watching all five seasons in the past month. I've watched a simple family man become a meth-cooking drug kingpin, and it's been nothing short of astonishing what this show has been able to accomplish in regard to the fine art of character development and storytelling.

As any fan of Breaking Bad has inevitably done, I find myself really thinking about the eventual conclusion to this ludicrously engrossing epic. The show's unconventional approach to character sympathy, plot lines, and story arcs has really made me really dissect my personal perception of fiction in general, which is no easy feat.

It's rare that a show demands so much of us as viewers, and is rewarded with success. It's refreshing. It's not normal, and that's compelled me to analyze why BrBa has become such a massive cultural phenomenon.

The classic trope that almost all of mainstream fiction adheres to is good triumphs over evil. Period. In very few cases does a television show or movie stray from this formula, but Breaking Bad turns the concept completely on its head.

What happens when the protagonist transforms into something morally despicable, regardless of motive? Does the end justify the means? Does one's allegiance fade over time? How loyal does one, (as a fan) stay to a character as he or she slowly morphs into something barely recognizable?

Most typical works of fiction tend to wrap up neatly, with minimal casualties (literal or figurative). This show has been unapologetic in its emotional turmoil. Breaking Bad has been almost cavalier in its disregard for customary fiction.  (Plus, it's brilliantly written, shot, and acted, which doesn't hurt.)

It's the storytelling that's really the star here, however, and the story happens to be ending this Sunday.

It's been quite the ride for Walter White and soon, the chaos is coming to an end, for better or for worse. Every fan in the world has predictions, anticipations, questions they want answered, and above all else, an excitement to see What Happens Last. None of us can possibly be certain of what's going to go down.

The only thing that's certain in my mind is Breaking Bad is going to continue breaking convention, and the art of storytelling through fiction is better off because of it.

                                                                                                              -NxB

Watching: Breaking Bad

"What do you want to be when you grow up?" Chapter 28 - All Of The Above

Creative Communications. Year two of two. Let's get started, then.

We aren't the bright-eyed innocents anymore. Shrugging our shoulders and pouting our lips in an apathetic apology to our instructors just plain doesn't cut it if we fail. We're "the second-years" now. No more messing around. No more excuses. No more unanswered questions.

Speaking of unanswered questions, I've been having the same conversation for about 20 years now, at least once a week. Sometimes with another person, sometimes internally; always the same question:

What do you want to be when you grow up?

I hated the question when I was five and I hated it recently, when an assignment asked the same thing. -- of course, it wasn't framed in those exact words -- instead, this time, we were asked "What are your goals? videojournalist? Shooter/editor? Freelancer? On-air personality?"

I miss these days, when staying inside the lines was the only thing I had to worry about.

The short answer, for me, is All Of The Above, so why is it still such a frustrating endeavour to endure this inner-dialogue?

I think it's probably because I don't want to do any one thing for the rest of my life. People change, (me especially) and the prospect of walking one path for the rest of my life frightens and frustrates me.

But I believe I've figured out why.

"What do you want to be when you grow up?" and "Who are you going to be to this world?" aren't the same questions, and I've been treating them as if they were. That's frustrating because there will never be an answer to the latter of the two questions. That's for history to dictate.

I think we should stop asking kids in Kindergarten what they're going to be when they grow up, not-so-subtly insinuating that What You Do = Who You Are.

It isn't. At least, it shouldn't be.

What You Do is determined by, simply, what you do; whereas Who You Are ought to be determined by the content of your character; how you treat others, how you contribute to your community and your society, and the legacy that you leave behind.

I'll aim to be a good person, to treat everyone with at least a modicum of respect, and basically leave every person/place better off than how I found them. I'll aim to be remembered fondly.

That's what I want to be when I grow up.

                                                                                                              -NxB

Listening to: "Madness" by Muse

"Don't let the actions of the few dictate the perception of the many." - Chapter 27: We Outnumber Them

Today, another tragedy.

During the Boston Marathon, three were killed and dozens more injured.

Last time, guns. This time, bombs.

What I want to talk about, though, isn't the downward spiral of humanity, the disgusting state of our society, or how we need to clean up our attitudes and figure out why the fuck these things keep happening.

That's not what I'm walking away with today.

I'm not going to remember the perpetrator(s) of this horrific attempt at terror.

I'm not going to cynically live my life thinking the world is a horrible place full of demons. Full of killers - full of monsters.

I'm not going to allow myself to live with any semblance of fear or anger toward The Unknowns.

I'm going to remember that, despite the fact that there are twisted viruses masquerading as people in our world, they're simply blips on our evolutionary blueprint. Glitches. Accidents. They won't endure.

There could have been more bombs, but these heroes ran towards the destruction, not away.

Heroism dominates psychotic terror and we have to make sure that's how it stays.

For every attacker that seeks to terrorize, there are a dozen heroes willing to run toward the insanity, toward the terror, to help those that need it. That's why the monsters will always try, but never win.

This picture was also went viral today, and it's incredibly poignant:

Brilliant advice, and so true.

I spent 27 years being angered and frustrated and confused by these seemingly random acts of violence. These complete voids of human empathy. I tried to explain it, and when I couldn't, I became consumed with jaded cynicism. This cynicism creeps and festers, along with fear, when we can't explain tragedy with logic or reason.

But it's important to not let the actions of the few dictate the perception of the many.

We outnumber them. Don't let their futile attempts convince you otherwise. 

                                                                                      -NxB

"Plagiarism's Steady Incline" - Chapter 26: Consuming Mediocre Art

These days, it's tough to be original. They say everything's been done and done to death; I'm inclined to believe Them.

That's why we, as consumers of media, are flooded with remakes, re-dos, reboots, rehashes, remixes, reruns, re-imaginings, and retweets. 

Once in awhile, something original and incredible comes along and blows us away, sure... but this saturation of repetition, masked, and then packaged, and then marketed as BRAND NEW seems to be slowly suffocating me.

I think this is all motivated by the same gripe I have with a lack of artistic integrity these days.

There's too much money to be made by making five Transformers sequels and seven Fast & Furious movies and not enough money being made creating original, thought-provoking art.

No, that would take time, effort, talent, funding, and artistic integrity.

It's difficult, though. I know that first-hand. Creating anything from scratch is a difficult process, and of course there are going to be previous motivations and inspirations that Creators draw from.

I guess my only plea is that as consumers, we attempt to recognize when we are being manipulated into consuming mediocre art. That's a greater travesty than creating the art itself.

I'll leave you with a brilliant short film (7 mins) that had a completely original twist on the classic Zombie Apocalypse genre. Pure genius. Enjoy.

                                                                                      -NxB

Playing: World of Goo by 2D Boy

Watching: The Winnipeg Jets trying to make the playoffs.

"We will shape the perception of our industries." Chapter 25: Difficult Decisions

I'm going into Media Production because I love filming, editing, and telling stories through a visual medium.

This potentially means I may be working in the field of journalism in the future, and that might not be as bad as I had previously thought.

We've been having some amazing discussions in Joanne Kelly's (@JoanneMKelly) journalism class the past couple of weeks.

About ethics, about grey areas, and a number of 'what would you do?' hypothetical questions that, really, have no right or wrong answers.

Those are the best kind of questions.

It's incredibly inspiring and thought-provoking listening to some of my colleagues and how they approach situations differently.

If a family approaches you with a sob-story fundraiser for their sick child, do you cover it as a journalist? What about the fifteen other sick kids who are having fifteen other fundraisers? Should you print (or post, or report) the names of convicted sex offenders in your community? What about convicted prostitution solicitors? What about drunk drivers? Armed robberies? What if the person is 'famous'? Where do you draw the line?

As far as the 'sick kids' hypothetical goes... Some argued that none of them deserve coverage, because there are thousands of sick kids everywhere, every day.

The counter-point to that was also raised. Just because we can't help everyone doesn't mean that we shouldn't help anyone.

I would like to write that again.

Just because we can't help everyone... doesn't mean that we shouldn't help anyone.

I think there's a difference between what we're required to contribute as a journalist and what we ought to contribute as a citizen of our community, and of our Country, and of our planet.

We're being groomed with the ability to communicate effectively and/or creatively, and with that ability comes a surprising amount of power.

Depending on the particular soap-box we may decide to shout our messages from, we will (potentially) have the ability to influence and sway public discourse, and we can't take that responsibility lightly.

It's important to start thinking about the consequences of our actions.

As journalists, what we choose to cover, how we choose to cover it (and why).

As public relations practitioners, the messages we want to convey, what our motivations are, and how the public is going to respond.

As advertisers and media producers, how will we tell a story or sell a product? Is a hyper-sexualized image the right message to be sending? Do we want to contribute towards current trends or rage against them?

Questions like these need to be asked – of ourselves, and of our peers.

We're the next generation, and we will shape the perception of our industries for years to come.

Remember that.

                                                                                                              -NxB

Watching: The Walking Dead Season Finale

Playing: Bioshock Infinite by Irrational Games

"Reversing Rape Culture" - Chapter 24: Some Things I Need To Say

The more I hear about it, the more I want to read deeper.

The more I read, the angrier I get.

The angrier I get, the more fed up I get. Something needs to be said and/or done.

I apologize in advance if this is all over the place. I'm not even sure what I want to say...

Something disgusting happens in the world, for the umpteenth time, and the world just keeps on spinning. Those that are in charge of influencing and molding our youth continue to slap offenders on the wrist and blame victims. It's beyond ridiculous. We're not cavemen. Let's evolve.

---

A 16-year-old girl was raped by two high school football stars in Steubenville, Ohio. I'd love to say that this is the first time that this has ever happened.

I'd also love to sit here and say that there is one solitary solution that would make these travesties stop. There isn't. There's dozens of influences and deeply rooted problems that need to be solved, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try.

This is a multi-tiered problem that needs to be fixed collectively in our culture, from the ground up.

Our collective mindset needs to change when it comes to rape culture. I'm guilty of it, too, sadly.

In our high school there was... an incident. A girl a few years younger than me accused one of her classmates of violating her and forcing himself on her. I was skeptical because of her reputation. I'm embarrassed of my former mindset now, though I understand where the mindset comes from.

It has to change. We have to evolve on this issue.

Children today need to have it hammered into them that rape will not be tolerated. No grey area. If you violate someone in the worst possible way, your entire life can and should be ruined, too.

First and foremost, young men need to be taught respect. Even superstar athletes. (cancel that. Especially superstar athletes.) Respect yourself enough not to be peer pressured into doing something that disrespects yourself or another human being. In any capacity. Respect women no matter what. Treat others how you would like to be treated. You're no better than anyone else.

Young women need to be taught that their self-worth needn't be dictated by the amount of attention from others. They need role models to help and guide them through this messed up world that glorifies hyper-sexuality. They need to know that it's their right to say no, and to not be afraid of standing up for themselves. They, along with the young men of the world, need to be taught the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse, and until our collective culture shifts, they need to learn not to put themselves in dangerous situations.

Small communities that idolize their small-town sports teams need to get some perspective. The allegation that Steubenville community leaders (and peers of the convicted rapists) took measures to gloss over the misconduct of their star players is, at best disgusting/shortsighted and, at worst, criminal.

Everyone needs to operate under the same set of rules. Just because someone can shoot a hockey puck, dunk a basketball, or throw a perfect spiral, does not mean they are exempt from any of the rules that govern the rest of us. No matter who you are or where you're positioned in our culture, don't allow anyone to exist outside the parameters of normal society.

---

So... what can we do?

If you plan on having kids some day, or have kids of your own now, sit them down and -gasp!- have the difficult conversations. Raise them. Nurture them. Protect them. Arm them with the knowledge and experience that you've gained. Make it abundantly clear that behavior like this can't and won't be tolerated.

If you're a teacher or a community leader, or someone in the position of influence over our youth, use this power for good. Lead by example and treat everyone you come across with the respect they deserve.

And last, but certainly not least, if you see something terrible happening, make it stop.

Sounds simple.

I know it isn't. I understand the pressures on young people, to fit in, to be cool, to have friends.

But if you see something happening that you know you wouldn't want done to you, make it stop, or tell someone who is capable of making it stop. If you don't, you're just as guilty as the perpetrators.

We can turn things around and change the collective minds of those that don't yet understand.

We have to.

---

Sorry for the rant, thanks for reading my ramblings


                                                                                               -NxB

"Afflicted by Inspiration" - Chapter 23: Time To Get To Work

Throughout the past three days, we've been treated to ~70 presentations from ~70 second-year Creative Communications students, something that I will become in a few months.

Watching the passionate presentations of some of these literal geniuses was inspiring. Hearing them speak about their Independent Professional Projects (IPPs) was completely infectious. I can't wait to start working on my IPP, and in my major.

The overarching lesson I learned from this weird, rare experience of new-found motivation (despite the fact that I'm exhausted, overworked, and fighting off the first cold I've had in half a decade) is that I'm at my best when I surround myself with art and art's creators. I think that can be said of anyone.

When we surround ourselves with others who are motivated, creative, and have a true passion for what they do, how can we not follow suit? It's impossible not to be afflicted by inspiration.

The flipside of this new realization is... to avoid the black holes at all costs.

Black holes that consume positive energy and vibes. Black holes that absorb creativity and artistic desire. Black holes that inhale inspiration and motivation.

I don't have enough time left in my creative prime to waste on another year on artistic auto-pilot.

Not anymore. Time to get to work.

                                                                                                              -NxB

Listening to: Simple Man - Shinedown

"Assessing Google AdWords" Chapter 22: Another in-class assignment!

Today we briefly discussed Google AdWords and how Google is the biggest and most successful Ad Agency in the history of time.

We're supposed to think of five potential AdWords ads for our blogs, which fit a very specific template, and think of eight keywords that would be relevant to a Google search.

Here goes nothin'.

------------------------------------------------------------

Five potential AdWords ads...

Attention! To ALL
current, potential, or wannabe
Communications Professionals!
http://bicknellreport.blogspot.ca/

Advertising/PR/Journalism
News, Reviews, and Commentary.
A critical, scathing perspective.
http://bicknellreport.blogspot.ca/

I don't have all answers,
but we can discuss the questions.
Ethics and Reason will prevail.
http://bicknellreport.blogspot.ca/

Keeping integrity and
honesty in our modern media.
One blog at a time.
http://bicknellreport.blogspot.ca/

Modern Media
Through the eyes of a
Jaded Modern Man
http://bicknellreport.blogspot.ca/

Eight words and/or phrases that I think are indicative of my blog and important for people looking for it are... (in no particular order whatsoever...)

Nolan Bicknell
Blogging For Dummies
Journalistic Ethics and Integrity
Art and Commerce
Social Media Ethics
Public Relations Commentary
Product Placement
False Idolatry

If I was to actually do this campaign, I don't think the specific time of year would really matter, since most of the topics and blogs I've written are relatively universal and, dare I say... "timeless".

...Nah, I dare not.

During school is probably the best time, people tend to not seek out thought-provoking discussions about journalism, advertising, public relations, and general media when they're relaxing on the beach during summer months.

Thanks for reading!

------------------------------------------------------------

A Thousand Farewells - Chapter 22: Respectable Journalistic Decency

A Thousand Farewells by Nahlah Ayed is a book unlike any I've read before. The first chapter is aptly named "My Father's Camera" but the entire book is a collection of snapshots during Ayed's incredible journey to the Middle-East, to Canada, and back again.

Ayed's story is fascinating for many reasons, primarily due to her ability to tell the grassroots stories in an extremely tumultuous region. There is chaos constantly swirling around her and she is tasked with sorting through it and making sense of it all, as well as giving perspective to whatever she possibly can. As a journalist, her job is nearly impossible. But somehow, she pulls it off.

Near the beginning of the book, her parents take her away from her comfortable home in Canada when she is only seven years old, forcing the family to live in absolute squalor in a United Nations refugee camp in Amman, Jordan. Ayed herself says "though I endlessly questioned their decision and resented it for many years as a child, as an adult I understood the logic behind it - though I still didn't condone it."

Pardon me, but I don't condone or understand it. I think forcing a child to live in a slum and shit in a hole in the ground is child abuse and I couldn't fathom why a parent would subject their child to that.

That being said, this first experience in the Middle-East as a young child lays the groundwork for her to become an extremely strong and capable journalist. She understands what the people are going through and the frustrations they live every day, and this true empathy is a journalistic necessity.

...

The troubling parts of the book are her constant introduction to relatives, colleagues, towns, cities, and camps. The names of everyone and everything tend to get lost in the shuffle, specifically because she does so much and experiences so many different places, that it's difficult to keep track of everything.

The only thing I would have liked to see in the book that wasn't there, was some Canadian perspective from her colleagues back home. Once in awhile we are given some interaction between Ayed and the CBC, but for the most part she is just telling the story of her experience in the Middle-East, which admittedly, is an incredible one.

Reading this book as a prospective journalist, I think the most important thing I took away is the empathy Ayed shows towards her fellow human beings despite the inhumane living conditions they're forced to navigate through.

During one of the more disturbing points in the book, when a mass grave is being excavated, there are men, women, and children sifting through a massive pile of bones and corpses, looking for unaccounted for loved-ones. Ayed spots a woman weeping on the hill, rocking back and forth in agony.

She writes: "Much as I wanted to, I couldn't bring myself to approach the woman on the hill. How do you do that? No journalism class teaches you that."

--And she's right.

There are recent examples of putrid, pathetic excuses for 'journalists' that will sacrifice the dignity of their subject and/or the dignity of themselves to get a story or an exclusive interview, and bravo to Ayed for not crossing that threshold.

--But I digress.

...

This is one of the first non-fiction books I've read that depicts a history recent enough that I can actually remember what was happening, or at least what we were being told was happening.

It's shocking, and kind of terrifying, to see how these 'revolutions' played out at the ground level. Reading about the horrific acts of human-rights abuse and specifically, the violence and blatant inequality towards women, makes me wonder why the riots and protests and revolutions never happened sooner.

It's easy for me to sit behind a keyboard and chastise a culture for being behind the times, backwards, and even archaic in how they treat their citizens (and women in particular), but I couldn't help but become frustrated... by the fact that in today's world, people still allow these horrific living conditions to exist for massive amounts of people. It's a travesty.

Again, bravo to Ayed for writing this book and shedding some light on a very dark period in human history, which gave way to a potentially bright future for millions of the previously brutally suppressed.

...

                                                                                               -NxB

"False Idols and Moral Bankruptcy" Chapter 21: Another one bites the dust.

Another angel fell from grace yesterday.

Oscar Pistorius, the no-legged-man that can run faster than most two-legged-men, has been accused of shooting his wife, Reeva Steenkamp, around 3am in their exclusive, gated community in South Africa.

That's the basic story, but you can read more about it here.

This is, by far, the worst case of sports-hero-turned-villain story that we've heard about in years.

The man was, actually, an inspiration to millions of people around the world, and was given (justified) praise, fame, and millions of dollars in endorsements for his hard work, perseverence, and dedication.

What struck me through all of this (and through the Tiger Woods fiasco, the Lance Armstrong ass-hattery) is the pedastles we put people on, the false idols we create and worship, and the shock and horror that the public experiences when these human beings turn out to be... human. Or, allegedly, in Pistorius's case, not even that.

There are absolutely cases where true heroes exist. There are absolutely people in the world worthy of our admiration, idolatry, and of our ceaseless faith and adoration.

I would like to try and argue that sports figures and celebrities, more often than not, are not worthy of these levels of worship.

When kids are asked what they want to be when they grow up these days, they answer "Famous" or even, in some cases "Skinny" instead of "Fireman" or "Teacher". The culture we've devolved into is so far off the rails, and it's only going to get worse in the celebrity obsessed insanity these kids are being cultivated in.

Next time you're shopping, or you see a commercial that features Tiger Woods selling you a BMW, ask yourself "Why?" Why do I give a fuck what Tiger Woods drives. Why do I give a fuck what Brad Pitt wears? Why do I give a fuck about what Kim fucking Kardashian smells like?

But more importantly, educate the next generation that being a rich/famous isn't a virtue to covet, but teach them kindness, compassion, and generosity.

These are the traits to model one's self after.

Let's see if we can turn this ship around.

                                                                                                              -NxB

Watching: Sons of Anarchy reruns

Listening to: Anything by Jack White

"Learning social media lessons the hard way." Chapter 20: You're doing it wrong.

Over the past week, three separate international companies learned a hard lesson in public relations regarding their policies and understanding of social media.

Subway got into hot water in a 'footlong' discrepancy.

Applebee's fired a server after she posted a customer's snarky comment online.

...and last but not least...

HMV terminated 60 employees, who live-tweeted the event.

What all three of these instances have in common is showcasing the incredible power that social media has, and how companies still don't seem to recognize how important it is, because only a handful of companies are truly doing social media right these days.

Every single person that is running any sort of business, no matter how big or small, needs to recognize the power of social media in today's Twitter/Facebook/Reddit world, and make sure that the person or people in charge of their social media presence is capable, trustworthy, and properly trained.

The HMV case is a special one, because I think it brings up an interesting truism about the current state of almost every industry, and one that echoes a lot of the same problems that print media are currently dealing with.

60 young, passionate employees were terminated from HMV not unlike when 7 young, passionate, tech-savvy employees were laid-off at the Winnipeg Free Press.

Right now, in certain industries and within certain companies, the old guard remains in charge and is resisting the inevitable evolution of our next generation. If they don't adapt, they will die, and though money is tight and revenues may be declining, firing the young people that recognize and understand the power of social media is industry suicide.

But I'm sure they'll figure that out. Eventually.

                                                                                                                  -NxB

Watching: The Walking Dead 

Listening to: "Drive" Official Soundtrack

"A day in the life of an American 'walk-in' clinic." Chapter 19: The Waiting Room

For our second semester Journalism class, we were asked to watch the 2012 documentary film The Waiting Room. Our instructors asked us to post a blog detailing our experience, comparing/contrasting the American healthcare system with the Canadian healthcare system, and reviewing the film based on what we know about effective documentaries.

This is that blog post.

____________________________________________________

The Film

Watch The Waiting Room. No matter who you are, where you're from, what political stance you may take, how you feel about ObamaCare, how you feel about the Canadian healthcare system, how often you've been sick, or how strong your immune system is, watch the documentary.

Not because it's a revolutionary film, not because it's a one-of-a-kind critique of a broken system, not because it'll change your life...

Watch it because you need to recognize and understand the giant social gap that exists in the so-called first-world Country that is the United States of America.

The film is a snapshot - a day in the life of an American 'walk in' clinic/emergency room in Oakland CA. There are some angels working there. Literal guardian angels that are sacrificing their lives for the basic needs of others, and the film really paints an insane portrait of what these people go through every single day.

Evoking empathy isn't an easy task for a filmmaker. Being able to tell a story without spin, without bias, without preconceived notions about what narrative you think the audience ought to follow is an art form, and Peter Nicks did an incredible job directing this movie and telling this story.

There are hundreds of angry, sick, pained, and frustrated individuals that are simply looking to be cured. Healed. Relieved of their suffering. It's painful to watch at times.

The Issues

I've read multiple blogs from my colleagues and most of them are saying this documentary is a commentary on the broken medical system that the United States is currently attempting to remedy through ObamaCare and other measures.

I don't think that was the only intention with the film, though.

I came away with a different sense of what was wrong with the society being portrayed here. There are serious economical and social issues that need to be addressed before the problem is solved. Giving people universal healthcare helps, sure, but it doesn't attack the weed at its roots - it simply trims the leaves. Temporary band-aid fixes for a serious, deeply-rooted problem.

At points in the film, there are people being carted into the emergency room with gunshot wounds, stab wounds, drug overdoses, and a plethora of other completely avoidable problems. There is no possible way medical professionals can keep up, or more importantly, give the rest of the people with legitimate diseases and ailments proper care.

According to KQED, a Public Media site for Northern California, there were 2,091 armed robberies and 783 shootings reported in Oakland alone in 2012.

I don't mean for this to turn into another anti-gun rant but when a room full of hundreds of legitimately sick people can't receive the treatment they need because the doctors and nurses are busy trying to save another gunshot victim that EMS just carted into the hospital... something needs to change. And I think that's part of what Nicks wanted us to realize.

I walked out of this documentary thankful, though. Thankful that I've been blessed with the opportunity to grow up in Canada. Staying healthy shouldn't completely cripple you financially and it's simply not right that a guy my age got a tumor in his nut, and just because he doesn't have a job with health insurance, he doesn't know how he's going to afford the surgery. That's completely unfair and hopefully these imbalances in America are addressed in Obama's last 4 years.

The Rest

We're spoiled in Canada. Nothing is perfect and our system is far from it, but if one takes a look mere hours south of us to see what the poor, downtrodden, uninsured people of the States have to deal with, there's no way we'd ever think complaining about our imperfect system was justified.

My experience, and my family's experience, has been nothing short of incredible. My brother has needed multiple surgeries, I've broken bones and been hit in the head with a god damn javelin and I've still lived an extremely comfortable life. (thanks in part to my parents working their asses off to give us the best life possible, too.)

I can't imagine being financially devastated because of something I couldn't control, and The Waiting Room vividly shows us that there are probably thousands of families whose reality is exactly that.

Watch it. It's worth your 81 minutes.

                                                                                                                  -NxB

Playing: Path Of Exile by Grinding Gear Games 

Listening to: Marvin Gaye - "Sexual Healing" (PRETTY MUCH ON REPEAT)

If I Was Evander Kane's Publicist... Chapter 18: "Some unsolicited advice."

If I was Evander Kane's publicist, here's the unsolicited advice I would give to him.

1. You (via the NHLPA) and your employer (the NHL) just spent months negotiating a new CBA, which basically, was millionaires arguing with billionaires. Bragging about how much money you make and how awesome your life is will not earn you respect from fans, peers, or analysts. Don't do that.

2. If/when you take a trip to Vegas (as most young men do) and you happen to win a fat stack of cash, don't tweet a picture of yourself to another millionaire bragging about it, simply text it to him! Problem solved. Remember, you not playing for 34 out of 82 games this year meant some people could barely scrape their rent together during that time. Don't do that.

3. If you absolutely must shave something into the back of your head for some reason, make it something that's a little more humble than the acronym for "young money cash money billionaires" and instead opt for "I <3 Mom" or "Thank You WPG" or "Have Your Pets Spade Or Neutered" Or, here's an even crazier idea, just. Don't. Do. That.

4. Talent = Great! but... Humility + Talent = Legendary. If you care about your legacy, tone it down a bit.

...and lastly...

5. Keep scoring goals and winning games, because at the end of the day, none of this shit (bragging, boasting, insensitivity, and/or cockiness) matters to a city like Winnipeg if their team is winning.

Cheers!

                                                                                                                  -NxB

Playing: Borderlands 2 by Gearbox Software 

Listening to: Skrillex - "Weekends"

The Church of Scientology's full page advertorial, Chapter 17: "Journalism vs. Commerce"

Last week I wrote about the blurring line between art and commerce.

This week, let's discuss the blurring line between journalism and commerce.

Monday, The Atlantic ran an 'advertorial' (sigh) for The Church of Scientology (double sigh) which was a paid advertisement made to look exactly like The Atlantic's normal feature articles.

Yesterday, they removed the ad and issued an apology. Click the link, or here it is in full:

We screwed up. It shouldn't have taken a wave of constructive criticism -- but it has -- to alert us that we've made a mistake, possibly several mistakes. We now realize that as we explored new forms of digital advertising, we failed to update the policies that must govern the decisions we make along the way.  It's safe to say that we are thinking a lot more about these policies after running this ad than we did beforehand. In the meantime, we have decided to withdraw the ad until we figure all of this out.  We remain committed to and enthusiastic about innovation in digital advertising, but acknowledge--sheepishly--that we got ahead of ourselves.  We are sorry, and we're working very hard to put things right.   

The apology was, as public apologies these days often are, in response to a Twitter and Social Media firestorm where The Atlantic was taken to task, mocked, and ridiculed.

There is a great article at The Guardian that chronicles the entire story and goes a bit deeper.

I have a couple questions.

One: Would there been this much of an uproar if the product being 'advertorialized' (triple-sigh score!) wasn't Scientology?

If it was an advertisement for, say, how well Coca-Cola or Wal-Mart has been doing lately, would people have crapped their pants over it in the same manner? I'm voting no, they would not have.

Sure, the public was upset... but for a slightly different reason than I am.

Second question: Is this where journalism is headed, too? Advertising pays the bills. And increasingly, everything from bands to magazines to newspapers are all relying on the money from corporate advertisements just to stay afloat.

With advertising paying the bills, that means advertising will (in some cases) be able to call the shots. Or, at the very least, influence the shots.

For art, that is a death sentence. For Journalism... I shudder to think at the consequences.

But... I guess... I better get used to it, baby.

                                                                                      -NxB

Playing: Borderlands 2 by Gearbox Software 

Listening to:Anything by Pegboard Nerds (currently, 'Self Destruct')

Chapter 16: Art vs. Commerce - "The definition of 'selling out' continues to blur."

Last semester we got into an interesting debate on music in advertising in Kenton's (@kentonlarsen) Advertising 1 class, and me and maybe one or two other people were the only ones (in a class of 26) that believed advertising on an album should never exist and bands/musicians/artists that sell themselves to companies are nothing short of... consumerist whores.

People that share my opinion are a dying breed.

I was asked if AFI, my favourite band of all time, was to "sell out" and feature a 30 second audio commercial on one of their albums, would I still consider them my favourite band. I said, probably not. For some reason, that's a deal-breaker for me.

However, it was an interesting debate that really made me think, as a student, as an artist, as a musician, and as a professional-PR-person-slash-advertiser-in-training.

I thought a lot about the current state of the music industry and how dozens of really talented, impressive bands/artists have gotten a big break via an iPod commercial. 

Hell, I've become a fan of multiple artists based on songs I've heard in a few different commercials:

Passion Pit's "Sleepyhead" in a Playstation PSP commercial.

The Stone Foxes "I'm a King Bee" in a Jack Daniel's commercial. (cover of a B.B. King song, I believe.)

Or Gary Jules' "Mad World" in a Gears of War trailer.

Or a Volkswagon commercial. Or a Heineken commercial. The list could go on forever. I get it. Times have changed and things aren't how they used to be. Bands don't make their money selling records anymore, and if a multi-billion dollar company comes-a-knockin', it's pretty easy to sign on the dotted line for a huge payday. 

With the advent of apps like Shazam and SoundHound, artists have the opportunity and ability to gain widespread recognition and success based on the national reach of some of these companies and their commercials or trailers.

Art shouldn't be created with capitalistic motive. Ever. But if/when art is made with integrity, who am I to look down on someone for accepting money from a company to purchase said art to sell its product?

What I can't (and won't) condone, is blatant corporate shilling intentionally masquerading as art and billing itself as art. I think the line is getting blurrier and blurrier between commerce and art in some cases, and companies recognize this and exploit it, because consumers are either incapable of recognizing the difference, or simply don't give a shit.

That leaves a bad taste in my mouth for some reason and I recognize that I'm in the minority.

People don't seem to care and I don't know when (or why) I started to, but I do.

I think artistic integrity is important when creating anything. Intentions matter.

Think about that the next time you watch a music video, see a commercial, or see an entire scene in a movie devoted to selling a product.

I'll leave you with this quick 17-second clip that sums up my feelings quite concisely:

                                                                                      -NxB

Playing: Terraria by Re-Logic 

Watching:  NFL Playoffs