I have to say, it's been a good run. But, it's definitely time for a change. I've been at the Media game for a combined total of a little over a decade. I've gone over most of my history before, so there's no need to rehash all that. Since then, I've had a bit of resurgence with the Count3rCu1ture video (mini-)series and the run on Examiner. And I promise I'm working on compiling all of my links into one place if you want a comprehensive look. (It's something I've been doing for myself, anyway, just because I'm a borderline-OCD packrat.) But that's all coming to a close.No, this isn't a "retirement" post, per se. I've done more of those than Terry Funk. But there is a reason this is going up here on New Year's Eve.I've seen what the game has become. Who can be the first to regurgitate a news story to get all the hits? That's about that the internet has turned into. Anybody with an internet connection and a modicum of drive can become a "journalist." That's been proven. Still, there are people out there (like Randy at Geek World Order, Z at Hipster Please, and the entire crew of Panels on Pages) who are much better than most - including myself - at covering the kinds of things I've been into the last couple years. Nowadays, I'm just superfluous.But, a much bigger reason I'm done with this? For good? Is because the internet has just become a cesspool. Opinions being treated as facts, shaming/guilting/humiliating people into thinking their way is wrong, getting on a soapbox, the proverbial chest-thumping self-righteousness of it all...yeah, no thanks. I understand it's going to go on, but that doesn't mean I have to be in the middle of it. I'm all for expressing opinions and civil discussion about such, but the amount of ill will on any side of any discussion - from calling for a director to be fired for a three year-old blog post meant in fun to damn-near starting a second Civil War over a chicken sandwich - is absolutely ridiculous. As a species, you'd think we know better. But apparently not. I understand this is the nature of the beast in the 21st century, but that doesn't mean I have to participate willingly. Or at all, really. In order to excise myself from that kind of mindset, that pretty much requires me not to "report" on things that may put me in the middle of those kind of "debates." Which is fine, because I've just flat-out lost my desire to do it, anyway. Like I said, I've done quite well in 10 years at talking to people I admire and enjoy the work of. I've gotten my share of scoops.I've caused my share of trouble. I've had my say on issues and controversies. And the beauty of it is, with the next step being taken from here, I still will. But more on that in a minute.So, what happens now that I'm getting away from being "Press"? I'll still be writing. I'll probably still update this space as well. But those updates - and my own writing from here - will be focused on creation. You have no idea how many screenplays, comic series (one of which will skewer everything I've come to know and loathe about the internet and modern media), short stories, novels, and non-fiction works that I have notes for that I've never pursued due to putting all the attention on being a "journalist." I have a lot of things that have been neglected, and that all stops now. My New Year's resolution (aside from losing weight) is to make something out of those. To create, rather than regurgitate.And that's what you'll be reading about here, primarily. I'll still throw out the occasional opinion regarding current topics and entertainment, but otherwise this is all about my work. My projects. My writings. My schedule. My time. My w--wait, you know what?
Just because.So, there we are. It was a good run and I had a blast, but it's time for another challenge and a new chapter in a New Year. You're invited to come along for the ride.
So, the scariest thing about this James Gunn "controversy"?It's not that he made these remarks nearly 2 years ago , nor that a petition was started to remove him as director of Marvel's upcoming "Guardians Of The Galaxy" because he made rude comments about fictional characters. It's not that was called a "homophobe" or a "Slut-shamer" over said comments. About fictional characters. Or even that he was forced to apologize for remarks he made nearly 2 years ago. Over fictional characters.The scariest thing about this James Gunn "controversy" is that the original blog post these remarks appeared on? Was deleted. And then dragged back out from a cached archive so someone could continue the witch hunt.Translation: the post no longer existed. But someone went out of their way to find a copy of it so they could continue the public lashings.And you wonder why I feel like, as a culture, we go out of our way to find reasons to get outraged.
I've been at the Media game for a combined total of a little over a decade. I've gone over most of my history before, so there's no need to rehash all that. Since then, I've had a bit of resurgence with the Count3rCu1ture video (mini-)series and the run on Examiner. And I promise I'm working on compiling all of my links into one place if you want a comprehensive look. (It's something I've been doing for myself, anyway, just because I'm a borderline-OCD packrat.) But that's all coming to a close.No, this isn't a "retirement" post, per se. I've done more of those than Terry Funk. But there is a reason this is going up here on New Year's Eve.I've seen what the game has become. Who can be the first to regurgitate a news story to get all the hits? That's about that the internet has turned into. Anybody with an internet connection and a modicum of drive can become a "journalist." That's been proven. Still, there are people out there (like Randy at Geek World Order, Z at Hipster Please, and the entire crew of Panels on Pages) who are much better than most - including myself - at covering the kinds of things I've been into the last couple years. Nowadays, I'm just superfluous.But, a much bigger reason I'm done with this? For good? Is because the internet has just become a cesspool. Opinions being treated as facts, shaming/guilting/humiliating people into thinking their way is wrong, getting on a soapbox, the proverbial chest-thumping self-righteousness of it all...yeah, no thanks. I understand it's going to go on, but that doesn't mean I have to be in the middle of it. I'm all for expressing opinions and civil discussion about such, but the amount of ill will on any side of any discussion - from calling for a director to be fired for a three year-old blog post meant in fun to damn-near starting a second Civil War over a chicken sandwich - is absolutely ridiculous. As a species, you'd think we know better. But apparently not. I understand this is the nature of the beast in the 21st century, but that doesn't mean I have to participate willingly. Or at all, really.
In order to excise myself from that kind of mindset, that pretty much requires me not to "report" on things that may put me in the middle of those kind of "debates." Which is fine, because I've just flat-out lost my desire to do it, anyway. Like I said, I've done quite well in 10 years at talking to people I admire and enjoy the work of. I've gotten my share of scoops. I've caused my share of trouble. I've had my say on issues and controversies. And the beauty of it is, with the next step being taken from here, I still will. But more on that in a minute.So, what happens now that I'm getting away from being "Press"? I'll still be writing. I'll probably still update this space as well. But those updates - and my own writing from here - will be focused on creation. You have no idea how many screenplays, comic series (one of which will skewer everything I've come to know and loathe about the internet and modern media), short stories, novels, and non-fiction works that I have notes for that I've never pursued due to putting all the attention on being a "journalist." I have a lot of things that have been neglected, and that all stops now. My New Year's resolution (aside from losing weight) is to make something out of those. To create, rather than regurgitate.And that's what you'll be reading about here, primarily. I'll still throw out the occasional opinion regarding current topics and entertainment, but otherwise this is all about my work. My projects. My writings. My schedule. My time. My w--wait, you know what?
