I am compelled to write something about media and entertainment tonight. I have been a DEPUTY for tomGREEN.com and The Channel for about one and a half months, taking in the “spectacle” of internet television and observing Tom and his staff build The Channel into a viable and successful entity.
During this time, I have learned that in order to grow both individually and collectively, it is important to take risks, and I mean all kinds of risks, or else the status quo remains intact and we as a society become stagnant and disillusioned, and well, the potential for all kinds of bad things can happen, including war, violence, and murder. This is where Tom Green succeeds. As an artist, he has been able to find those uncomfortable places in society where we ask, “Is this acceptable?” When we ask these questions, we are able to challenge the status quo in order to invigorate, energize, discard, and/or change outmoded "belief" systems. Tom’s ability to test and affect this premise is what makes him unique and indispensable, and will ultimately solidify his place as one of the most important multi-media artists/entertainers of our time.
CASE IN POINT: One week ago, I went to the Village Voice to promote The Channel. Before my visit, I held the belief that the Village Voice advocated for the outcast, the minority liberal voice, the radical, and above all, the YOUTH of the world. What I came away with was a feeling of fear, hierarchy, and well, bland “esoterica” at the Voice. All this being said, I am still optimistic about the Voice, and will research more about the newspaper's management structure, overall literary objectives, and mission. I will report back to you any/all of my findings.
Ultimately, this is where YOUTH can make a difference, and I don’t mean an “age” thing, I mean an attitude thing, a forward type of thinking, a progressive way to live life on this planet. As INDIVIDUALS, we are able to access more information and have more of an impact on the masses than ever before. I have little patience for those who just sit around, complain, and are pessimistic. For those with passion and a willingness to help others, make people laugh, have fun, advocate, and just be plain funny and goofy, this is probably the first time in the history of the world that YOU have the ability to make a significant impact on society by reaching out to the masses WITHOUT having to go through layers and layers of hierarchical, political, and bureaucratic systems. So let’s get off our collective asses, be funny, and help to make a difference. Cheers!! Alan Lupiani
