I am starting to believe that the main stream media industry as a whole is starting to move from a love, hate relationship with the internet to simply put, a hate, hate relationship. Some would say that it’s due to the on-going problem with piracy, bootlegging, illegal downloading and such; but I don’t think that’s it at all. I think the gate keepers are angry because they can no longer keep the masses locked away at only their disposal. In other words, before the advent of the world wide web, and the understanding there of, the gate keepers were the captains of the entertainment industries guarding the entrance and blocking the windows so to only allow the masses to see who they wanted them to see. They were able to push nonsense disguised as talent and people would fall for it because they simply had no choice. You were forced to listen to Biz Markie sing (great rapper; horrible singer), watch Elvis act, (great singer; horrible actor) and Gallagher smashed watermelons for years and to this day I still don’t know why. Truth be told, you probably don’t know either but the gate keepers said it was entertainment so we watched. But then one day outlets like YouTube, Ustream, Google and others began to pay content creators for work that people wanted to watch instead of having no choice. As a result, the masses began leaving the stable and wondering abroad looking for their own forms of social, editorial and motions picture entertainment and that took the keys out of the hand of the masters and that is why they hate the social alternative.
Now I’ll be the first to admit to the onset of nonsense on the web disguised as entertainment as well but at least I get to choose the nonsense instead of it being shoved down my narrow throat. Remember when the hottest show on the TV was about an alien named Mork from a planet called Ork and he fell in love with a nice little blond girl and became human? Had it not been for the absolute comedic genius of Robin Williams and his impeccable timing, the show would have really been even more horrific than it already was. How about the one in the 80’s about a bunch of bi-sexual dance students making a decision to never go to work but to attend a school they couldn’t afford and argue with each other every day while trying to gain their ‘Fame”. No story line at all, just men in tights dancing and arguing. We really thought that was entertainment because we had nothing else to compare it too. But you know the biggest one of all is when they took a couple of homeless dudes from Germany with absolutely no talent of any kind and dressed them up in boots and dreads and taught them how to lip sync well enough to win several awards and a few Grammy’s. I don’t blame Rob or Fab for taking an opportunity that was presented to them and I’m sure not going to “blame it on the rain” because an industry sanctioned social experiment cost Rob his life and it seems that no one remembers that part of it.
If you can wade your way thru all of the foolishness that lives on the web, you’re certain to find what suits you there and the best part of it is that you and you alone get to decide what real entertainment is as it relates to your personal taste. Now I’m not all together sure the neutrality of the web is going to remain much longer because let’s face it, too many people are making too much money from content that the industry can’t control and the powers that be are working hard to change that as we speak. But as for now, surf and enjoy the waves of the web based content creators and by all means support the ones you like by subscribing, liking, sharing and heck, even donations, knowing that you now have a say so in your type of entertainment enjoyment… Oh yea, while you’re looking on the web, check out our YouTube series entitled A Family Affair on YouTube...
Q. S.