(no subject)
At the request of Nappi, who is desperate for something to read, I'm updating my livejournal even though I have nothing to say. But lots of people update their livejournals once a day with nothing to say, so I guess I don't feel too bad.
I had a really long talk with Fran tonight that put me in a content but incredibly sad mood. We both agree being here in New York opens your eyes to so much that's going on in the world, and even though it's amazing it's still hard to be exposed to so much and still know so little.
It turns out she wants to go into the field that I'm taking a class in right now...she wants to be some form of a media reformer(Michael Rosenblum what what!) and really make a difference in the world, which is something I admire so so much - here I am, majoring in movies and celebrities, and there are people who really want to take action. Taking this class "Television and the Information Explosion" has really opened my eyes to so much...and it sucks. Realizing the way our country thinks is literally determined by about 8 really rich white guys is so disheartening. Little tiny baby steps are being taken, but there aren't enough people who know about it or care enough to do something to make any sort of difference.
We're seeing all the wrong things on TV...we are bombarded with information about Terry Schiavo, one person who has been on life support for 15 years. But there are thousands, if not millions, of people who are also fighting to live - they're fighting to beat famine and civil war and genocide in their countries...and we hear nothing...because they're tiny little "insignificant" countries who have nothing to offer us...
Vietnam was the first televised war, and also the last. The uproar of the 60's that spouted from gruesome images of soldiers coming home in body bags on TV every night will never happen for this war. Why? Because the government literally made it against the law for journalists to show pictures of the death and destruction that's happening right now. We are controlled to such a great extent, and we don't even realize it.
In 1950, Guatemala elected a new government. It was wonderful for their country and looked like they were going to get a real turnaround in terms of economics. One thing the new government decided was that they were going to give landless peasants a chance at a new start by giving them land previously owned by the United Fruit Co. Unluckily for them...the head of the CIA was a stockholder in United Fruit. He declared the regime Communist and sent the CIA to take over, putting some random guy in power because we could control him. The press was invited to take a look around this country we "saved" from Communism, and they were spoon-fed everything they were supposed to report back to the US. One guy saw how ridiculous this was and wrote a story for the NY Times about what REALLY happened - they kicked him out of the US. America, FUCK YEAH!
We
Created
A
War
Because
Of
Bananas
But few people gave a shit, cause things were awesome back here in post WW II America.
I don't even know what I'm trying to say. I just feel so helpless about all the shitty things that go on this world. Not like there aren't things being done by some awesome people. I know Jaim remembers our amazingly annoying bitch ass lecturer that one week in class...yeah I wanted to punch her skinny blonde face, but what she's doing is so amazing for the world that I could never bring myself to do it. She formed an activist group whose sole purpose is to travel to third world countries and teach the people there how to shoot and edit film. So they can actually document the awful things going on in their villages, and have some chance of someone somewhere seeing it on TV and caring enough to do something. Because people these days really only care about what's on TV. And I hate to break it to you, but there's a lot more going on than Terry Schiavo, Jen and Brad, and even the Pope's issues. So much more that America should be caring about. Like our soldiers who are dying so we can get oil. Like genocides that are occurring at this very minute. Like people everywhere suffering and needing help. And it just makes me feel even worse that I DO know about some of this stuff...and I'm not even helping.
But at least Susy is coming tomorrow...we can be insane together in this insane world we live in.
I had a really long talk with Fran tonight that put me in a content but incredibly sad mood. We both agree being here in New York opens your eyes to so much that's going on in the world, and even though it's amazing it's still hard to be exposed to so much and still know so little.
It turns out she wants to go into the field that I'm taking a class in right now...she wants to be some form of a media reformer(Michael Rosenblum what what!) and really make a difference in the world, which is something I admire so so much - here I am, majoring in movies and celebrities, and there are people who really want to take action. Taking this class "Television and the Information Explosion" has really opened my eyes to so much...and it sucks. Realizing the way our country thinks is literally determined by about 8 really rich white guys is so disheartening. Little tiny baby steps are being taken, but there aren't enough people who know about it or care enough to do something to make any sort of difference.
We're seeing all the wrong things on TV...we are bombarded with information about Terry Schiavo, one person who has been on life support for 15 years. But there are thousands, if not millions, of people who are also fighting to live - they're fighting to beat famine and civil war and genocide in their countries...and we hear nothing...because they're tiny little "insignificant" countries who have nothing to offer us...
Vietnam was the first televised war, and also the last. The uproar of the 60's that spouted from gruesome images of soldiers coming home in body bags on TV every night will never happen for this war. Why? Because the government literally made it against the law for journalists to show pictures of the death and destruction that's happening right now. We are controlled to such a great extent, and we don't even realize it.
In 1950, Guatemala elected a new government. It was wonderful for their country and looked like they were going to get a real turnaround in terms of economics. One thing the new government decided was that they were going to give landless peasants a chance at a new start by giving them land previously owned by the United Fruit Co. Unluckily for them...the head of the CIA was a stockholder in United Fruit. He declared the regime Communist and sent the CIA to take over, putting some random guy in power because we could control him. The press was invited to take a look around this country we "saved" from Communism, and they were spoon-fed everything they were supposed to report back to the US. One guy saw how ridiculous this was and wrote a story for the NY Times about what REALLY happened - they kicked him out of the US. America, FUCK YEAH!
We
Created
A
War
Because
Of
Bananas
But few people gave a shit, cause things were awesome back here in post WW II America.
I don't even know what I'm trying to say. I just feel so helpless about all the shitty things that go on this world. Not like there aren't things being done by some awesome people. I know Jaim remembers our amazingly annoying bitch ass lecturer that one week in class...yeah I wanted to punch her skinny blonde face, but what she's doing is so amazing for the world that I could never bring myself to do it. She formed an activist group whose sole purpose is to travel to third world countries and teach the people there how to shoot and edit film. So they can actually document the awful things going on in their villages, and have some chance of someone somewhere seeing it on TV and caring enough to do something. Because people these days really only care about what's on TV. And I hate to break it to you, but there's a lot more going on than Terry Schiavo, Jen and Brad, and even the Pope's issues. So much more that America should be caring about. Like our soldiers who are dying so we can get oil. Like genocides that are occurring at this very minute. Like people everywhere suffering and needing help. And it just makes me feel even worse that I DO know about some of this stuff...and I'm not even helping.
But at least Susy is coming tomorrow...we can be insane together in this insane world we live in.