Black March
I haven't been passing the Black March posts on, either on my tumblr or here, because something about it bothered me. My first thought was for independant book shops, and for the tiny cinemas that survive by showing indie films, and how the big chains etc. have the resources to survive March where these smaller companies simply don't. The recession has already emptied their pockets, this could kill them, and that only makes us even more dependant on the sodding mega-chains and uber-corporations that think they can throw their weight around like this already. But I didn't exactly have any better suggestions on how to balance sending a message against 'think of the little guy'.
Then a post came across my tumblr dash that coalesced those feelings a bit, so basically that's what I'm going to be doing this March instead of a full boycott. Go straight to the independents (my main worry about how do-able this is is the shells that the big companies set up to look like smaller, indie brands and get people's money anyway, but this is the internet, and if there's anywhere that info will be available it's on here.) Buy small press books through independent book shops (I know I'm lucky to still have one, but I think that puts even more on me to make the effort), see independent films, buy self-published music.
Call me optimistic, but I do think this message can be sent without screwing over the people who've already said "FUCK YOU, I DO WHAT I WANT!" to Hollywood and the big corporate forces, and I don't want those independant producers and distributers to be fighting on two fronts for the duration of March.
Then a post came across my tumblr dash that coalesced those feelings a bit, so basically that's what I'm going to be doing this March instead of a full boycott. Go straight to the independents (my main worry about how do-able this is is the shells that the big companies set up to look like smaller, indie brands and get people's money anyway, but this is the internet, and if there's anywhere that info will be available it's on here.) Buy small press books through independent book shops (I know I'm lucky to still have one, but I think that puts even more on me to make the effort), see independent films, buy self-published music.
Call me optimistic, but I do think this message can be sent without screwing over the people who've already said "FUCK YOU, I DO WHAT I WANT!" to Hollywood and the big corporate forces, and I don't want those independant producers and distributers to be fighting on two fronts for the duration of March.