On #CancelColbert

I use Twitter, and I'm not blind to any of the trends that come and go on this site. And as of currently, the Twitterverse is in a war of words concerning the hashtag #CancelColbert, referring to a Twitter campaign by activists wishing to have Comedy Central's staple news satire "The Colbert Report" removed for accusations of racism from its namesake host, Stephen Colbert.

So here's the basic rundown: in the latest episode of the show, Colbert made an attempt to mock Dan Snyder and his handling of the Washington Red Skins racism controversey. Snyder, the owner of the NFL team, has come under pressure from the Native American community to change the name of the team, as the term "redskins" carries racist undertones. This is something I don't disagree with, since you can just glance at the historical record of the 19th-century United States and see all you need to see when it came to relations between the American government/people and the Native Americans. Not a pretty thing.

In an attempt to make up for this heated debacle, Snyder has formed an organization called the Washington Redskins Original Americans Foundation, which, on its site, is said that its mission is to "work as partners to tackle the troubling realities facing so many Tribes across our country." Some might see this as a step in the right direction. For Colbert, not so much. I'm assuming he saw it as a double-edged sword kinda thing, for Snyder to try and save his reputation by raising charity but not changing the name of the team. I think it sounds a little dubious myself.

Anyway, with that full context now in place, Colbert was attempting to satirize Snyder's efforts, but to many, he tripped up big-time. He followed up with this quote from that segment of the show:

"I am willing to show the Asian community I care by introducing the Ching-Chong Ding-Dong Foundation for Sensitivity to Orientals or Whatever."

The exact same quote was tweeted by the official @TheColbertReport account (the actual tweet has since been deleted. This account is managed by the Comedy Central network; Colbert's personal Twitter handle is @StephenAtHome, and even he expressed shock at the former's using the quote). Many red flags were raised, and outspoken outrage was poured.

Suey Park, a writer and activist, took to Twitter with her first use of the now-widespread hashtag, calling shame to the way "comedians hide behind satire as an excuse to joke about things that aren't funny." Okay, agreed. Humor has its limits, and there's a fine line between jokes and insults that has been crossed many times, some with disastrous results.

But what's been used as collateral damage in her argument? White people.

To quote her first Twitter post directly: "#CancelColbert because white liberals are just as complicit in making Asian Americans into punchlines and we aren't amused."

Oh, it's the rhetoric that truly makes me disappointed. The icing on the cake was her statements during her HuffPost Live interview with host Josh Zepps:

"White men definitely feel like they’re entitled to talk over me. They definitely feel like they’re entitled to minimalize my experiences, and they definitely feel like they are somehow exempt and so logical compared to women, who are painted as emotional, right?" I believe she also went on to say that white men can't have valid opinions.

Here's where I draw the line. Those statements are nothing short of a personal attack and a grossly-exaggerated generalization placed on those who don't deserve it. I will agree to the fact that racism has been perpetuated by some white people. Just look at the 1960s, it's a veritable encyclopedia on civil rights struggles. Racism, and hate, in general, has been done by everyone, not just white people, but they seem to be the perfect scapegoat. But as times change and generations change, people change. Sure, there are still racists, and there will always still be racists. Hate will never be fully eradicated, and that's a sad truth. But there are more and more people who are on the side of justice and equality and will work to suppress the hate and promote peace in the world. And some of them are white; are you calling them racist as well?

I'm a white man. I don't talk over people. I share my thoughts but I also listen to the thoughts of others. I respect authority and those who are older than I am, when they deserve my respect. In some fields of study I know more than others, but there are many other things people are more experts at than I am. So, I wouldn't presumptuously call myself "so logical". I respect women and their accomplishments. So, no, her statements on HuffPost Live don't meet her generalizations of all "white men".

I've said it before and I'll say it again: not all white people are racists. Just like all police officers are not bad (that's another one going around) or all rich people are not corrupt and arrogant, these types of broad statements have no credence. It's sounds like nothing more than bombastic rhetoric to me.

I found this interesting quote on Facebook from Tae Yang Kwak, associate professor of history at Ramapo College of New Jersey:

"Is there such a thing as "white privilege?" Absolutely, and it is pervasive. Is there such a things as "white, male privilege?" Absolutely, and it is pervasive. Is every white man an idiot, incapable of valid reflection, analysis, or opinion? No. C'mon! Some of my best friends are white! (They are, but that was a joke.)"

I agree with Ms. Park's right to free speech; as an American, she is free to make her points and her opinions, and no one should minimize her importance and the importance of what she may say. But don't make loaded statements such as the ones she's been making, or be prepared to back those statements up. I will sit here any day and personally defend my honesty and my good character against any accusations I see made against me, perceived or direct. By lumping white people into her category of racist and indifferent, I suddenly become involved. And I will gladly explain myself.

I'm not a perfect person. I mess up from time to time, I make mistakes, I say things without thinking. I've been angry, I've been hypocritical and I've been wrong and I've hurt people close to me. But I own up to what I did, I say I'm sorry, I move on and I learn from my past. But that makes me human; just as human as Ms. Park and Mr. Colbert, and everyone else on planet Earth. But never have I held any racist feelings in my heart and I have never hated anyone because of the color of their skin. As Americans, and as citizens of the world in general, I believe everyone has the right and the chance at life, liberty, freedom and the pursuit of happiness. You, me, the neighbors, the guy down the block, the businessman, that guy at the bus stop, people in Japan, China, Germany, Spain, Italy, Britain, America, everyone in the world...we all should have the chance to be who we want to be.

I'm a Christian, and I live by the Bible. Jesus commands to show love and do good, even to your enemies, and to be an example for Christ in the world. But I know I will continually trip and stumble, because even though I have salvation, I am still a sinner. But I try my absolute best in my life and go out of my way to be kind to others, and that's all I can offer.  And I've found some who don't like me, for good reason or not, but that's something I have to live with, because not everyone is gonna like who I am.

And I'm sure that there are many, many more here like me, with white skin, great personalities, honest ethics and strong morals that stand for justice and equality for everyone on this planet; the oppressed, the free, and everyone inbetween and outside. These are the type of people that don't deserve the label that Ms. Park has put on them. These are not people who are racists.

The original @ColbertReport tweet was really mishandled, and I don't think it should've been tweeted in the first place, at least not without proper and clear context. But making statements like the ones the Twitter activists were making in the name of advancing social equality using white people as collateral? That's hypocritical and makes them sound just as guilty as the people they are accusing of being hateful.

"Hi, I'm Bill.": On the Set of a Professional Indie Film

Being a film student in my position, the opportunity to work on any movie that comes to town is like finding the lost mother lode underneath your backyard. Do you mine it or do you foolishly sell it off and cheat yourself out of a fortune? I'm sure you get where I'm headed with this.

One of my instructors at MPI passed a notice onto our Facebook group page that extra intern help was needed on the set of an independent feature being shot in the Troy/Detroit area. Since the film industry is starting to slowly bloom in Michigan, I was riding high on a wave of opportunities coming into the state. Also, this would've given me another chance to re-live the experience of being on an active film set, like I was a couple years ago...but that story's for another day.

The aforementioned film is called Dial-a-Prayer, brilliantly directed by Maggie Kiley and it stars the great William H. Macy and the very talented Brittany Snow, whom you've seen in Pitch Perfect.

I thought to myself: "Hey, an internship! It's not paid, but what the hell? The experience is all worth it." I'll be getting paid for this one day, and besides, everyone needs to start off at the bottom in this business. Hang up your pride, friends.

So on Saturday, March 8th, I headed over the production office/set, not knowing what I was getting into. I was excited, but nervous. I knew how strictly regimental these film sets operate, and I was determined not to screw anything up and have myself booted to the street. However, my apprehensions were lowered when I met with the set designer named Kim. She was very nice and very open about all that was going on. She gave me the rundown of the story (which I won't reveal in detail because the film hasn't been released) and filled me in on all the last-minute things that needed to be finished before shooting commenced the following Monday. Determined, I wanted to get to work.

That day was spent creating props and set decorations that would adorn the walls and office spaces of the shooting location. I also had some MPI friends come help out as well, so that was an added bonus. While this part of the production wasn't really my forte, I wasn't complaining. It was all very interesting, because as an aspiring director, it's important to understand how all the departments of a film production work, since I would basically be the boss. Like I said, the experience was all worth it.

But I was still eager to maybe see some shooting going on. So a few days later, I went back to the set on the 13th. This time, there was definitely more action.

They had to change the overall look of the set: the movie takes place over the course of a year or so, and as you know, seasons come and pass. It starts out around Thanksgiving, segues into Christmas, and so on and so forth. Like any office, they have decorations for the holidays. So, I was put on decoration duty with a friend from school. The cubicle area we were in was right across from where they were filming one of the scenes that day, so we got a pretty good look at the set and the acting. I couldn't have been more lucky to see this.

After a few hours or so, the cast and crew broke for lunch. I was shocked when everyone came in the room; this wasn't as big of a crew as I once thought. As a rough estimate off the top of my head, there were probably about a hundred people there, in total.

As I got out of the line, I noticed an empty seat at the table where the cast were. Who was sitting at a forty-five degree angle from the seat? Mr. Macy.

I could not have gotten to that seat faster.

I came upon the group as he was in the middle of telling stories about his experiences filming movies. This time around, he was talking about shooting the 1997 Mark Wahlberg vehicle Boogie Nights, in which Mr. Macy co-starred.

If you haven't heard of it, simply this: Wahlberg's an underground porn star in the late 70s. Enough said.

As he was going along with his stories, I had a small side conversation with a woman who was one of the supporting cast. I asked her what role she played; she filled me in. She asked what I was doing there, was I just visiting or was I part of the crew? I let her know my film school told me about the place and I came down to see what I could do.

As I said the words "film school", all eyes at that section of the table turned to me tentatively. I was met with "Oh, really?" "Wow!" "What school is this?"

This will be a moment that will forever live with me, in both glory and irony.

Mr. Macy leans over the table.

"You go to film school, huh?"

With a smile, he reaches his hand out towards me.

"Hi, I'm Bill."

(The angels sang choruses amongst the clouds. As I shook his hand, a heavenly beam of light radiated down and illuminated the spot where we were. Just kidding, none of this happened.)

I was so stunned, in my starstruck haze I didn't even think to introduce myself and tell him my name. I kick myself for that.

But we talked for a few more minutes, he asked me what I was going into. When I told him directing and writing, he quipped about giving me a call when I needed him for a role.

I just might take you up on that offer, Bill...

But long story short, after that day I was stuck back behind-the-scenes doing the grunt work. I never really got to sit down and talk with him again; the last lunch I was at, he was studying his lines. And we all know it's a grave sin to throw an actor out of their mojo. Hopefully, I'll run into Mr. Macy in Hollywood someday, and I'll be struck dumb if he actually remembers who I am when that happens.

So, that's my little story. If there's any sort of moral to it, it's this: when opportunities are presented to you, take them. Go for it, go all out and do everything you can, no matter how big or how small your part in it may be. You just might learn some valuable lessons and make some valuable memories.

UPDATE [9/21/2014]: The Hollywood Reporter had an article on the story I came across recently, published before filming began.

"Ban Bossy"? Let's Just Throw Out the Whole Dictionary, While We're At It...

In writing this blog, it's become amusing to me to point out the stupid that goes on in everyday life. And sometimes, it just spreads like an uncontained epidemic. Personally, I'm not the type to judge anybody for how they act or what they believe; if that's what you wanna do, go for it. But if you make a stupid point, like the one I'm about to introduce, in the public eye and the public consciousness, how can I not help but question the intelligence of those involved?

To keep it short, I stumbled across this article a friend of mine shared on Facebook and I just couldn't help not addressing this.

Sheryl Sandberg, the COO of the aforementioned Facebook, has launched a campaign aimed at getting women, name young and impressionable girls, to have more confidence in themselves and their abilities. At first glance you'd be like, "Okay, great. Sounds cool."

But how, pray tell, do they go about it? Well, if you check out this promo video for the campaign, which features and is endorsed by luminaries such as Beyoncé, Jennifer Garner, Jane Lynch and former Secretary of State for the Bush administration Condi Rice, they basically try to get girls to shed the label of being called "bossy" if they aspire to be leaders.

As quoted from the video, "by middle school, girls are less interested in leadership than boys, and that's because they worry about being called 'bossy'." It goes on to say, "We need to tell them, 'it's okay to be ambitious. We need to help them lean in!'"

The promo finishes by proposing the idea to (figuratively or literally, it's never really specified) "just ban the word 'bossy'." I assure you, Daniel Webster would be doing somersaults in his grave if that was actually put into motion.

Now, if they were referring to it in the figurative sense (which still is unclear), sure, I guess that works. As they say, words matter, and no one likes to be labeled with hurtful terms. But is being called "bossy" the end of the world? That label should be on the bottom of everyone's "hurtful names called at me" list. I'm sure people in executive positions have been called worse names than that, and depending on the thickness of that person's skin, they couldn't care less about the opinions of disgruntled others. Oh, you think I'm bossy. Well, sorry about that, but screw you. I'm gonna do my own thing, and if that makes you upset, I left you a pack of tissues so you can cry me a river.

That's one part of finding confidence, is letting the hateful words slide off your shoulder and not let it deter you from following what you want to do. But, bossy? I'm sorry, but it's true: only sissies fret about being called that.

This seems to become fodder for a few network commentators, including Glenn Beck (who I rarely follow, but this is a small exception in this case) and fellow TheBlaze host Dana Loesch (there's a woman who finds this whole thing ridiculous?! Say it isn't so!), who said her piece in a way so brilliant that even I couldn't have thought of phrasing it like that.

And another thing, since when was promoting confidence in fellow human beings only limited to women? I know for a fact that there are some guys who need an upgrade in the confidence department. My point is this: encouraging others to follow their dreams is a universal thing, between both genders of man and woman. Everyone needs encouragement, everyone needs to be helped along the way. That just gets on my nerves when things are so selective like this whole campaign.

Now don't misconstrue me, I'm all for encouraging kids of all ages and all genders to follow what they believe in and become whatever they wish to be. That is the cornerstone of the human experience, to have the freedom to make something of yourself. But does it have to be done so condescendingly?  Do I hear hypocrisy blowing in the wind?

And thus ends my musings for the day. Comment if you have anything to contribute.

On Entrepreneurship

A couple weeks ago, I got into a discussion with a very good friend of mine. He told me about recently switching majors in college, moving from classes like biology and chemistry to business and accounting.
Why? I asked. It seemed so unlike him. He went into saying that he was set on fulfilling his life dream of starting up his own business. I couldn't have been more happier for him.

He went into his whole plan of studying towards a business degree, working at an accounting firm for ten years or so, to earn and save enough money, and when the right opportunity came, he would withdraw his savings and use it to start his own company. He also took to the stock market, taking some of his current savings and putting it into an investment broker firm (TD Ameritrade, to be exact), which would distribute his money and invest it into profitable companies. Whatever interest he would accumulate from his investments over the years would contribute to his start-up fund.

Talking about entrepreneurialism and sharing ideas about dream businesses is a topic that really energizes me. I've always had great ambitions to set out on my own, save up revenue and one day have enough to open my own independent film studio and work for myself. I've also thought of purchasing shares in a successful company and using any revenue I generate from that to go towards any fund I set up for my own business plans.

Let's be honest, everyone has the fantasy of becoming their own boss. But passion and determination is the difference between those who fantasize about it and those who have done it.

Becoming an entrepreneur isn't an easy journey. You could go around and study the lives of great innovators, capitalists and corporation owners from any point in American history, from tycoon J.P Morgan to technology guru Steve Jobs, and rarely, if at all, will you find a story in which any of them became an overnight success and faced little to no obstacles in their growth as businessmen. The rocky road of leadership has more ups and downs than any of the tallest roller coasters at Cedar Point.

But one thing kept these individuals going even through the lowest downs: belief in themselves and the things they had to offer to the world.

After researching the lives and decisions of some of the great businessmen in history, I've always found one key aspect in every decision that they've made: how to prove that they're better than the other guy. Competition in the business world can be the fiercest thing anyone's ever faced.

I'll use a few examples. Take Mark Zuckerberg and the social networking giant he fostered and grew, Facebook. He started it with a few friends, just sitting around the dorm room at night, drinking beer and writing lines of code. In the early 2000s, social networking was a small faction, hardly the force it's grown into today. Sites like Friendster and MySpace dominated the Internet. How could Mark's small idea even make it against them? Simple. He set out to prove that Facebook was a better site than either MySpace or Friendster. He studied their operations, noticed the multiple problems the sites faced in regards to functionality and user freedom. He pitched that Facebook ran better, didn't crash frequently and was simple and easy to use while giving user more freedom in regards to posting and social interactions. The gambit worked, and Facebook's membership grew and still continues to grow. The site also drew various companies who use the site to advertise their products, which is another major source of Facebook's revenue. They purchase user data, which include individual people's interests and likes, and they target their advertisements and products to their desired demographic.

Another example is the Apple Corporation. Everyone knows the story: Steve Jobs, his tech buddy Steve Wozniak and a few employees opened the small company in the Jobs garage in the mid-1970s, where they built computer circuit boards that could be compatible with any television set, thereby turning your television into the first computer monitor. At that time in the mid-70s, IBM was still the undisputed and unchallenged reigning king of the computer industry. How could a small company like Apple even try to compete with someone as big as IBM? Same thing. Jobs pitched the idea that Apple developed better quality computer consoles than anything IBM could develop. One big thing he stressed was the simplicity of the machines. Other computers had too many buttons, and their operating systems worked and looked as if they came from another planet. Jobs and Wozniak designed the early Apple consoles with all the functionality of a working machine, but the design wasn't overwhelming to anyone and the average consumer could easily adapt to using it. The Apple products had a grand beauty to them, because the same amount of time and energy was spent on both how the device looked and how it worked. The simplicity of the computer, along with its masterfully crafted design, is what drew millions of customers to purchase Apple products. Steve Jobs continued the tradition of simple operations and stunning designs until his untimely death.

On a personal note, I'm working to become a writer and director in film. That entire industry rests solely on talent and delivery. Producers, studio executives and agents get thousands of job requests from actors, directors, writers and others on a daily basis. Meetings are set up and portfolios are shown. Ideas are pitched and sold. The major question they ask is somewhat like, "Why should I hire you? How are you better than the other thousands of average Joes who come to me with projects and scripts?"

That's where the charisma comes in. A major tenet to being a businessman is being persuasive. I refer back to Steve Jobs again. He had an effect on people, what many call the "reality distortion field." Simply, if Jobs were discussing an idea or plan with you, his demeanor had such an effect on you that you couldn't help but agree with him, even if you were originally opposed to the idea. That's the sign of a good businessman, and not many people have that. A great point is to be persuasive, to convince investors or potential customers why they need what you're selling them, why your product or idea is worth more than any of the other ideas that have passed through their doors.

Studio executives have probably heard more than a thousand versions of the same love story: ditzy girl meets handsome guy, they slowly fall in love, but something drives a wedge in-between their relationship and they don't talk for a while. But fate ultimately decides that the two belong together forever, and they make up and live happily ever after. Be honest, how many movies have you seen that is this very same story or is some sort of riff on it? As anyone can understand, trends get old after a while if they've been done many times over. For example: as a screenwriter, I go to them with a premise of a romantic comedy about two city dwellers who stumble into each other's lives one Christmas night. Assuredly, the guy would say to me, "What, are you trying to make another When Harry Met Sally? I've heard the same damn story over and over. How is yours any different?" Would I back down because he had me there?

No. I've prepared for this moment. I give the executive any and all reasons as to why he should buy the script. I tell him about the fresh new perspective, the different points of view of the characters, why their break-up at the end of the second act is the most tragic thing any moviegoer will see, and why the happy ending will work the way its written. You have to be prepared to back up your idea's credibility and look as if you know exactly what you're talking about. Confidence and charisma are what investors and other leaders look for in the young greenhorns.

Starting a business or selling an idea is a hard fight, but it'll be a fight with a better chance of you winning if you know how to go about it properly. Passion and commitment are the major motivations for any business owner, the continued determination to never give up. If any of the great leaders of business gave up when the chips were down, would we have the same society or future as we have today? Probably not. Because of their unshakable faiths, these greats have moved society and the wheels of history toward the better advancement. And if you have that same desire and never-give-up attitude, then you too can play a hand in that game.

I hope you enjoyed reading my latest article of thoughts. Do any of you have any business ideas? Please feel free to share them here, I'd love to hear about them.

It's Been a While...

Hey, everyone!

I apologize for not posting in a while. I've been busy shooting and editing my latest short film project, along with acting in and working on other people's films. If and when I decide to post mine to YouTube, I'll put a link to it so you can check it out.

However, I'm thinking of holding off on uploading it if I can find some state film festivals to enter it into. The general rules state that a short film entry can't be widely released (which includes uploading it to YouTube) prior to or after acceptance as a contender in the contest. Things remain to be seen.

But life's been great so far, I couldn't ask for anything better. Tell me, how have you guys been?