Monday, April 11, 2005
A short essay: the difference in being good
There is an old saying in Hollywood. The saying is as old as the industry that built the city. The saying is: "Don't give me something new, give me something good." This policy statement comes to mind today as I begin another week and think about the time I have wasted in my life being different. The sad thing about it all is that it came so naturally to me to be different. I never had to work at it.
Being different is not good, as the statement implies. Being different ruins relationships and careers and, dare I say it, governments and civilizations. That's why anyone who is not common-minded and focused upon pleasing the least common denominator pretty much fails in the way that those very people judge other people. In other words, it is the reason why the Bushes become Presidents and the businessmen run show business and Michael Bolton makes music.
Don't get me wrong; I am common in many ways and I can find wonderful entertainment in "good" as opposed to "different." But in the ways that genuinely count I am a failure, an utter waste of social space. Anyone I "reach" through my art and entertainment practices has a "different streak" that I touch. Hopefully, they are more into "good" than "different" and my influence won't weigh down their journey of success.
Meanwhile, I thought of deleting this essay because it is different, not good. Then I thought of the fact that Joe Scarborough has a news program and a blog and I decided to keep this edition of my blog. After all, it's different.
Being different is not good, as the statement implies. Being different ruins relationships and careers and, dare I say it, governments and civilizations. That's why anyone who is not common-minded and focused upon pleasing the least common denominator pretty much fails in the way that those very people judge other people. In other words, it is the reason why the Bushes become Presidents and the businessmen run show business and Michael Bolton makes music.
Don't get me wrong; I am common in many ways and I can find wonderful entertainment in "good" as opposed to "different." But in the ways that genuinely count I am a failure, an utter waste of social space. Anyone I "reach" through my art and entertainment practices has a "different streak" that I touch. Hopefully, they are more into "good" than "different" and my influence won't weigh down their journey of success.
Meanwhile, I thought of deleting this essay because it is different, not good. Then I thought of the fact that Joe Scarborough has a news program and a blog and I decided to keep this edition of my blog. After all, it's different.
