I don’t
like to say “idol” because I don’t idolize anyone, but there are certain people
that I admire and really appreciate and respect what they've accomplished in
their professional careers. With me being a writer, and attempting my hand at
humor, the people I admire the most are master in their respective fields, at least
as far as I’m concerned anyway.
The first
person I would like to acknowledge would be the late great George Carlin. This
man was a pure comedic genius, and wasn't afraid to speak his mind and call it
the way it was, no matter who he offended. He was a master wordsmith and a very
clever man; he made you think for the funny, he didn't just hand it to you.
The next
person I would like to acknowledge would be the King of all Media, Howard
Stern. He set out to conquer his world, and that is exactly what he did, he took
on all pretenders to the thrown and beat them down like Rodney King. Just like
Carlin he was never afraid to speak his mind and tell people like it was, no
matter who liked it and/or if it would land him in hot water for doing so.
The final
person I would like to acknowledge is the ringmaster Jerry Springer. This man
is an amazing puppet master; he really knows the strings to pull to get people
all riled up and ready to hit a bitch with a chair. Call him a whack job, or
even a fraud, but the bottom line is that he brought in ratings and made him,
and his show, a household name.
I admire
these people because they weren't afraid to go against the grain, they weren't afraid to think outside the box and take what was consider the “norm” and throw
it out the window, without ever looking back and/or the fear of repercussions.
They were all masters in the respective fields and they change the game for all
players, they set the standard.
Now I know
some people may say these three individuals are grotesque and/or vulgar and/or
a blemish on this world, but you know what, they knew what the people wanted
and they gave it to them…gift wrapped with a pretty bow on top. You may not
like them, but you know who they are and what they’re about, I would say that
makes them a success…wouldn't you.
I hope to
one day be as good, well actually better, than these three individuals. I want
to be the person that everyone loves to hate, the person who changes the game
to meet his needs and when all is said and done I want to be the person that
all others want to be like.
MJM
MJM - (Everytime I type that I want to type "MTM" ... please, no hat throwing.) No complaints. Your logic is completely sane. To dabble in the realm of the hated and loved is against the norm and allow an element of danger to exist. All you mentioned have been much maligned by those making far less money. Yet, Carlin did it by staying in the norm and making fun of the extreme, Howard takes the extreme and makes fun of the norm, and Springer is one hell of a showman in taking the idiotic and making it the norm. I wish you much luck and success in your quest! By the way, do you realize that if you took you initials and flipped them upside down, it would be to extreme W's with some weird figure on the inside? Just a thought! :)
ReplyDeleteOkay ... "you" should be your and "to" should be two. God, I hate this damn keyboard!!!!!! AAArrrrrrrrggggggghhhhhh!!!
ReplyDelete@Rich Rumple thanks for understanding and the support, you sir rock.
ReplyDeleteI thought I would really get a lot of hate based of who I admired and chose to emulate, because you know, people love to hate...especially the haters.
I don't know about the whole upside down MJM thing, if I did that I would probably turn into the Prince of writing, everyone who is anyone would hate me and make fun of me.
I am with you on George Carlin. I start to swerve at Howard Stern and then I completely jump the track at Jerry Springer. Carlin had a depth that he wove into his comedy. He was original and fresh and shared his evolving understanding in all ways. I have never seen Stern or Springer show any evidence of compassionate consciousness. It is not enough, in my opinion, to reach the top of ones field by being outrageous, there is a level of social responsibility that neither of these two care to embrace. Springer is a master at selling soap to lonely, desperate people who like seeing dysfunctional people on TV demonstrate that their lives are more screwed up those of the viewers. I have, admittedly, only briefly witnessed his shows but I do not consider him a decent human being for selling out just to improve his ratings. He is much like Rush Limbaugh in that he will do anything, say anything, ignore all decency, just to improve his ratings. I do not know enough about Howard Stern to comment any further. In the brief exposure I have had to him I found him to be tasteless and degrading to other humans. I can never praise anyone who demonstrates such disregard for basic human decency, regardless of whether or not I think him brave enough to go against the grain. Oprah is someone who went against the grain by not focusing on the sensational and stayed committed to highlighting the inherent good in humanity. When every other show around her was striving to improve ratings by exploiting humanity, she honored the human race and proved that the public will reward such integrity.
ReplyDeleteI thank you for a though provoking piece. Even though I do not agree with two of your choices, they are, of course, your choices and I appreciate you for sharing your views.
Sorry for the typo's. Don't know why I did not proofread. Anyway after reading your other comments, please know that I am not hating in any way I just thought I would share my views. As I said you are free to admire anyone you choose. I appreciate the time you committed to sharing. Thanks and I promise to proof any future comments.
DeleteI completely respect your opinion and totally understand why you don't particularly like Howard Stern/Jerry Springer, they are not for everyone.
DeleteI just want you to know that I don't admire them because they were outlandish and in some cases even vulgar, but because they set out to conquer their given fields and that is exactly what they did. They did what they needed to, to make it to the top, even if that meant pissing off some people on the way up.
I'm also not saying they are great people and should be idolized, I don't know them well enough to make that call, but they are very smart and driven. All they did was give the people what they wanted, but were afraid to ask for, which is obvious based on their ratings and social status.
The revamp looks GREAT! Nice job! Now, about those guys you admire: I've never liked Stern. I think that some of the things he does to get attention are fake and disgusting and I'm not fond of the way he's treated women on his show in the past. He's an ass.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much Mrs. Toombs.
DeleteStern is not for everyone, that is for sure, but love or hate him you must give him respect for what he's accomplished in his career. He set out to conquer the world of radio, and he did just that.
I freakin' love Je-rry. Je-rry! Je-rry!
ReplyDeleteThe guy is a decent man who knows what he does is stupid as hell and makes no bones about it.
He is "Dumbass News" on super steroids.
He also makes about $15 million a year.
Loved Carlin. Stern is a dick.
You are so right, Mike, you know where they all stand and none of them give a shit. Each of them is brilliant in his own right.
Exactly my friend, they make no bones about it, they do crazy and they are freaking proud of it. Stupid sells, which is pretty obvious if you've ever been to a Walmart.
DeleteI totally get you. It's not about if you agree with their POV. Especially with Springer because he was compared to Oprah a lot when he started out. All of those talk shows have come and gone and there's only a couple still around. If you want to succeed, they're people to look at.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure how long you have watched Springer, but in the early days of his show, it WAS like Oprah! Kind of. The topics were more mainstream and "serious" than the Great Stuff he does today. :)
DeleteIt also wasn't being watched.
You can only do the whole "you got as new car, and you, and you, and you" thing so long before people get bored of it, that's why people like Stern, Springer and Carlin (if he was still alive) put asses in the seats.
Delete