Monday, January 28, 2008
Jericho Junction
I don't normally blog on Sunday but wanted to make an exception because of today's superb blog post by Terocious at Jericho Junction. One statement that jumped out at me was this one:
"I put aside my personal feelings in many cases and added my hands to the work. I did this not to be a hero but in order to not be a hypocrite. Now I have begun to feel that I am aiding and abetting hypocrites. There are those among us who say their main focus is the show but take every opportunity to push their own personal agendas. This one accuses that one of having no objectivity. To this I say “Give me a break!"
Unfortunately, I believe we have all passed the point of no return. Too many do not wish to add their hands to the work. Too many have their own agenda whether it be retaliation, trying to control the fandom, or simply being vicious.
"The bottom line here is I know longer ask for anyone to put aside differences to secure a third season of Jericho. I now think the only healthy way forward is for folks to let their conscience guide them. This may mean that there are some differences which cannot be overcome. So be it."
So true. The time has come that differences cannot or will not be resolved. We can only do what our conscience tells us and I hope we all have one.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
My StumbleUpon Page
5 comments:
Well...
A while back, I was pretty active in the "Nuts!" Campaign, (albeit under another name on the CBS board), and I've been keeping tabs on my old friends by reading Jane's blog(s) on a regular basis.
While I have consistently promoted Jericho to friends, colleagues and family, I have not been closely following the Jericho fan sites.
After I read the article linked in this post I did a quick survey of the message boards and fan blogs, and I'm really saddened by the level of acrimony that has surfaced.
I acknowledge that I'm venturing out of my lane, but I'm going to break my silence and add my .02.
First, the level of engagement that Jericho has generated has been amazing, and I've been incredibly impressed by the community that has rallied around this common cause! While strategic communication is clearly not my strength, I've often worked as a political & community organizer, and if I'd been able to generate a fraction of the buzz for my employers that this show has gotten... Well, I'd be a wealthy man.
So:
Sometimes, in my qualified experience, the best strategy is to be quiet and let your momentum work for you. Subtle adjustments have their place, but when the narrative works, most adjustments will just result in friction. I'd recommend that everyone do their best to enjoy the ride.
The reality is that things are looking pretty good for Jericho's return, so long as present trends continue.
There is an old saying about idle hands...
By all means, tell your friends about how much fun watching Jericho is! Be sure that your family knows how to program their DVRs. (A quick aside: The helpfulness of programming a DVR for someone should not be underestimated! I concentrated in Computer Science at a top US university and adding Jericho to my parents DVR taxed my patience incredibly) And, of course, wear your "Nuts" shirts... as long as they've been washed recently...
Social media is awesome-- I am fascinated by it from a number of angles, and my list of RSS feeds rival the tax code in length. But message boards and blogs don't make the world go 'round. Face it, there is a very real pressure for us to solicit controversy for the sake of reaction. Also, the nature of the forum entices us to respond all too reflexively. To be sure, though, being somewhat unfiltered is part of the brilliance (and passion) inherent in this medium, but it's also problematic when you have an explicit goal.
Yep, leaving this comment is slightly hypocritical.
This has been a bit of a rant, and I'm taking a buckshot-style approach in order to get across my point. (That's why folks like me need pros like Rich so very badly!
Ah well. Thanks, Jane, for allowing me to comment. Keep up the good work.
Thanks Jane for highlighting Terocious' insightful blog. It encompasses valid points that hopefully all will read. Personal agendas distract fans from the main goal. Reminds me of large corporations where the initial cooperative teamwork concept dissects itself into individuals running for sheriff with their own agendas. Sad. "It is so; it cannot be otherwise" - Zen saying -
Thanks, Jane, for posting this and helping to focus all of us on this blog from Terocious. It is time for all of us to do a heart reality check, dig into ourselves and make a decision, personally, about what is right and what is wrong.
Charlene
Thank you Enoreios. I agree with you on many things you said.
"I'd recommend that everyone do their best to enjoy the ride." I plan to start doing that again today.
"But message boards and blogs don't make the world go 'round." That hurts. Seriously, that's true and I hope you will read the latest post on JM. I am tired of the fighting and revenge. I may not be able to reunite this fandom but that's not my job. I made peace with an old friend today and I'm very happy about that. We can agree to disagree and we can avoid the topics on which we disagree. We just want to enjoy Jericho.
Please comment again. You make me think.
Wolfie and Briar, thank you both for your support.
Sorry for yesterday's rant, Jane. And thanks so much for your kind and considered comments. Now, I'm going to repeat my mistakes:
Work has been exhausting, and I've only got a few minutes this morning, (nothing like commenting to wake me up), so bear with me. I promise that after the 5th of February I'll do a bit more thinking before I hit that publish button!
I stand by my basic thoughts, but I wish I'd taken a bit more time to explain the details. Sadly, that may not happen for a while.
Just to be clear: While I really do believe that folks are taking the internal politics of this campaign far too seriously, I want to unambiguously state that I value the contributions of everyone involved in the campaign.
Additionally, while I don't think you took my comments to be critical on a personal level, I should emphasize that in no way did I mean to diminish the considerable effort that you've put into the online Jericho community. And, regardless of the outcome of the Jericho campaign, I admire how you've branched out into a larger study of communication. It has been really cool to follow your progress.
Remember how I said that online communities both thrive and suffer from the reflexive comments? That's exactly what I'm doing now. So do as I say, not what i do.
So I'll leave it at that, but I'll offer one last thought:
Keep up the good work, everyone, and remember how much fun all of this can be! If it seems like work, change your focus. When you tire of bugging family and friends, go to your local dive bar and strike up a conversation about Jericho over a few beers. Eat those nachos knowing that you're doing it for the greater good. When you skip your run on the treadmill the following day, blame it on your principled stand. I've made >500 phone calls to get the vote out for a certain candidate's campaign in the past week, and I've overseen scores of volunteers for a long while. If it's not fun and interesting, (and you lack a paycheck for your time), people get tired.
It's a fact.
To be sure, most everyone started this "fight" 'cause we believed in something about a really good TV show. But, despite our best intentions, that only takes (most of us) so far.
Have some fun already!
[This concludes my well intentioned, but ultimately hypocritical rant. I'll get better soon. Until that time, just roll your eyes and call me a sleep deprived fool.]
-enoreios
Post a Comment