Please, Don't Take It Personal.... or, I'm Looking Through You

The 'official' website for "Let's Make Politics!" really is the show.

It's being built right now and, eventually, it'll house every aspect of "Let's Make Politics!"... including this blog.

And, there is just something inherently exciting about the production and polish of that step in the process.

Shiny things are attractive and probably always will be. And, though often times it seems this way, shiny isn't necessarily synonymous with shitty.

It turns out.... as I write this on the eve of the release of "Transformers 2: Revenge of The Fallen".... it turns out, you can actually polish things other than turds. (... ironic, given the alternate sub-title was apparently; "Transformers 2: I shit in your eager, expectant, upturned mouths.".... too wordy, I suppose.)

But even with a diamond, as I understand it, the polishing process still leaves you with less diamond. Smooth every point, every edge, and there's less there than there was before.

In my next post, I'll be attaching the one-sheet concept for "Let's Make Politics!". And, that'll be when we really hit the ground running.

Mind you... I'm not talking about the polished and refined version of the show concept, that'll be a fixture on the official site... kind of our evolving 'mission statement' for the show.

No... I'm gonna share the unaltered, unfiltered, perhaps even awkward, first steps of this process.

"But, Ty...", you're saying to yourself; "Are you out of your motherfuckin' gourd? How 'bout a little quality control? How 'bout a little control control? You don't just give away the store. You don't just give away the idea for nothing. Particularly, before this thing's up and on it's feet and motorin' along."

All good questions. All good points. And, I'll address them all in good time.

But, before we wade hip deep into that... I wanna say something about the personal nature of this thing and.. a big buzz word right now.. transparency.

This blog and, to a much lesser extent, the show's website will be personal.

It's unavoidable. I mean that's what blogs are, right?

If nothing else, blogs are unapologetically personal. At least, the good ones.

But... aside from the confessional aspect of this thing, this will not be a place for every pointless musing that holds my attention long enough to work my fingers over a keyboard.

What I'm sayin' is.... though this may disappoint or potentially alienate some of you... this will not be the place for my full review of "Transformers 2: Revenge Of The Fallen".

That, of course, would be my own personal, non-work related blog; "By The Power Of Greyskull, Transform N' Rock Out!"; "Transformers Photoshopped Into He-Man Cartoons Set To Obscure Local Indie Rock Songs".... (and, by the by, fuck any of you who might think to steal that, 'cause I totally trademarked it.)

http://transformnrockout.blogspot.com/

(And.. to save you the suspence... my review of "Transformers 2: Revenge Of The Fallen" basically consists of a video of my face.. full-frame, Blair Witch-style... and when you click on it, you watch as I undergo a fit of vomiting so unrelenting and violent that I can't stop crying, all the while..... oh and, at the very end, I look to camera and proclaim; "Tyrese Gibson is electric." So, that's a little easter egg, if you watch all fifteen minutes.)

I am though, also aware that those of you who choose to follow this blog (and this experiment in transparency, as we make a show) are quite possibly doing so, only to watch me burn bridges and/or willfully stick my finger in the eye of faceless tv executive stereotypes, who hold our fate in their hands. You're here to hear me tell tales out of school.

I'm sure there are those watching this blog like an eager Nascar fan... hoping you're watching the beginnings of a slow motion car wreck.

Y'know..... maybe the show goes.... maybe not.... maybe we get somewhere we didn't expect, or plan to... but, fingers crossed, this guy will set himself on fire in the town square for us to watch.

And... god bless you horrible gawkers. I can't say that I wouldn't share that sentiment, were I sitting in the grandstands with you.

If I'm not mistaken, I think that's how the "Burning Man" festival actually got started.

Story goes.... some dude 'accidentally' sets him self on fire in the Nevada desert, as is wont to happen there.... a gaggle of globe-conscious hipsters happen by, stop and say; "Hell yeah, social commentary! Take that, establishment! Fuck you, corporate fat cats and.. Frank Capra villains! Hear our plaintive, agonizing wails! Smell our sizzling flesh! Feel our... drum circles."... and, then I guess they marched on to protest the shading of cactus plants by highway signs, as previously planned... but not before, softly, mutually nodding; "Same time, next year."

And so... the "Burning Man" movement began. At least, that's how it as related to me but then, the guy who told me was pretty baked at the time.

http://www.burningman.com/

But, this blog.... this potential movement.... isn't built on ritualistic self-immolation.

I can guarantee I will try my best to be unfiltered, to not censor myself too much, to exercise questionable judgement whenever possible... but, I'm not actually trying to steer my sputtering fighter plane into the deck of television's battleship.

I'm trying to make a show, collaboratively and transparently.

That means showing your work.

Like long division on your fifth-grade math tests, you get a better grade if you show all your work. And, first and foremost, show your mistakes and your missteps, that's how you earn authenticity.

Somebody much smarter than I, said; "in an 'infinite content universe' the two most important commodities are attention and reputation." (Scientists have been saying for years that the universe is infinite.. but, it took new media analysts to confirm it.)

So.... attention... well, that's basically your time. And, that's finite. So, therefore it's precious.

Reputation... that's the fragile bit. That's what you do, or don't do, to fuck up your credibility, so that no one will spend any of their precious time paying attention to anything you say or do.

That's why you post unpolished work.

It's the unpolished diamond that's more interesting and more valuable.

Likewise, the unpolished turd is more likely to have some undigested corn kernel to be plucked out, washed, cleaned and, ultimately savored. (Though, I'd recommend buying it in a store.... they sell it in individual niblets with little to no trace of actual poo.)

As we make this thing together, we're gonna get into the building of the set, the graphics, the segments and, the architecture of a show, like I promised last post... even, the architecture of the host.

I have long list of comedy, variety and talk show hosts who I admire, respect, love...

Bill Maher, David Letterman, Conan, Kermit The Frog... and, many, many others.

But, I'd like to start the conversation, as to what goes into the new archetype of a host... and, the new DIY, ad hoc, ipso facto, 'nonsense word', zeitgeist of generally, makin' stuff.... I want to begin with insights from two broadcasting inspirations.

Radio hosts, Jesse Thorn and Ira Glass...

Now, I know we're makin' a tv show... an on-line and broadcast marriage, with a vital visual element. But, I'd just remind you that radio people originally built the scaffolding for television... and, jews originally built the pyramids.

One of these guys is both of those things. And, both of these guys are awesome.

Why...? Well, for many reasons, really.

"Radio guys" (especially, public radio guys) are like the dudes with the balding or, at least, thinning hair who feel they have to work twice as hard as you to get laid.... because... radio guys are the dudes with the balding or thinning hair who have to work twice as hard as you to get laid.

I say this with the utmost affection. It's all just compensatory, right? Without the visual element... or, the budget... you're forced to out work the other guy.

Jesse Thorn is the host and creator of the phenomenal podcast; "The Sound Of Young America", and my favorite, unapologetically personal, podcast "Jordan Jesse Go!"... (both can be found archived at his website; "Maximum Fun.org")

http://www.maximumfun.org/

.. this is a great and insightful two-part interview, he gave to Joshua Benton recently (... follow the links to find it streamed, for download and in print... but, to not listen to the audio is to deprive yourself of the nuance of his delivery, and a voice like honey drizzled on white toast.)

http://www.niemanlab.org/2009/04/jesse-thorn-anything-that-i-can-do-to-make-a-more-profound-connection-with-the-audience-ismy-job/

http://www.niemanlab.org/2009/04/jesse-thorn-on-the-future-of-radio-and-the-benefits-of-being-small/

Ira Glass is the host of the equally cultish and brilliant radio program; "This American Life" on NPR...

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/

and, it's Showtime tv series of same name, wherein he drives across America on his Radio Wheelie Desk, parking at landmarks and sharing wisdom and talking about people getting into serendipitous car accidents, and the like...

(It should be noted, as you'll see, Ira Glass has what appears to be a thick, enviable head of hair. Thereby, blowing a hole in my "radio guys" as compensatory achievers theory. But then you'll also notice, he's what we might call, a 'four eyes'.... so, y'know. Suck it. I win anyways. :)

this is a multi-part interview he did for "current tv"... and, this is a guy who cares about makin' stuff.

part one..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7KQ4vkiNUk&feature=related

two..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qmtwa1yZRM&feature=related

three..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hidvElQ0xE&feature=related

and, four...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9blgOboiGMQ&feature=related

These are just a couple building blocks. So, enjoy the brain candy and next post, as our collective breath catches in our chest.... we open the lid on this thing and see what happens...

for now, I'd just ask again, that you try to spread this... if you dig it.

'Cause, if you love something... set it free. If it comes back to you... it might be because it has herpes and wants to recommend you get yourself checked.

True story.