Yes, lately I’ve called bullshit on Twitter, mocked the self-indulgence of SXSW and found infinite fault with Socialnomics. I’ve also admonished the social media community for talking too much and doing too little (of any lasting value). I’ve even been drafted to host a session at PodCamp Pittsburgh 4 called “Pissing People Off to Encourage Interaction,” which seems to be my M.O. these days.
And yet, I don’t consider myself to be a curmudgeon. I just happen to have particularly high (or, in some cases, entirely self-imposed) standards when it comes to things I consider to be valuable / useful / worth endorsing.
Thus, as proof, here are 10 Bits of Media I Actually Don’t Hate (and Even Support):
1. Here Comes Everybody, Clay Shirky. One of the most coherent and convincing arguments yet in favor of the alleged “social media revolution.” Shirky’s writing style is occasionally too repetitive for my tastes, but the facts and figures he cites are impressive ammunition.
2. Starbucked, Taylor Clark. How Starbucks (and America’s coffee culture) became what they were, which makes what they’ve become during this economic downturn all the more shocking.
3. CTRL. A short, well-produced and smartly-organized web series that’s actually funny. (Starring Tony Hale of “Arrested Development”.)
4. The Ten-Cent Plague: The Great Comic Book Scare and How It Changed America, David Hajdu. Anyone who thinks comic books have always been a haven for superheros doesn’t remember a time when crime, horror and romance comics ruled the stands — or how politicians and churches teamed up to circumvent censorship laws and toppled the original comic book empire.
5. Tank Riot. It’s like sitting in a Wisconsin basement with three of your geekiest friends, except they always know more than you do. Then again, by the time they’re done, you’re all even. (Their “History’s Greatest Douchebags” episode about Henry Ford is a great starting point, as is their antidote: an episode about Muppets creator Jim Henson.)
6. Cult of the Amateur, Andrew Keen. Something of an anti-Shirky, Keen is a staunch defender of the “gatekeeper” culture that separates you, the unwitting audience, from all the good (and bad) media out there. Although I disagree with about half of what Keen says, I’m also glad someone is making a case against unquestioned adoption of social media. If this really is a revolution, let’s earn it.
7. Adventureland. IMHO, the best movie of the year (so far). Understated, awkward and emotionally compelling in a way that’s all too frustratingly true for anyone who’s lived through their early 20s and had the time (and stomach) to look back on what should have been.
8. Ghostland Observatory. Music for people in need of swagger.
9. The Bird & The Bee. Music for people who’ve moved past swagger and now need to seal the deal.
10. The Ballad of G. I. Joe. Hollywood honors the original ’80s cartoon with misplaced (yet somehow authentic) reverence.
Tags: art, audience, books, bullshit, honesty, music, personal, video
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Chris Hall
