I'm inspired by crap.

What inspires art?  What inspires artists?  At what point does one look at something and say: “Oh, yeah, I’m inspired.”  At one point does one recognize something in something else and have that speak to them?

I remember going to see “Raiders of the Lost Ark” on opening night at the Northgate Theatre (now closed).  It was the last day of school, I had no idea what we were going to go see, I really had no concept of even what the idea was.  Sure, I had seen maybe an ad, or two, but nothing sort of struck me as to plot, genre, story-line.  My friend Nathan and I were going in flying blind.

Great movie!!  Sequels, well....

The Northgate theatre had two levels, too, kinda.  It wasn’t so much that it had a balcony, it just had an upper tier that you walked up a few steps and it was a good four feet higher than the section below.  Why is that I remember that we sat in the front row of those seats – with unobstructed view, no heads in front of us – but can’t remember what I had for lunch last Wednesday.  You see, these moments, they kind of kick you in the teeth.

When I walked out of the theatre two hours later I was inspired.  I had witnessed, probably for the 1000^th time, what film could be.  What great story-telling could do.  What worlds you could create.  And I was inspired.  Not to attempt to recreate what I just witnessed, that would be impossible in a lot of ways, but to just...create.

Still, at this point, though, I was a novel writer.  A poet.  An AUTHOR.  And a damn bad one at that.  As my writing shifted towards screenwriting, though, I became a bit, how shall we say it:  jaded.  The idea of story to script to screen seemed farther and farther out of my grasp.  And then layers of reality creep in around that:  “You’re not good enough.”  “The story isn’t structured properly.”  “Too many pages.”  “Wrong font.”  “Who’s the protagonist, antagonist?”  “What about the b-story?”  “You have to live in Los Angeles.”  “You have to have an agent.”  “You have to have a manager.”  “It’s boring.”  “It’s too expensive.”  “No one will make that.”  “What’s the pitch?”

Scary place.  Asks too many questions.

And that’s when I began to be inspired by crap.

When Nicholas was entering another one of his many talented stages – this time drawing – I pulled out a book of collected works of Norman Rockwell.  I loves me some Norman Rockwell.  As many people may call him a sell-out or pap or worse...the paintings that Rockwell did were magical to me in their nuance, detail and poignancy.  They SPOKE to me.

Great detail.  Amazing work.  Wonderful story-telling.

Showing Nicholas some wonderful paintings, they spoke to HIM, too.  He was equally impressed, if not more so, of what Rockwell was able to do.  But Nick’s response was one of:  “Look at the way he drew hands.  I could never draw hands that way.”  It was awe tinged with defeat.  Almost:  “Why bother to draw at all, when I could never draw hands like Rockwell?”  Nick has gone on to do all sorts of wonderful great drawings and, no, he doesn’t try to be Rockwell.  Who could?

Nick's Art

A few weeks ago, a friend on Facebook posted that he needed to be inspired, so he was going to sit down and watch the classic film “The Godfather.”  I responded back that I get inspired by crap.

Great movie.  Great cast.  Great director.

Let me ‘splain.

When it comes to film (and, I’m sure, other mediums) a lot of crap gets made.  Some of it is expensive repulsive crap and some of it is bare-bones down-and-dirty repulsive crap.  But...it’s crap, nonetheless.  And somehow, someway, by hook or by crook, it got made and it got distributed.

All those nagging questions above that seep into my brain, all those that say that I’m not good enough, I can’t accomplish it, that it won’t work, shouldn’t work, couldn’t work – you only have to look as far as a package of films that have fallen into the public domain or watch an episode of “The Best of the Worst” by Red Letter Media and say to yourself:  “Hell, I can do better than that.”  Or, “Hell, I can write better than that.”  Or, “Hell, I can act better than that.”

 Creative reviews of films.  Sometimes language not appropriate.

In the 24 hours after watching the Academy Awards, all those questions, those nagging, annoying, persistent questions rise again.  I’ve written about the Post Award Show Blues before.  It’s simply where I’m seeing in 4 hours of glorious self congratulatory flimflammery where I want to be, compared to where I am now (“You’ll never make it”).  Four hours of the wealthy and beautiful patting each other on the back (“You’re too old!”  “You’re not good enough!”).  Four hours of attention and notoriety and talent and skill and excellence (“Who’s the protagonist?”  “What’s your b-story?”  “Is there a character arc?”).  Four hours of looking at Rockwell’s hands.

I mean, seriously, look at the HANDS!!

 And all this would be muse destructive, if it weren’t for the crap.  All this would destroy my writing soul, if it weren’t for the crap.  All this would be pointless, if it weren’t for the crap.

Tarantino.  I've liked some of his films.  Disliked others.  So sue me.

Director Quentin Tarantino once said that you have to respect every filmmaker for whatever film they make, as bad as it is, because the filmmaker got it made.  They spent the time and energy and money and power and persuasion to get it made.  “The Room” is a cinematic masterpiece when compared to something like “Birdemic.”  And more low-budget filmmakers get churned out every day with iphone in hand and the scribbling of something that resembles a script.

Youtube is the bee hive of slap-dash, make-it-on-the-run, get it out there quickly, see what people think, “I hope it goes viral!” filmmakers.  I’m not talking about them.  I’m talking about people who step up to the plate of filmmaking and see it for what it is:  A challenge to create something and then, send it out to the masses (or figure out a way to do so).  And I’m talking about those willing to sit down and make a feature length film.  A full-on production.  Not 15 minutes of your cat playing with a laser pointer.

The respect I have for filmmakers runs deep, considering that I’m one myself.  But I also found far more inspiration in a film like “Birdemic” than I find in a film like “Titanic.”  (And, please do not take this as a recommendation for “Birdemic” – it’s crap, crap, crappity crap.  It’s not even GOOD crap like “The Room.”)

Please.  Don't bother.  It's terrible.  Trust me..

But...if a completely unredeemable film like “Birdemic” can get made and distributed.  So can mine.  If people want to invest in films like “Robot Monster” or “They Saved Hitler’s Brain” – then maybe I can find investors for mine.   

 Classically bad...in a really good inspiring way.

If my hero Roger Corman can make an amazingly stunning amount of films all around their budget or time frame (“Little Shop of Horrors” was made in three days) than so can I.  I just have to do it.

Yeah, that's right.  I respect this guy so much, he's not even in my dead pool.

There’s another point to watching crap.

Besides the obvious differences of films like “Avatar” and “Titanic” and “Lincoln” and anything with a budget over $20,000,000 – is that watching crap is a learning experience.  You see, blatantly on screen, how weirdly shots are set up.  How bad some amateur acting can be.  How the lighting makes everyone look the same.  How important sound is.  Let me repeat:  HOW IMPORTANT SOUND IS!

What I learn in watching big budget films is:  “How long did it take them to set up that shot?”  “Did they really need a crane?”  “Man, the lighting effect is great, I wonder if they did that in post production?”  “Those clouds aren’t really there.”  What I learn is that big budgets get you lots and lots of toys to play with.  What I learn when I watch low-budget crap is that you get three toys to play with and two are broken.  Go for it!

I’ve talked about love of Public Domain films in a previous blog and it seems weird to think that one might get inspired by crappy films done on the cheap with bad acting, bad directing and bad everything else.  But they got made.  And if they can get made, well then, so can mine.

Rockwell's actual hands....in bronze...I assume....

Meh and the art of Screenwriting

Kinda how I feel right now...

It’s with all honesty that I tell you I’m the closest I’ve ever come to having a film made of one of my screenplays.  Cast members are being lined up (including Eric Roberts), queries have gone out to directors.  An agency wants to partner with us.  Locations are being vetted.  I’ve Skyped with the producer and a couple of the actors.  E-mails, in the thousands, have gone back-and-forth.  Even a website has been created:  http://www.1018movie.com/

And let’s be honest, if honesty is what we’re talking about...  “Neon Jungle” could very well be in production within months or it could be nothing but a pipe dream.  Within months I could be in Vegas toasting with champagne or within months I could be sitting at home watching the Mariner’s lose (again) while crying in my cheap “headache” beer.

I can’t tell you how proud I am of where I am and what I’ve accomplished to get here.  “Neon Jungle” was my first REAL screenplay and here it is on the verge of getting made...and I feel farther from the written word than I’ve felt in a long time.

Writer's block is funny...sometimes.

Why has the muse left me?  Why am I not inspired?  Why has “writer’s block” decided to crash upon my head?  It’s not like I haven’t written (within the past few weeks I had to make substantial changes to “Neon”) and then there’s the “blog” thing – a poor excuse to think that you’re writing when all you’re really doing is just spewing semi-coherent thoughts onto a fake page in a bits-and-bytes universe hoping that someone might read it and “like” it.

Again, it’s not that I haven’t written but, for some reason, my creativity well seems to have dried up and that’s not the bad part.  The bad part is that I’m completely apathetic about it.  It’s like I don’t care that my creativity well has dried up.  Even writing that sentence I find myself saying:  “Meh.”  And everything that has worked in drying that well up has also created a “meh.”

Creativity well....all dried up...and I don't seem to care.

What worked in drying that well up?  Let me count the ways:

1.  My manager:   Well over a year ago I wrote what I thought was a very bankable, enjoyable, ribald (does anyone use that word anymore?) comedy script.  With the success of films like “The Hangover” and “Bridesmaids” and others, there seemed to be an audience for R-rated films that didn’t pull any punches.  So I wrote the script:  “Bad Princesses”.  Once I was done with it, I sent it out to my consortium of writer friends to give me feedback.  These are people whose opinions I trust.  They all had various takes on it and gave me some great feedback.  Changes were made, polish was done, and with an impending trip to L.A. on the verge, I asked my manager to give it a read in hopes that, while I was down there, we could talk about it.  She could tell me what needed to improve or, of course, be so blown away by it; she’d pull in a creative team to get us onto the next steps.  I’d blow off a day at Disneyland to meet with Ryan Gosling (the Disneyland of actors) or Bradley Cooper (the Knott’s Berry Farm of actors).  But a day or two before we left she sent me a terse e-mail:  “Read your script.  Literally hated every word.” 

Ryan Gosling:  "Fantasyland" of acting.

Bradley Cooper:  "Knott's Berry Farm" attraction of acting.

Golly, it’s not every day a person who is supposed to be part of your creative support team sends you an e-mail so full of bullsh*t with so few words.  I mean LITERALLY HATED EVERY WORD?  Really?  Didn’t like the word “phone” on page six?  The word “the” on page 12?  The word “rapscallion” on page 82 (okay, I could see why you’d hate that word)?  But, yeah, BULLSH*T!  Of course, I’m the lowly writer with little or no credits and, obviously, no testicles to call her on it.  Once again it’s the “bow-low-to-the-ground-and-give-all-obeisance-to-thou-that-works-in-Hollywood-because-thou-may-help-me-someday-actually-possibly-maybe-have-a-career-working-with-people-just-like-you” moment.  I take the pill and swallow it, tuck my tail between my legs and wander meekly away.

2.  Gary:   This is a bit of a stretch but Gary and Howard were the first producers on my script “Neon Jungle” and all credit should go to them who changed the name from the stupid “Vegas Dreams” to the great film noir name they gave it.  Last I saw Gary was when he was pointing me out at a pitch meeting – the very meeting I met and attached myself (like moss) to my manager above.  Gary died in 2013.  And though I hadn’t actually talked to Gary in a while (like never), he was one of the weirdest, freakiest people I had ever met.  The fact that he had started a screenwriting college was about the farthest stretch that I could possibly imagine.  After he and Howard had a falling out, Howard and Gary stopped speaking to each other and I could easily see why.  But, here’s the deal:  Gary was universally loved by, seemingly, all who came in the door of his college.  He got major talent to show up and talk about the craft and I could never really understand why, or how.  It wasn’t like Gary wrote a book on screenwriting.  It wasn’t like he had a ton of credits or vast amounts of money.  Was it his weirdness that was the selling point?  And did I have to venture into that realm to get to that point?  Was that worth it?

3.  Howard:  With the impending success of “Neon Jungle” and Gary’s passing, I sent an e-mail or two to Howard to touch base and see how he was doing.  No response whatsoever.  Maybe he was out-of-town.  I finally googled him to see if he was still alive and found photos of him now selling clean water or something.

"I'll read your screenplay if you just.............."

4.  Producer that I don’t know:  Redacted.  Trust me.  It's a great depressing and frustrating story.

5.  “Dancing:”  A few years ago, Keith (co-writer and friend) did something that I don’t recommend:  “Don’t pitch a script idea for a script you haven’t written.”  Well, when Keith was at the Screenwriting Expo he did that very thing.  The pitch went something like this:  “Man suffers from short-term memory loss, ends up falling in love with himself when he goes on a dating website.”  It’s a great pitch and garnered a lot of interest but, again, there was no script.  Keith returned with a “Hey, uh, guess what I did?”  Followed by:  “Think we can write this pretty quickly?”  Oh, uh, sure.  Over the past couple years we’ve written and re-written this script and, though the pitch is wonderfully wonderful, the actual execution has been less than desired.  Finally, in October of 2013, I sat down and did a page-one re-write of the script.  I handed it back off to Keith and our mutual friend Tim to see what they wanted to change.  The biggest issue is that I turned it into a “smaller” script that could possibly done on a budget that we could even possibly come up with.  Tim said he’d get to it in December and, I think, Keith said he’d read through it and give me some notes.  Neither has happened (or, if it’s happened, no one has told me).  And then the film “Her” gets released (about a guy who falls in love with a computer operating system) and I kinda figure that THAT idea is close enough to our idea to, well, compare – even if they’re completely different.  So is our idea sellable anymore?  Do I care?  Meh.

EXACTLY like our script...only different.

6.  “God Monologues:”  A few years ago I came up with a concept for a theatre piece entitled:  “The God Monologues.”  Loosely based around the concept of the “The Vagina Monologues” this would be a collection of stories about people and their relationships/concepts/accepting/rejecting God, or whatever form God is to them.  I pulled in two much more talented people than me: my BFF Jason and my friend Cami (sorry, Cami, only Jason gets the BFF designation).  Jason created a wonderful website so we could pool together hundreds of stories of various types and stripes and give us a huge wonderful group to pull from.  What we quickly found out was that a:  People who had lost and/or rejected God for whatever reason really wanted to tell their story.  b:  People who had found and/or accepted God for whatever reason didn’t want to tell their story.  And by HUNDREDS we, had, maybe, 40.  Still, we persevered and met with some theatre people up in Bellingham, WA and came up with overall great concepts but...life changes and people get busy and things happen and Jason didn’t want to pay for the website anymore (I didn’t blame him) and the project got back-burnered.  I thought, hell, I’ll just write it...but...   Meh.

Yeah, they help "market" your scripts...sure...

7.  “Inktip:” Inktip is a way for people to get their scripts out to the marketplace.  You place your script on their website for six months and/or put it in their magazine and they’ll shop your script and log-line and resume.  I decided to go ahead and put “Bad Princesses” on there after I had put “Search for Santa” on there.  I still believed in the marketability of the script (even if my manager literally hated the word “quickly” on page 42).  I spent good hard-earned money on this and got, literally (there’s that word again), no credible response.  Nothing.  Nada.  Zip.  Not for “Santa” and not for “Princesses.”  Meh.  

Which leads to:  8.  Annoying Screenwriting SPAM E-mails:  Along with the “twice-a-week” e-mails from Inktip (encouraging me to spend MORE money) I get dozens of e-mails a week from other pitch groups, screenwriting companies that think they have the simplest way of getting your script sold, up-coming pitch sessions, etc. etc. etc.  It’s insulting.  I’m so very tired of seeing:  “SELL YOUR SCRIPT TO HOLLYWOOD!!” in the subject line.  I don’t unsubscribe because there’s still a little part of me that thinks that maybe one of these will actually work.  Logic tells me not to believe that.  The Dreamer part of me tells me to keep getting them.  I think Logic is going to kick Dreamer’s ass from here to Yakima.

"Hello?  Anyone there?  Hello?  Anyone want to

learn about the three-act structure?"

9.  Apathetic Students:  I teach beginning screenwriting at “Seattle Central Community College” and have taught there for years.  Sadly, these past three quarters, I have not had enough students to teach my class.  It’s in these wonderful class sessions where I’m able to inspire, brain-storm, get those creative juices really flowing and it’s something that I thoroughly enjoy from the bottom of my muse empty well of creativity.  (Note:  A couple years ago, I created an on-line screenwriting class which has been viewed by a number of people.  No one e-mails me or asks me questions from the on-line series.  So I feel like not only am I not teaching LITERALLY, I’m not teaching VIRTUALLY.)

10.  Seahawks and the Super Bowl:  It’s hard to think about script ideas and formatting issues when in the back of your mind you’re thinking of match-ups between Denver’s wide receivers and the Seahawk’s secondary.  I’ve waited 8 years for the next Seahawk Super Bowl and have suffered through many a crappy season and I’ll be damned if I’m not going to give a certain amount of brain cells the ability to fully enjoy this event.

11.  Loss of Co-worker:  Early in 2014 my co-worker was laid-off, out of the blue.  No warning.  Typically it’s moments like these where I re-group and re-focus on the importance of what I want to do with my life and my goals and dreams.  This time?  Meh.

12.  2014:  In the year 2014 I turn 50.  Maybe I’m getting too old for this writing crap?

Uh, no.

The simple reality of all this, is that though I feel the well is dried up and I can’t get the energy to write...I’m still on the cusp of getting a film made.  And I know that the well will fill again.  I know that the reality of my own passions and desire will rise.  When?  How much?  Who knows.  I’ve got access to great equipment, I can make my own film or shorts.  My son is one of the most talented editors/film-makers that I know.

The future, as “meh” filled as it is right now is certainly bright and I’ve been here before, just not as apathetic as I feel right now.

Uh, not this, either.

First Amendment Applies to Everyone (even those whose opinions you disagree with or don't like)

The Phil Guy

“I may disagree with all my heart what you’re saying, but I will fight for the death to allow you to say it.”  (surely misquoted by some important politician from way way back)

A lot has been written over the past few days on the Phil Robertson story.  Here’s my take:

In the 1970’s my mom became a big fan of John Denver.  She bought his albums and we went to see him in concert (opening band was the “Starland Vocal Band” whose only big hit was the song “Afternoon Delight”).  We listened to his albums all the time and really enjoyed the fact that he was clean-cut and sung songs about Faith, Family and Friends.  One of my favorite songs of his was the song “Matthew” (go figure) where he talks about a farm-hand friend who found the “Family Bible” after a tornado.  After buying his albums and going to see him in concert, though, my mom read an interview with him where he mentioned that he wasn’t a Christian and she was taken aback by this news.  Seems she had bought into the image that John Denver had created through his songs and persona (who cares about the fact that his real name was Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr. and he would later be convicted of hoarding gasoline, plus I think he was a bit of a pot-head).

The Decapitated Heads of the Starland Vocal Band (maybe that's why they never had another hit)

 This revelation that John Denver wasn’t what he was cracked up to be meant that we didn’t listen to John Denver for awhile.  I think my mother may have even written him a letter.  We were a good Christian household and being duped by this popular folk singer made us step back a bit.  Were we supporting a fake-named pot-head non-Christian by buying his music and seeing him in concert?  It was a while before strains of “Annie’s Song” and “Thank God I’m a Country Boy” and my favorite song “Matthew” were playing from our record player.  But, still, the “faith” parts of the songs felt a little more hollow after that...

Folksy!

 Years later Miriam and I used to watch “Tool Time” with Tim Allen.  A funny sitcom we thoroughly enjoyed.  Tim Allen was great in it and we knew he had a past where he was a stand-up comedian, but didn’t know much about it.  (Also knew he was convicted of selling drugs, spent time in prison, had issues...)  One night we ran across him doing stand-up and found his routine to be pretty filled with foul language and, once again, we felt a bit duped by the image he portrayed as a clean-cut father who gets into trouble, and the one he portrayed on stage telling off-color jokes.  (side note:  His real name is:  Timothy Alan Dick)

Not that folksy...

 And, finally, I remember when my BFF Jason handed me a videotape (or DVD) going off on the misogyny and gross-ness of Professional Wrestling.  It was 90 minutes of just the most guttural slime of professional wrestling.  Knowing that I was a fan of the WWE, Jason thought I would be interested and so I took a look at the documentary and it was, in fact, pretty damning to the organization.  I felt a little sick afterward...then I remembered that the show is fake and it’s, basically, a soap opera.  So if you’re going to take the WWE to task for their weekly fake violence, you need to take to task all the stupid-ass soap operas and police procedural shows, etc.  And, besides, I never actually bought WWE merchandise or anything (though I DID go to a WWE show after they had cleaned up their act).  I may have watched it but, you know, I didn’t really monetarily SUPPORT it.

WRASSLIN!  (otherwise known as a male soap opera)

 When the Phil Robertson story broke in December 2013 – it was interesting to see how the actions of his employer (A&E Network) to suspend him from the show caused a huge uproar in the cyber-universe.  Suddenly people were taking sides.  Bloggers were blogging.  Facebookers were Facebooking.  “A&E is committing suicide!”  Read one headline.  “First Amendment being damned!”  Said another.  “He did nothing wrong!”  And on and on and on and on and on...  Who cares that there are hungry and hurting in our streets.  Soldiers are dying in a war half a world away.  U.S. drones accidentally killed 13 members of a wedding party.  NSA continues to spy, un-checked on the American people.  A reality TV star has been SUSPENDED for words in a magazine interview!  That takes precedence over other headlines.

Little known fact:  Actually stands for "Apples & Edamame"

 But...there are two issues I see going on here.  Issue one is the suspension of a television personality.  Issue two is the “First Amendment” argument.  Issue one, to me, is pretty cut-and-dried.  When Alec Baldwin and his MSNBC Television show were cancelled after he hurled a derogatory slur at a photographer, I thought:  “What an idiot.”  When Martin Bashir resigned (or was forced to resign) after hurling some insults at Sarah “Quitter” Palin, my initial thought was:  “Idiot.”  Mr. Baldwin and Mr. Bashir are adults.  They understand that words have consequences; they spoke the words and paid the consequences.  I did not fly to my Facebook home page and scream FIRST AMENDMENT!!  FIRST AMENDMENT!!  FIRST AMENDMENT!!  Like I have seen so many others do in regards to Mr. Robertson.  I didn’t create a meme that stated:  “I’m with Bashir!”  or a meme that said:  “Baldwin Mis-quoted!!”  I shrugged my shoulders and moved on.  Any organization or company that hires an employee can, pretty much, suspend or fire said employee for anything.  If that employee wants to fight it in court, so be it, but I think we can all, pretty much, agree that this is a reality in your job, my job, anyone’s job.  As A&E stated, they did not feel that Mr. Robertson’s stated beliefs were representative of the company so they suspended him.

Martin said some not nice things...

 

Then there is issue number two:  The First Amendment.  And this is the “bigger picture” issue in my mind.  Simply put, you are free to say whatever it is you want to say, but you are not immune to the consequences of that speech.  It’s the old “crying fire in a movie theatre” argument.  You can certainly do it, but if people are killed in the process and there was no fire...well...you’re going to be in a bit of trouble.  I’m fully within my rights to go up to a 400 lb football player and call him a whiny-ass-little-baby and he’s, pretty much, within his rights to punch me in the face.  I have to decide if I want to, or can live with, the responses to my speech.  I’ll post this on my blog site and am fully aware that people may disagree with me, “yell” at me, compliment me, etc.  They’re fully within their rights to do so.  Certainly if I get a lot of mean comments coming my way I’m not going to go stand in a corner and say:  “You’re infringing upon my rights!”  You’re not.  You’re voicing your opinion which is what I’m doing.

What we're talking about...

 

Let’s get back to that old “First Amendment” thing.  I read a conservative author’s points about A&E and the First Amendment and then another and then I watched clips from Fox News and others also saying this is a First Amendment issue.  Is it?  Is it not?  I don’t know – but whether it is, or not, if you’re bringing it up in regards to this Phil Robertson thing, I call bullsh*t on that.  BULLSH*T!  Why?  Because why didn’t you bring it up when Alec Baldwin was fired?  Or Martin Bashir?  Or the band Pussy Riot was jailed?  Or those kids staging a peaceful sit-in that were sprayed with mace?  Why didn’t you bring it up when the Dixie Chicks were losing bookings and vilified in the press?  What about when Linda Ronstandt had a concert cancelled because the owner of the club didn’t like her politics?  Where were you when Richie Incognito was suspended by the Miami Dolphins for harassing a fellow player by leaving racist and offensive voice-mails on the guy’s phone?  Aren’t these all, in reality, first amendment issues?  Wasn’t Martin Bashir just voicing his opinion?  Or the Dixie Chicks?  Or....

Yeah, they were vilified for their beliefs....and where were the First Amendment Supporters then?  Probably at a Ted Nugent concert...

Then, of course, we have Fox News and their annual “War on Christmas” – doesn’t anyone have the right to change the name of a Christmas Tree to a “Holiday Tree?”  Isn’t that a first amendment right?  Yes, they can certainly complain about it, but isn’t it truly a first amendment issue?  A festivus pole?  Changing the name of a holiday parade so that it’s more inclusive?  Don’t they have a first amendment right to do that?  Certainly they do!  But don’t act like they’re infringing on YOUR belief system because you don’t like it.

Just like John Denver, I truly believe that there are a number of people out there who are huge fans of “Ducky Dynasty” and are kind of taken aback by one of the member’s opinions on gays and how blacks were treated before the civil rights movement.  The image of what they had seen on TV or read in books or heard in interviews was shaken a bit when they realize that maybe what they’ve been sold isn’t really what they bought.

But for those that continue to say this is a “First Amendment” issue – remember this:  the “First Amendment” applies to everyone.  Conservative, Liberal, Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Communist, Socialist, etc.  The rich, the poor, the brilliant, the stupid.  Picking and choosing when to pull out the “FA” card just because it suits your argument or makes you feel better about yourself is a complete and total bullsh*t move.  You can’t just argue First Amendment when it suits you and write damning articles about a network or what not when, repeatedly, there have been other situations that would certainly qualify that you chose to ignore because it didn't fit your religious or political view point.

Much like the quote that started this blog, even if you disagree with the person speaking, you should still fight for their right to say it.  But if you only fight when you feel that it bests your argument or is something you agree with...then I call bullsh*t on that.  And that's my First Amendment right.