Damn The Man...
Why bother with professional scruples?
They don't pay my bills.
They don't put food in my belly.
They keep me poor.
They attract The Man's attention... and The Man always gets me down.
Fighting -- or even avoiding -- The Man is exhausting.
I mean, I struggle to keep the ragged remains of my soul intact... but for what? A sense of righteousness?
Righteousness does not pay one's student loans, my friend.
In a world where things are valued according to marketability and profit, trying to keep from joining Satan's Army Of Corporate Whores seems to be a losing battle. It would be so easy, wouldn't it? Just to slowly give in. To just allow the shit-laced tide to take me.
What would be even nicer is being stupid enough not to notice. Not to care.
And then I could ease myself into the world of cozy suburban bubbles, white picket fences, and hide -- in the most egocentric way possible -- from the reality of my senseless existence... and the world in general.
----
(later)
Life seems to be much less bleak and unforgiving when one can be amused by spam from TheOldestLadiesInPorn.
They don't pay my bills.
They don't put food in my belly.
They keep me poor.
They attract The Man's attention... and The Man always gets me down.
Fighting -- or even avoiding -- The Man is exhausting.
I mean, I struggle to keep the ragged remains of my soul intact... but for what? A sense of righteousness?
Righteousness does not pay one's student loans, my friend.
In a world where things are valued according to marketability and profit, trying to keep from joining Satan's Army Of Corporate Whores seems to be a losing battle. It would be so easy, wouldn't it? Just to slowly give in. To just allow the shit-laced tide to take me.
What would be even nicer is being stupid enough not to notice. Not to care.
And then I could ease myself into the world of cozy suburban bubbles, white picket fences, and hide -- in the most egocentric way possible -- from the reality of my senseless existence... and the world in general.
----
(later)
Life seems to be much less bleak and unforgiving when one can be amused by spam from TheOldestLadiesInPorn.
posted by /hg | 12:08 p.m.
20 Comments:
They're not.
You can do one or the other.
Unfortunately, the state of the profession is such that many people are jumping back and forth over the line. Being forced to write advertorial is not unusual.
I was simply bemoaning the fact that I can't just whore myself out properly and be done with it.
Stupid ethics. Booo.
What are these scruples you so steadfastly seek to defend? What rights are you upholding? What professional ethos is being proclaimed?
Seems to me you’re just being bloody stupid. But then, what do I know?
You needn't point out I'm an idiot.
It doesn't work on those of us already perfectly accepting of our multitudes of failings.
There is, in the land of media professionals, a struggle to keep copy clean -- free of advertising and marketing influences.
But some of us fight with publishers and advertising departments who try to sway, influence, and outright demand advertising-friendly work. Or review things only when the company has paid for an ad in the publication. I even have a friend who works at a daily who's been forced to write advertorial on occasion.
The lines are blurring -- people who fight against this and try and keep their reputations and credibility intact are dwindling.
But of course, my frustration with this is, of course, "bloody stupid."
Dammit, I hate editing a sentence and leaving a phrase in accidentally -- of course!
Incidentally, this all came from what appeared to be a broad hint from a publisher -- essentially, if I wanted to attend the massive video game conference in Los Angeles, I needed to secure some advertising.
I chose to be purposefully vague in the original post.
You embraced the conclusion you were an idiot, not me.
‘Clean’ copy? ‘Pure’ writing? Oh, c’mon. You’re making my head spin.
Influence exists. It touches you even before you pick up your pen or turn on your pc. Sulking because it’s an influence you despise is silly. Roll with it and turn it from within if you’re smart enough. If not, stand outside and continue to boast loudly about your professional credibility and your lack of consumer toys.
I still love you. But you do make it difficult sometimes.
and get your ass to la. tali is looking forward to your road trip. don't let your professional ethics stand in the way of girly fun.
Shouldn't you be in bed?
I hardly think venting on a blog that all of eight people read regularly can be considered boasting loudly.
And don't be such a pompous ass. Christ.
When I say "clean" copy, I mean not being outright *purchased*. That is what clean copy refers to. Of course, being familiar with all things journalism-related, you already know this.
I'm not even going to touch your "influence" rant -- it's so fucking condescending it makes my head spin.
Finally, I did not use the word "pure." Pure writing is generally art. Don't quote me on things I didn't write.
Are you feeling lonely?
Bored?
Are you missing someone to verbally spar with? Because it looks like you're trying to pick a fight.
I'm working on the LA thing.
Have to do annoying budget things. It's in the plan, though...
I’m allowed to stay up late if I’ve been a well-behaved boy all day.
I think I prefer it when your arguments are based ad rem rather than ad hominem, but that’s your choice, I guess.
I think a ’good’ writer is one who presents information or opinion [purchased or otherwise] in an innovative, entertaining, engaging and well structured manner. If you’re trying to step beyond this then you should accept that you’ve moved into the realms of philosophy, politics, social commentary, story telling or whatever.
And that’s fine. But don’t pretend that to write in a manner with which you’re personally uncomfortable is a breach of ethics. To write well even when your copy is purchased is, perhaps, the sign that you may actually be the writer to which you so stridently aspire.
And if you can do ad hominem…
Are you feeling insecure?
Whiney?
Are you missing someone to prop up a flagging ethos? Because I feel like I’ve been savaged by a dying sheep.
And once again, it's still not sinking into your thick skull.
I never said I couldn't be a good writer if my copy was purchased. There are some fucking marvelous writers in the world who do advertising and marketing copy.
But there is a difference between that and journalism.
I'm trying to keep it that way -- at least for me. No doubt you don't care to understand (why listen when you can argue?) the not-so-subtle differences from trying to make a living without completely abandoning your principles and being an utterly soulless word whore.
And that's fine. But please don't keep insulting my intelligence about yammering between good writing and pure writing (neither words which I've used -- again, you've completely ignored that). This is a completely different topic with an entirely different set of rules.
There's nothing that irks me so much as someone arguing a point that was never even brought up.
Oh, I do dislike rising to the bait, however obvious.
(And you started playing the ad hominem game when you used the words "bloody stupid.")
Ethics are important.
Your stance on this issue was petulant.
Learning to differentiate between the two is your issue, not mine.
Good luck
Of course it was petulant, you ass.
What a ridiculous idea -- something happened during my day that was irksome, and I posted a irate rant about it in order to calm myself down. By their very nature, blogs are self-indulgent, egocentric piles of whinging. Yeesh.
"Good luck?" Does that mean you're collecting all your toys and going home now?
yes.
Well, go if you must.
Think you could leave the jumping ball? Those are fun.
no. it comes with me.
i'll leave you the train set. as a stupid girl you'll never get it to work.
Trains are boring. We girlies use the "we don't know how to use them" so that boys think they're clever.
It obviously works.
Don't worry about it, then. I have a shiny cape and a nice firm pillow for bouncing down the stairs.
do you regularly behave in an unethical manner towards boys?
where is the much vaunted hannahguy integrity?
boucing down the stairs on its pink bum?
Pah... boy-related things exist outside of normal moral planes. It's your own fault for being boys.
My integrity is centred in the professional arena. Everything else? Well, any number of my friends will tell you I'm suspiciously amoral and evil.
But I'll still be bouncing down the stairs.
Maybe you should get out of tech/game writing for a while. It can be a draining field for someone who actually cares about the craft of journalism. Anyway, know that you're not alone in trying to resist the insideous clutches of corporate whoredom.
Funnily enough, this kind of writing was meant to be something temporary until I got my "real" writing going.
But yes, it does tend to be a pretty gruesome industry -- which I'm mostly used to, except for the constant muck-ups of one particular publisher whos' socially and professionally clumsy.
And I thought the music industy was bad.
:)
Thanks for the encouragement, though. 'Preciate it.
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