I just saw the Last Airbender, and when it ended, revealing that there would be a sequel, I shuddered at the idea that you would make a sequel, and that you actually had the audacity to PLAN to make a sequel.
I pray to God that you never make another film again.
EVER.
Here’s what I bet happened.
You saw a few episodes of the cartoon with your kids. You were interested in it’s philosophic and spiritual undertones, since we all know you love stuff like that with “hidden meanings.” You contacted the creators. You said “Hey guys, I wanna make a live action version of this!”
They said “Um….we’ll think about it.”
Really they wanted to see if they were on the same page of NOT trusting you with their creation. They didn’t trust you. So they didn’t get back to you. Then you hit them up a few times and said “Hey guys, come on! Let me make it!”
And they said “We don’t think a live action version will convey well.” Really they didn’t think YOU would do it right. So you bugged them over and over and said “Hey guys the story is already done, all I have to do is adapt it to be a film, direct it…I got money! I can do it! Come on guys!”
Now, I’m expecting this deal went down sometime before The Happening came out. If they had seen that, then they would have said “Oh hell no!”
So in the middle of it, you rushed to studios to get the green light and hurried to get it made before anyone would change their minds. You watched all the episodes as fast as you could, and just wrote one draft of the script, which explains why it was so juvenile. Or maybe you wrote multiple drafts, dumbing it down as much as possible because, after all, “the masses are stupid”.
Then the studio said “You know what…we need you to cast some white people so we can guarantee the majority population of America will see it.” And you said “OK!” and casted damn near EVERYBODY white. But of course, you didn’t want to look like a complete sell-out so you casted some East Asian folks.
By the way, why the hell would you cast the reigning villains as being of your Indian ancestry? Should I read into your subtext as it being some self-hate?
So when the creators saw your casting choices they had to come to their own defense and said “We didn’t choose this casting!” Yes I know Indians are Asian, but you didn’t even try the vast array of Pan-Asian looks! But what’s really crazy is the mind boggling weirdness of your casting actually falls back on how BAD you made this movie!
You took an awesome show, and ruined it. It was as if you made it bad on purpose. You did everything a film is not supposed to do and more.
Sokka (holding hand out)- Katara, do not break that magical sphere that just appeared out of the ice with a little boy and strange beast in it! (*Katara breaks sphere*)
Katara- It’s just like father told us before he disappeared some years ago, and before our mother died in that horrible raid by the Fire Nation villagers just 3 years ago on this very day! Don’t you remember?
Every line was back story. You tried to cram entire episodes of the show into 5minutes.
I thought you were JUST directing the film. That made me figure “Oh, well then it won’t be that bad.” No…you WROTE it too!?
You are clearly one of those overconfident artists that thinks you can’t make anything good without complete creative control. HOW you get studios to grant you that, I will never understand.
Then you had the nerve to put it in 3D. I’m sure the studio told you to do that because they saw how bad the film was and said “We gotta get as many dollars out of this as we can before people tear it apart…M. Night! Convert it into 3D!” *clap, clap*
And you said, “OK!’.
I’ve liked a couple of your films. Apparently your swan song was Sixth Sense, which I have never seen fully ’cause I kept falling asleep (don’t worry, I already know the twist).
Then you made Unbreakable (which was weird). Then Signs was redeeming (but really, the aliens die with water!? Couldn’t you have chosen something a little more unsuspecting!?). Then The Village (don’t get me started). The Lady In the Water (which I found to be pretty good). The Happening (WTF is wrong with you?) and now you took an AWESOME story and made it worse than your worst movies!?
I’d call you a one trick pony, but that’s a disrespect to the hard work put in by ponies that have to perform acts. At least a pony doing one trick over and over will be more interesting than The Last Airbender.
How did you possibly make fight scenes so boring?!
I’m on a one man mission to make sure you NEVER make another film, and that you DO NOT make a sequel to The Last Airbender. Even as an adult I still watch some cartoons because many of them are better than films being made for adults. You took a great fantasy and destroyed it to the point where I’m afraid that people won’t go see the original series.
And shame on you, for single-handedly ruining the possible futures of people like Noah Ringer. He’s talented, but now his name will be tarnished. I pray he doesn’t get made fun of at school. You even made a great actor like Dev Patel look like an amateur.
Get over yourself, and stop making films.
I think you’d be better at writing children’s books….but please do it under a pen-name. Any other mention of your name now is going to have people running away in fright.
I think you must have forgotten who runs the show here. It’s certainly not you.
When most people think of “The Industry” they might think music. I am speaking of all The Entertainment Industry, and the system that pushes the selling of art and such…
Listen up Industry, you got two choices: Listen to those you serve, or die.
And so far, you’re dying very quickly.
I can see movies on the internet. I can download entire albums. And from what I’ve heard of how art galleries operate, none of them are in a very good position right now, especially since an artist can upload their portfolio online/hold a showing where they want and sell their works.
I don’t know all that much of how the photography and visual art circles run. I live in LA where the biggest exports are movies and music. I will say, it seems that all the art circles run through a similar gamut of politics and BS to get recognition. Most of what it takes for fame has less to do with what you know than who you know. Less on talent, more on looks. Less on skill and more on having a name.
There’s a certain kind of music that came out in the 70′s called Disco. You might be familiar with it, Industry, since you were the ones that basically created it. You took pieces of all kinds of party music, created a formula, then drove it like a nail right into people’s heads until finally, an upheaval happened and there was Disco Demolition Night. It happened almost in one sweep. Radio stopped playing it. It was virtually gone.
Hard to believe that people could go this far over music, isn’t it?
The lesson: The human mind is not wired to be entertained by the exact same thing over and over again. You may think people are too stupid to know the difference, but trust me, it can all change in one day.
Now, for about 10, closer to 15 years, there has been this drive of pop acts. First it was Spice Girls, then the Boy bands, then rap acts making songs for “the club”, then auto-tune…virtually every fad possible was exploited and drained of all it’s life to sustain record sales.
And you wonder why people download your products for free or start not caring about The Industry? It’s because the Consumer really knows that The Industry doesn’t care either. You’re fueled by the dollars of The Consumer and the creations of The Artist.
And if the Artist can cut The Industry, the middle-man, out of the picture, then what good are you?
All the PSAs on piracy and lawsuits will not stop new forms of piracy from popping up. The Industry has made it clear that their bottom line is money. Nothing wrong with money, but if The Industry has no regard for The Artist or The Consumer, then why would they care about The Industry?
The Internet has made distribution free, so half of the reason for your existence is gone. Lots of great content can be made for cheap now.
The Industry should do what needs to be done: separate the dirt from the gold, and give people what they want without flooding the market with monotony.
Until then, good luck. The Industry needs it most.
Do you have any idea how important you are to the life of The Artist? You’re half the reason we exist.
Here’s the point- The art and entertainment you love are created by people who love it too, and they created it for you to love it. They should get love back, not just in the form of words, but by tangible money, so that they can keep making what you love.
That intangible feeling that happens when you see a beautiful photo, painting, or hear your favorite song had to be created with work. The least they can get is some money to keep giving you what you love.
Maybe you should read my Letter to The Artist to get a little context; but basically, the things that entertain you exist so that you, Consumer, can be happy.
Question- Why is Art/Entertainment even important?
Can you imagine a world with no music? No painting? No movies? No books? No sense of art or creativity to take your mind to another place?
Think of your favorite brands. Think of their logos. Those were made by Artists.
Think back to Obama’s campaign. Remember the posters? That iconic layout? That was all created by an Artist, Shepard Fairey. You probably don’t even know just how often you’ve seen his work in other places.
Movies. Books. Songs. Those were created by people. And in most cases not just one person, TEAMS of people.
Of course the biggest discussion that comes to mind in Artist vs Consumer talk is with the pirating and downloading of music.
I’m definitely no saint on this issue. Let’s just say, I’m probably… no I AM the RIAA’s worst nightmare. Even still, I’ve checked myself and bought albums of those who I want to succeed (check the P.S.) I’ve seen just how many artist are independent, and may never get a record deal or large sponsor. The only sponsor they can get are fans of their work.
Do you know how expensive it is to create art?
I took a drawing class. I had to get a large drawing board, pencils, paper, some oil paints, case, and a few other items. It wasn’t all that much. The cost: $200. Imagine if I did that for a living? Let’s not start on how expensive recording equipment is, or how much it costs to rent hours at a studio, or to rent an artist space, or rent a location to film a project…
I hear a lot of Consumers complaining about the lack of good music, music videos, movies, etc. Well, it’s your dollars that effect those results. If you think another singer, dancer, or actor is more talented, put money behind them. That’s what The Industry responds to. You’re broke? Just save up $10. That’s the same as getting a lunch. And it’s a one time buy, you don’t have to buy it again. Or just pay the $.99 for the songs you like. Hell, download the free copy, and if you see the whole album is good, then buy the regular one. Go to their shows. Whatever the case, the money talks, not just your props.
Think about it: Happiness from a piece of art that you can afford. That’s fair, right?
If you want to see more of what you like in the mainstream, then you have to put the money where you feel it belongs, and tell others to do the same. Recommend artists you love to other people.
I’m not just talking about high-brow, extra fancy stuff. If it makes you feel good, give The Artist some dough. I don’t care if it’s Common or Soulja Boy, a surrealist painter or a someone who draws stick figures.
I’ll never forget when I was in 9th grade and heard “Elevators” by Outkast…
True I’ve got more fans than the average man, but not enough loot to last me til the end of the week.
I live by the beat like you live check to check.
If you don’t move your feet than I don’t eat, so we like neck to neck.
I had never heard any artist (rapper especially) admit how broke they were, even though they were famous. It was clear- He lives by each beat like the average person lives each hour with a 9-5. And if you, Consumer, don’t move your feet (either by dancing, or getting to the store to buy their product) then they can’t keep going.
Imagine if that was the last you heard from them because they didn’t sell enough albums?
That’s how much you matter, Consumer.
P.S.
3 albums I spent money on recently, and didn’t look back…
Owusu & Hannibal- Living With Owusu & Hannibal
I heard some of their stuff years ago. Searched all over for a free copy. I heard 5 songs from it and said forget it, I’ll buy it. Best $10 I ever spent. Get it!
Camp Lo- Another Heist
Camp Lo has been around for almost 15 years, and still underground; but, Luchini, Coolie High, and other songs from their first album, Uptown Saturday Night, are classics. I had downloaded their mix-tapes. I heard just a snippet of Another Heist before it came out, and when I heard Ski Beatz produced it all, I knew the production was going to be seamless. The day it was released I couldn’t wait, so I downloaded it right off iTunes to my phone. Why? Because for 15 years they’ve stayed true to their style and made dope product. I got enough of it free. Haven’t looked back since. Get it!
Shafiq Husayn- Shafiq ‘En A-Free-Ka
Imagine George Clinton, J Dilla, Afrika Bambaataa, and Fela Kuti sat in a studio and made an album. That’s this album. A few of my friends are on it too. I told Shafiq ” Your album should win a Grammy.” Get it!
Being an artist in any medium, as a profession, is hard. People admire artists because they seem to live a carefree life, doing what they want to do. Look at Kanye. Very quickly he went from average Joe emcee to having an empire. Writers, directors, producers, musicians…they live the life most people say they want. But how did they get there?
There are lots of books that talk about how to make great art or how to be a great artist. They focus heavily on the individual. But not many seem to talk about the importance of teamwork and networking. I think that’s why so many artists have issues with ego. There’s no doubt that being an artist can be hard on ones self-esteem; but what if you have a good product or talent. How do you get it out there?
“It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.”
2 times in my life I had clear lessons of that statment.
Lesson A.- I was in 7th grade. I was doing a History video project with 2 other kids, one of whom had a father who was a famous movie producer. His father was good friends with Rob Reiner and Billy Crystal. This was 1993, so you’re talking about THE dudes in Hollywood at the time. At one point I said “Man…that’d be great if we could get them in our video.” It was a passing comment. But then we all looked at each other like “YEAH!”. We hopped on some bikes, went down the street, caught Billy and Rob standing outside one of their houses, and got them in our video. We laughed our butts off and couldn’t wait to present it to the class. Oh and yes…we got an A.
Sounds silly, but it really taught me that a lot of famous people know each other, and if you can ask for a favor from one, it might just happen!
Lesson B.- 8th grade. I was in the running to be the leading role for a TV show. It was between me and another kid. No one liked the other kid much, but he had been in more stuff than me. Now it was time to meet with the ABC execs. The director and producer of the show came out and said “Ok…so they want to see more of you outside the character now. They want to see more of your personality. So try to just be yourself.” I thought OK no problem.
Well when I got in the room, no one was asking me any questions, I was just standing there on display. I panned around the room, smiling, making small talk for a few minutes. Then I look at the top of the room toward the corner. Everyone was whispering to each other, but one guy was looking away from the person talking to him and looking out the corner of his eye at me. I realized I knew this guy…I had been to his house…his daughter was in my class…
“Heeeey!…I know you!”
The whole room fell silent.
“You’re Lily’s father!”. He smiled and nodded. “Where’s Lily been? I haven’t seen her in school all week, is she OK?”
Suddenly you heard a lot of loud whispers, people talking to each other almost frantically. Once me and the guy stopped our convo, the director smiled at me and said “Thank you! That’s all for now!”
As soon as I walked out the room, I knew I got the part because of what Lesson A taught me.
I say all this to say…you can’t do it all alone. Have you noticed Will Farell and ‘nem have the same actors, directors, and writers each film? That’s because they know who they work well with. And as one shines, they all shine. Kanye didn’t get there by himself. Nor does anyone else we see as a success.
So many artists are going at this alone with little help. Let’s not worry about seeing our own name on the marquee in bright lights. Get ya team together. There’s enough space for everyone’s name, and enough money out there too.
To quote Ghostface (yes…I’m quoting Ghostface Killah):
“My seeds, run with his seeds, marry his seeds/ That’s how we keep Wu-Tang money all up in the family.”
Jay Stephens, the VP of Programming for Radio One, and a morning show coach named Steve Reynolds said…and I quote, “The 18-34 demographic in urban radio doesn’t want to be enlightened, they want to have fun!… 20-year-old Black kids are still watching Nickelodeon.”
For a while now musicians, especially in Hip Hop, have made a practice of “dumbing down”, or making music less about serious issues and more about partying. I’ve heard from countless rappers, producers, and more: “You gotta dumb down. Most people aren’t smart, and don’t want to be.”
“20-year old black kids are still watching Nickelodeon.”
Why does the Black demographic matter? Supposedly the biggest consumers of urban music are White suburban teens, many of whom have at least a high school education. The statistic on White kids being the main consumers of Hip Hop may be questionable; but, of the many live “urban” shows I’ve been to, I’ve seen more people of other races than Black in the audience.
So, it seems that for a while now, Black artists and urban radio stations have been dumbing down their material with a Black audience in mind…but Blacks may not even be the main consumers buying the product. Who’s the real fool then?
(Note: I’m in my mid 20s, have a Masters degree, and still watch cartoons. They’re more creative than “reality” shows.)
A lot of these execs think they’re smarter than they are, when many of them are making assumptions off “reports”. News flash- Numbers CAN lie.
I dumbed down for my audience and double my dollars./
They criticize me for it. Yet they all yell “Holla!”/
If skills sold, truth be told/
I’d probably be lyrically Talib Kweli./
Truthfully, I wanna rhyme like Common Sense/
(But I did five Mil) I ain’t been rhyming like Common since.
-Moment of Clarity, Jay-Z
But this isn’t just about Hip Hop.
Dumbing down has always made it’s way through entertainment, especially film and TV. Studios ask for more “action” because the audience is “too stupid” to catch metaphors and symbolism, or meaningful dialogue. How many “reality” shows have the same basic set up, and many times we can tell when something was scripted?
Diesel now has a campaign around the slogan “Be Stupid.”
Radio, television, film, advertisements, even public schools, work off the assumption that humans are dumb and like being that way.
This base-level thinking is imprisoning.
And last I remember, calling someone stupid was fightin’ words!
It’s one thing to simplify, and it’s another to dumb down.
As artists, we have to take minds to another level.
I’d probably be, lyrically, Talib Kweli./Truthfully, I wanna rhyme like Common Sense/
(But I did five mill) I ain’t been rhyming like Common since.”
