Pop Culture Fridays (Sat. edition): T/F, Day 1

The crown jewel of cultural experiences here in Columbia, MO---the True/False Film Festival---kicked off its sixth installment Thursday night. My first films were both yesterday; here are a few quick impressions/observations:

1. Reporter: Here, Eric Daniel Metzgar catalogues the trials and travels of NY Times columnist Nicholas Kristof as he leads contest winners on a journalistic expedition, the goal to document the suffering of people in the eastern Congo and produce a report that will both inform and motivate his readers back in the States. This film provides the best articulation I've witnessed of the two questions that I wrestled with upon entering journalism school (and with which I wrestle daily):

First, how do you motivate people to care about vast amounts of suffering when, as the film reminds us, we see "one death as a tragedy, a million deaths as a statistic?" Centering around the notion that "compassion is an unstable emotion," we see Kristof earnestly grapple with the psychological, ethical and journalistic questions that complicate the job of the reporter.

Secondly, what is the future of journalism? Kristof and Metzgar examine the precipitous decline of print journalism and what an online-only world means for investigative reporting and advocacy journalism.

The film provides no easy answers but asks the right questions and asks of us that we consider our own culpability and our own conviction relative to the great suffering incurred by the world's peoples.



2. Sounds Like Teen Spirit: And, now...for something completely different...UK director Jamie Jay Johnson captures the ups and downs of Europe's biggest little singing competition in charming and cheeky fashion. Johnson provides an insider's look into the world of Junior Eurovision contestants, each seeking to make their countries proud and their voices heard. This film was a delight and a nice change of pace from the heaviness of Reporter. A wonderful film that deserves a wide audience.

1 movie already down today (No Impact Man) and 2 more to go (Burma VJ and Food, Inc.). More on those tomorrow...

Branding: Are We Marked for Life?

Several times a semester, my church hosts a discussion called Theology at the Forge, which takes place at Forge & Vine, an eatery in downtown Columbia. TATF is designed to take us outside the walls of the church and engage in conversation about how our theology and our worldviews come to bear on some of the biggest political, social and cultural issues of the day. I'm leading tomorrow night's discussion, entitled "Branding: Are We Marked for Life?" Below, you'll see a description of the event. If you're in Columbia tomorrow night around 7, meet us at the Forge and join the dialogue.

Experts tell us that by grade school, American kids are familiar with hundreds of logos. Whether it’s swooshes or golden arches, companies and advertisers work together to create unforgettable images that build customer loyalty. But branding is about more than just selling a product. It’s about selling a way of life. From culturally accepted catchphrases to commercials which debate what kind of computer best represents us, branding has left an indelible mark on our society, affecting the way we view our money, ourselves and each other. Are the brands we buy simply harmless economic choices or do they reveal something about our personality and beliefs? Is it ethical for companies to try and create lifelong customers through marketing in schools? And what of upstart movements to make pervasive branding a thing of the past? The answers to these questions may reveal more about our own brand of thinking than we realize. Bring a few friends, an opinion and an open-mind, and grab a table, food and drink in the upstairs lounge at the Forge & Vine downtown. All ideas are welcome.

"Living Just Enough for the City..."

The Pew Research Center released a new study today, finding that 46% of those surveyed "would rather live in a different type of community from the one they're living in now." The study found that attitude most popular among those who live in cities.

Other interesting findings/conclusions include the following:

• "Even though the survey shows that many Americans have a bit of wanderlust, it also finds that most are satisfied with where they live now. More than eight-in-ten rate their current communities as excellent, very good or good."
• 23% of those surveyed "say the place in their heart they consider home isn't where they are living now."
• "...most city dwellers think the grass would be greener in a suburb, small town or rural area."
• "...most young urbanites consider cities the place to be, while most middle-aged urbanites would like to live elsewhere."

Also, only 23% of those polled see the city as their ideal community type (the most popular answer was found in the 30% who idealize the small town).

I find this all so fascinating because it relates directly to issues with which my wife and I have been wrestling. As I prepare to graduate from the Missouri School of Journalism in May, we've been tossing around options for the future. We eventually decided to stay here in Columbia because we're interested in working for the good of this city and investing heart and soul into it. We're tired of watching well-intentioned people flee to the suburbs in the name of "safety" and "space," abandoning urban, cultural centers and leaving them to atrophy.

I am definitely intrigued by the idea of "new urbanism" and the trend (which this research supports) that sees young, hip professionals moving back to the city in droves. I will unpack these ideas more in future posts; you can be sure this is a topic I'll return to faithfully. For now, let me just say that I have grown to love where I live (I took the Pew survey and found that 94% of people rated their communities lower than I did mine!). And while I appreciate the culture and enterprise here, it's more than a love of eateries, bars and concert venues. It's seeing people I recognize downtown and stopping to talk; It's getting to know the specific needs of my community and seeing how I can help; it's visualizing the potential my city has to become an even better place to live.

The Pew study found that by a 3-1 margin, most people prefer living somewhere with a slower pace and that a majority want to live somewhere "where neighbors know each other well." I'm saying that the two don't have to go together---we can know our neighbors, know our community in a more urban setting. At least, I believe we can---I wouldn't be staying here if I thought otherwise.