Mindless views?

So here it is! My long awaited, eagerly anticipated and quiet possibly ill fated blog! The first edition will be an action packed double header of farce (you lucky devils!) Firstly I’m going to talk about freedom of expression on the internet, by which I mean reviewing a certain blog. Later in the week I'll move onto another farce, the NFL (American football) lockout explained in simple language even women can understand

Let me start by saying I don’t expect this blog to get many likes, followers, friends, rounders or whatever it is that blogs are supposed to get, nor do I think it should. My personal problem with blogs (yes I have a problem with them) is that a medium was created whereby anyone from anywhere in the world could express their opinion. The trouble with creating this system is that it leads to the mistaken and frequently vain hope that someone somewhere will care.

Surely the point of a blog is to either inform a reader of something they didn’t know, or to entertain. What many bloggers fail to realise is that once upon a time someone already had the idea that people would want this sort of service and so they created a profession called journalism! In this little know profession “journalists” create entertaining or informative (or sometimes both) articles for the viewing pleasure of Joe public. However this service was not free, because it took considerable skill and time to create this sort of media, bloggers often miss this point.

Nowhere is this more apparent then in this weeks blog up for review “Mindless” by Daniel Meier. Before I start the post mortem of this rather poor specimen to determine cause of death I’d like to reiterate what I’ve always said throughout my life. You know me; I never mean to be rude! So the next few paragraphs are me definitely not being rude.

Looking back to October 2010 (yes the author has had this uncontrolled verbal diarrhea for over 6 months) and the blogs humble beginning the warning signs are there. A blog discussing that new album from an artist that the author used to like but no longer does. Making outrageous and obviously untrue statements such as

Linkin Park produced Collision Course, a mash-up of rock and hip-hop even greater than Aerosmith/Run-DMC's Walk This Way

The blog produces many similar opinions for what appears to be no reason other then to appear controversial.

Week by agonising week Mindless starts to develop a comfortable pattern, which is unfortunate as the way it is written means it reads about as well as the transcript of a Steven Gerrard post match interview. After a while there is an air of inevitability about the quotes from unheard of American sitcoms and the picture becomes unnervingly clear. What we have hear ladies and gents is a person who may be considered “anti-mainstream.” Arguing with this individual is pointless and predictable. Becoming anti-mainstream is simple, take commonly accepted wisdom, and argue the exact opposite. Dislike TV programmes that are enjoyed by many and sing high praise of those that have fallen out of favour with all but a desperate anti-mainstream few. In music anti-mainstreamists claim not to be “indie” because this is of course too mainstream. This tragic personality defect is often caused by an inability to form or express ones own opinion with conviction and thus leads to a need to simply argue against what others will largely accept so they will actually have something to say. When a bunch of these “individuals” get together they are called “Liberal Democrats” death is the only cure


Many anit-mainstreamists are hoping for this story to break


Even if the author managed to form his own opinion he is still meeting a crucial element of any article. Journalists collect evidence and over time create an informed piece of literature worth reading. Daniel however obviously tries to whack one out in the half hour before lunch, and with the 29 minutes remaining he writes a blog

My final criticism is that in a misguided attempt at originality the author starts the blog with a song title of quote, and ends it by embedding a YouTube video of the song. Hopefully upon realising how mainstream this procedure has become when blogging this woolly liberals head will explode, and we can be rid of his drivel.

I'll levae you with a poem by the fantastically origional Taylor Mali, on the importance of speaking with authority when forming your own, like, you know, opinions?