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Post by jill on Jun 21, 2007 20:34:47 GMT
When I visited the site late this afternoon after work, I noticed a Guardian feature listed which was Shane writing about TIE (details on 'We Need Your Eyes and Ears'). Interesting read. I've reproduced some of it below. It inspired me to start a discussion, because I'm curious about people's responses-not just an excuse to start a barney because the site's gone quiet of late (really, would I do that?) I have my own views (surprisingly  ) but would be interested to hear what other people think. Is Shane right? 'As I started to make the film, other themes started to interest me...... .......In many ways the country was a mess. The miners' strike was massive ............You had all the protesters and unrest ..........But remembering all of these things made me nostalgic for a time when people were ready to stand up and say something. People cared about where the country was going. As the 1980s ended we had the poll tax riots which turned out to be the end of an era. Afterwards, it was like the nation lost its backbone. People were bought off. They were given a little bit of land, the right to buy their council house and put a little satellite dish on the front of it. They became content and lost their will to rock the boat. The big difference between now and the period in which my film is set is our level of isolation. In 1983, people still cared about society as a whole but now they'll keep their mouth shut as long as they've got the house, the job and the car they want. If you were a kid in 1983, you wouldn't have a PlayStation to sit indoors alone with. You got your entertainment from mixing with a variety of different people. While making the film, I realised that all of my fondest childhood memories surrounded human contact: mucking about with mates or going camping. In 2007, people put less emphasis on that sort of thing and more on planning their careers and their TV viewing. As far as I'm concerned, if you're working from nine to five then coming home to watch shows that your Sky box has recorded for you while you were out, you might as well be on a fucking drip.' |
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Post by DeLarge on Jun 21, 2007 20:50:50 GMT
Absolutely spot on.
The Country and society today is a complete and utter mess.
Politically Correctness mad, cotton wool nation with regards to children and as mentioned above everyone is out for themselves.
The justice system is in bits and corrupt, hospitals and the government at an all time low. Society only really unites on misery as sad as it might be look at the public/newspapers OTT and overhyped reaction to that one young missing girl. Despite thousands of kids missing every day.
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Post by PatrickCoyle on Jun 21, 2007 22:41:26 GMT
Everyone's too numbed by comfort to care about the things that are wrong. People's beliefs are generally false, too... Or at least they aren't bothered enough to do anything about them until they are directly affected. People will say they believe in all manner of high-fallutin' bullshit just to show off, but their actions betray their true apathy. "That war's really wrong, you know... Ooh, Big Brother's on!"
There may never be another revolution.
I absolutely love this bit: "As far as I'm concerned, if you're working from nine to five then coming home to watch shows that your Sky box has recorded for you while you were out, you might as well be on a fucking drip." I loved it at the time. I remember showing it to a friend of mine and she just couldn't grasp it. As far as she was concerned, that life is just the life that adults lead.
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Post by Dave on Jun 22, 2007 0:45:18 GMT
I absolutely love this bit: "As far as I'm concerned, if you're working from nine to five then coming home to watch shows that your Sky box has recorded for you while you were out, you might as well be on a fucking drip." I loved it at the time. I remember showing it to a friend of mine and she just couldn't grasp it. As far as she was concerned, that life is just the life that adults lead. It is adult life for most people though. I tried it for six months. For some reason I had it in my head that it was a 'proper job' compared to the fun of working in a cinema that I had been doing previously. It didn't take long for me to realise that it was infact worse than being in prison! Back to the cinema stuff again now. A job you like is worth so much more than a well paid job you loathe. |
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Post by large michael on Jun 22, 2007 10:56:02 GMT
i think Dave has a good point but only if you are single. I swore i'd never do a 9-5 job, and i managed this until i was 34, which isnt bad, but if you have kids and you want to live somewhere where your windows arent likely to be put through, then you have to pay, which means getting the best paid job you can.in an ideal world, you should only do what you want, but we dont live in one of those. The more you hate your life, the more forms of escapism you search out.after a 12 hour shift and a journey home, most people are'nt up to anything more than vegetating, thats why BB is so popular, why else watch other people doing the same as yourself? its coma t.v, it requires nothing of you.....We are apathetic and lazy, and it has got worse, but the ghettoisation of our existence( and i dont mean bling bling) means that we are effectively living on a drip, fed the news without thought (pick up a copy of the sun, see how many times you can find the words"single mother" or "immigrant") and we are too knackered to notice or care. I imagine Shane enjoys his life immensely, and im glad he does, but its hardly typical to the rest of us, is it?
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Post by Dave on Jun 22, 2007 12:01:04 GMT
I agree LargeMichael. After I posted that, I did think that Shane is commenting from a unique position really. It's fine to make the 'drip' comment, but so many people really do not have the luxury of avoiding the 9-5.
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Post by carolyn on Jun 22, 2007 12:31:39 GMT
I think that mortgages, consumerism and personal debt have also tied people into this country and the banks are part of a big crushing machinery working in conjunction with the government. Apparently, Mrs Thatcher had said that it was a good idea to give everybody a mortgage (although I don't have one myself - I'm not earning enough to get one) and has led to the control that now exists in this country. Whilst freeing up people and giving them the opportunity to buy council houses the people were being trapped on a different level and freeing the government from the responsibility of paying for the plumbing. I work for solicitors, many of them high earners, and they are no more free than people earning less money really. I mean, at the end of the day, where are you going when you owe £300,000? Whilst tying people into debt and then bringing in people from overseas (and I do not in any way mean this as racist, because who wouldn't move for greater opportunities) that also ensures that the wages bill is kept down. Just a thought that's all. Carolyn  |
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Post by billywizz on Jun 22, 2007 12:31:41 GMT
It seems to me there's two points here........firstly that kids don't go out playing in the street and sit at home playing computers and getting fat - I think's that's fair, a lot of it down to the media convincing everyone that there's a nonce on every corner waiting to abduct your kid.....
As for the second point......is the point not that people have to work nine to five, but how depressing it is that after doing that all you do is go home and watch telly....? Everyone I know (bar a few students) has to work, some enjoy it more than others but everyone has to get paid don't they....? If all you do outside of work is sit and catch up on tv you've missed then you are on a fucking drip.....
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Post by shanemeadows on Jun 22, 2007 12:40:30 GMT
The unique position I am in? I wasn't handed my life by jesus youth! Risks baby, risks!
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Post by carolyn on Jun 22, 2007 12:46:40 GMT
I could take small risks and have little business ideas or arty stuff that I can do in my spare time but I have to work full time and meet my payments, therefore I work as a secretary. Just don't fancy prison that's all. Anyway, this is not a sob story, loads of people start up part time ventures and it leads to things, so let's reach for the stars and go for gold. ;D
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Post by DeLarge on Jun 22, 2007 12:51:55 GMT
Thats it. If I have to work 'properly' it's usually prefered to me to do a 9-5 job. I used to have to give up my weekends for work and that was hellish.
Having to arrange the football around shifts and that complete no-no and something I won't do. If I'm free at the weekend to go to various places up and down the Country then it's worthwhile.
The way I see it Shane has a unique talent and he's using it and fair play.
I bet he had many years of struggle initially to get where he is now though.
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Post by jtrodreigez on Jun 22, 2007 12:52:57 GMT
The unique position I am in? I wasn't handed my life by jesus youth! Risks baby, risks! We were all handed our life by The Jesus brother Shane, |
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Post by Dave on Jun 22, 2007 13:05:57 GMT
The unique position I am in? I wasn't handed my life by jesus youth! Risks baby, risks! That's fair comment. You have created your own unique position, but where's the tale of the chap who took risks and ended up ruined?  |
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Post by PatrickCoyle on Jun 22, 2007 13:27:53 GMT
That's fair comment. You have created your own unique position, but where's the tale of the chap who took risks and ended up ruined? I think that tale got drowned out by the tales of the chaps who took security instead of risks. Shane's right - there's no magical selection process for who gets to do things they enjoy... It's because most people just give up* and become a number. *When people say "grow up" they usually mean "give up." |
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Post by billywizz on Jun 22, 2007 13:39:02 GMT
The unique position I am in? I wasn't handed my life by jesus youth! Risks baby, risks! That's fair comment. You have created your own unique position, but where's the tale of the chap who took risks and ended up ruined? it was made into a film called 'Rogue Trader'....Ewan MacGregor was in it but it was quite poor.... |
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) but would be interested to hear what other people think. Is Shane right?
