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If you don’t use Twitter, and you have no idea what FriendFeed is, you probably have no idea what I am going to be talking about, but bear with me.
You see, there’s been a lot of crazy stuff happening on the Internet and it’s time I said something about it.
First of all, I have to say that I am a huge fan of Loren Feldman. Vinny and I had him on Information Salad as a guest back in September of last year. Loren Feldman is one of the most honest and real people I have met online. He is the example of a WYSIWYG person. What you see is what you get. It’s as simple as that.
Loren produces videos for the web and he is a master at what he does. It’s clear he is a natural when it comes to the “one take” video, and the topics he discusses are always hilarious. His videos are sometimes controversial, but they are supposed to be. Whether he is simply speaking, performing satire, or pushing one of his many puppets in front of the camera, there is a message to be heard. No matter what you think of the video or the message, they always make you think.
Last year he did a video titled, Technigga. It was a satirical piece about the apparent lack of black tech bloggers. While some people found the video offensive, many more took it for what it was, satire. Over the course of the past year, there has been a lot of discussion about that video. Because of the controversy, Loren was fired from PodTech and lost out on a couple of good deals. You can still view the video on blip.tv if you want to see what I am talking about. The fact remains, no matter how offensive people found the video, they were talking about the subject. No matter how offended people got, he made them think.
This week, after recently inking a deal with Verizon Wireless to provide video content on their Vcast network, activist groups were made aware of the video and Verizon suddenly cut all ties to Loren Feldman and his company, 1938 Media. That’s a shame really. Verizon had to have known about the video before they signed him. There has been a lot of discussion on FriendFeed the past couple days, about Verizon, about Loren, and of course, about that video. While I will not deny that the video might be offensive to some, I have to also state that I have heard much worse while listening to different rap artists (not that I spend much time doing that), on Saturday Night Live, MAD TV, and of course, on the internet. Now, just because I have heard worse does not make it right, I know that, but the fact that a lot of people are jumping onto the “that’s offensive” bandwagon really bothers me. Where is the vitriol when SNL portrays different politicians and celebrities as buffoons and idiots? Where are the calls for boycott when they do a skit with Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson? Why the sudden shock at this particular satire piece? Why the double standard? Think about it.
This evening I noticed a link on FriendFeed from Loren.
Video Blogger Dropped Over Racially Charged Posts : NPR
There has been so much coverage about this issue that I wasn’t going to listen to it. But the fact it was covered by NPR made me click the start button.
In the interview while discussing the video, Lynne D. Johnson, the senior editor of FastCompany.com says,
it’s basically something done as parody, described as parody and blackface, probably the most stereotypical depiction of a black person, an imagined black tech blogger with dreadlock wig and speaking in a slang
Lynne D. Johnson is a liar. Watch the video.
There is no blackface. She lied.
There is no dreadlock wig. She lied.
Was the video offensive to some? Of course, but that doesn’t change the fact she lied.
There is no disputing it. Watch the damn video. She simply lied.
According to their own description at their website, Fast Company claims the following:
“Award-winning Fast Company magazine and FastCompany.com cover the ideas, trends and individuals that are sparking change and creating the future of business.”
Is spreading lies their way to “spark change and create the future of business”? If so, they aren’t going to be around very long, and that is no lie.
So, what was her motive for lying?
Perhaps it has something to do with where she works? You see, Loren has spent months doing Shel Israel puppet videos. Shel Israel and Robert Scoble, who both happen to have been involved at PodTech when the shit hit the fan, now work at FastCompany.tv. Shel Israel has made it clear that he despises Loren and all things puppet related.
Was this a coincidence? I honestly doubt it. I think this was an orchestrated hit on Loren, and a very poor one at that. If you are going to try and take a position on a topic, you shouldn’t start out by lying about the topic in the first place. FastCompany should be held accountable for Johnson’s lies. Lynne D. Johnson was speaking as senior editor of FastCompany.com and as a result they now owe Loren an apology.
There was plenty of material in the Technigga video to talk about. There was plenty of opportunity to discuss the real issue, the real subject that was offending people. Instead, Lynne D. Johnson chose to spout lies to try and sway public opinion. She chose to slander Loren Feldman. Lynne D. Johnson made it clear that she thinks Loren got what was coming to him, so FastCompany should hold her accountable for her actions as well. Is there a better way to spark change and create the future of business, than putting your money where your mouth is?
Will they apologize? We’ll see. As for Lynne D. Johnson, she is a liar. Plain and simple. She is no longer relevant to anyone who wants to know the truth. NPR should be ashamed for running this piece without checking the facts. They should retract the story. Will they? We’ll see.
You may not like the Technigga video, you may not like the Shel Israel puppet, and you may not like Loren Feldman, but no matter what you think of him, what you see is what you get and he doesn’t have to lie to make his argument.
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