"This Modern World Needs Your Help" - Note from Ed

SB316

I agree with Cinnamon Girl- Eddie will always be Eddie-and will always speak out. If you love Eddie you accept and know this.of course you don't have to agree with him on anything. I think he was just trying to help a friend out. And about the cause being about an cartoon artist and cartoons...my mother is a nurse and her job is very very stressful..our local cartoons help her cope on a level with her job..I don't know if Tom is in our paper? But I can understand what Eddie is trying to do.

Fahka

Dude, the man didn't demand that anyone do it. ... Him helping just one person (and trying to help a failing industry) might spark someone else with a voice to do the same thing. How the fuck could anybody posting on this thread have an issue with someone being helped out? Even if the dude was just "laid off" who the fuck cares? Some of the posts on this thread disgust me.. i just don't fn get it. I personally am glad to see ed back to his old ways of mentioning shit that maters. In fact, i think their should be an entire forum where ed can write about stuff he thinks we should know about it. I truly hope he continues to be more vocal on subjects such as this one. .. keep it up brother! A lot could be learned from you. Speaking as a younger jamface , i know their are tons of very young and influential people who are connected/drawn to this band who could truly use a positive role model (such as vedward) in this day and time. If i hadn't had people like the members of this band in my life at a super young age, i'm almost positive i'd be an empty vessel or at least a shit head

vedderfan10

You know...on the surface, the title of Ed's note is right - aside from cartoonists, bail outs, politics...THIS modern world does need our help...We can do this one person, one dollar at a time...clean up your beach, give a homeless shelter and bunch of PowerBars (or whatever brand you want), donate to the food bank, walk a dog at the SPCA, get educated, be a big bother/sister...whatever...this modern world needs our help!

Fifthelement

Vedderfan10 wrote:

You know...on the surface, the title of Ed's note is right - aside from cartoonists, bail outs, politics...THIS modern world does need our help...We can do this one person, one dollar at a time...clean up your beach, give a homeless shelter and bunch of PowerBars (or whatever brand you want), donate to the food bank, walk a dog at the SPCA, get educated, be a big bother/sister...whatever...this modern world needs our help!

Hear hear. Nicely put Vedderfan10.

Peanut butter is much appreciated at homeless shelters. Lot's of protein, takes awhile to digest and very portable.

Heineken Helen

CranMalReign wrote:

First, I'll start by saying this forum sucks b/c I typed up a nice long reply and when I hit "submit", it logged me out and scrapped everything.

Now back to the topic...

I believe in free speech. I believe Ed has the right to say what he wants to whom he wants how he wants. I believe I have the right to note the irony in Ed's completely narrow focus to the benefit of his buddy.

I know the importance of political commentary. I also know the importance of a paycheck. But if fewer people get their political and social hahas and Tom gets less income b/c of a decision of the big mean paper company, I think that's ok. Why? The alternative is the big mean paper company giving the axe to more low-wage workers, more copy editors, more desk jockies. That's $0 a year salary for those folks. That's soup kitchen. That's living under a highway overpass that stinks like piss.

I feel for Tom. It sucks. Maybe if I knew Ed, he could have you all write a letter to my mortgage company since I owe more than my house is worth. Then the tens of thousands of dollars they cut out of my principle would equate to some customer service rep's salary, perhaps.

Ed's narrow, biased focus is ironic. I wouldn't have expected such a plea from him on his band's website. Everyone is suffering, many moreso than Tom. Just doesn't feel appropriate given the circumstances and I'm a little disappointed. I know there's no gun to anyone's head... just, a little disconcerting.

couldn't have said it better... I feel for Tom seriously... cos I know EXACTLY what he's going through... worse even!

So no, I won't be taking time out from my day sending cv's to potential employers to write a letter to save the political cartoon industry :? Seriously?????????????????

And yes, the timing and the wording couldn't be much worse! :roll: This just takes the biscuit really!

Heineken Helen

FinsburyParkCarrots wrote:

I think some of the detractors here are missing Ed's point, which is a good one that anyone with a minimum of artistic sensibility or understanding of art's social force should be able to grasp. This isn't about Ed "and his kooky blog", which no-one said but one or two implied. This is about the future of political art. If it can't survive in alt-weeklies, we're really in trouble. More than a million ephemeral column-inches, we need art as a mirror up to our nature, in order to understand who we are. If the artists lose their platform in a recession, we're all lost. Art is worth more than journalism. It lasts longer in the mind, too.

It's one thing to be broke. It's another thing to be broke and clueless, with no barometer or voice out there, gauging the measure of the times.


Ed's not just helping a buddy. He's not meaning to be insensitive to plumbers and bricklayers in testing times, by saying "My middle-class artisan chum hasn't anywhere to publish his work." You could spin his words like that, if you want to. However, if you value art with a bit of bite, that challenges you or pisses you off, whatever side of the political fence you stand, you owe it to yourself and to your children to protect the artists from extinction.

Show the demand, and the supply will be maintained.

If people were buying the work, this wouldn't be an issue. Since when have newspapers become charities? And I'm sorry, but I can't see art dying cos we're in a recession... there've been millions of recessions. They may simply have to go back to being BROKE artists... but art itself will never die.

Heineken Helen

arthurdent wrote:

FinsburyParkCarrots wrote:

Art is worth more than journalism.

Bullshit!!!! I work as a designer for a weekly publication, so I'm in the thick of this. Which would you rather lose, a "cartoon" which can be published online, or an investigative journalist? Reporters and designers and editors (at least the good ones) are a dying breed as it is. And shrinking budgets industrywide are forcing a lot of hard choices right now.

agreed... fins ya know I love ya and it's a rare occasion when I'll argue anything with ya... cos it's not gonna end well for me but yep, art may be WORTH more financially than journalism... only cos people with money to burn want stuff... but journalism certainly IS a dying breed. We're quite lucky on this side of the pond but look what's happened in the states? If you put art before journalism, well then we're all fucked. I'm certainly not denying the importance of art :shock: far from it! But people don't buy newspapers JUST for the comics... if these papers need to cut a comic to keep the paper going... well it's even in the artists best interest. They're doing what they can to stay open and possibly be able to give him his job back in a while. But I don't think they should sack a journalist to keep a comic :?

I'm sorry but I just think it's seriously insensitive. Sure Ed can say what he wants and it's nice that he's trying to help a friend out... but, for whatever reason, it's actually making me angry! I'm sure you'll all argue back and go on about the importance of art or whatever... but seriously right now I don't give a fuck... all I want is to find a job for myself, not somebody else, and I don't CARE how selfish that sounds.

decides2dream

Vedderfan10 wrote:

You know...on the surface, the title of Ed's note is right - aside from cartoonists, bail outs, politics...THIS modern world does need our help...We can do this one person, one dollar at a time...clean up your beach, give a homeless shelter and bunch of PowerBars (or whatever brand you want), donate to the food bank, walk a dog at the SPCA, get educated, be a big bother/sister...whatever...this modern world needs our help!

well said.


ed, or anyone else who has a public voice and avenues to use that voice for good....can and should, whenever they can, for whatever causes move them. i imagine if i had a friend in need, and/or art or industry that i believed in....and i had a way to reach a large audience to help said friend, assist said art/industry, bring to light an issue dear to me, you bet i would. i also would not expect all to agree with me, as i doubt ed does.....but you bet, i would say and do what i can. personally, i applaud ed for being a supportive friend, and sure, using his voice to bring further illumination, and possibly support, to something he believes in. i can't understand why that might make anyone 'angry' at all.....but as ever, differing perspectives.

Heineken Helen

decides2dream wrote:

well said.


ed, or anyone else who has a public voice and avenues to use that voice for good....can and should, whenever they can, for whatever causes move them. i imagine if i had a friend in need, and/or art or industry that i believed in....and i had a way to reach a large audience to help said friend, assist said art/industry, bring to light an issue dear to me, you bet i would. i also would not expect all to agree with me, as i doubt ed does.....but you bet, i would say and do what i can. personally, i applaud ed for being a supportive friend, and sure, using his voice to bring further illumination, and possibly support, to something he believes in. i can't understand why that might make anyone 'angry' at all.....but as ever, differing perspectives.

You have a job don't ya? So obviously you wouldn't understand why it would make somebody angry. I don't even understand why I'm angry but this is serious bullshit... the state of the world today and he wants us to save comic strips??? :shock:

I agree he's a right to say what he wants and obviously it's nice he's supporting his friend... but seriously... how many threads have there been about people losing their jobs HERE? It's insensitive to say the least.

vedderfan10

I think the point of this was to get people to DO something..What's with the personal digs anyway...

Obviously you know nothing about Ed if you want to call him insensitive...His post is actually about the greater good and not just one guy. Tom Tomorrow has other things in the works and he's going to be OK. The points is that by limiting political concerns is limiting your access to different perspectives. Political cartoons make people think, or get people angry enough to want to DO something...

I encourage people to read Ed's message again and leave out your personal issues. Yes, everyone knows it sucks more than a lot of things to be out of work...yes it's a blow to your sense of worth...but by taking a stand against or for an issue - that is doing something and it does help improve your sense of self-worth...

This band does so much for so many people and groups...to call one of them insensitive is really quite lame. Ed asks for our help - he's a hipocrite; MTV Unplugged (which was previously unavailable until the band felt ready to realease it because of public demand) is edited and now people are criticizing the band for releasing something the fans wanted....I don't know...

To those of you who have responed favourably to Ed's request - Good on you!!

Heineken Helen

What personal insults? From MY Personal view, it's insensitive... I don't mean Ed MEANT to be insensitive :roll: but that's how it comes across. He said something, I agree with his right to say it and commend him for sticking up for a friend... but I've got the right to say 'Seriously??? Ed????'

Get over it

vedderfan10

"You have a job, don't ya?" So obviously you wouldn't understand why somebody would be angry?" seemed a bit of a personal dig. Hence my use of the word obviously in my reply...whatever. I shouldn't have gone there...

Right. Well, I'm off to clean my beach or chain myself to a tree...and then watch the Mercer Report and learn a few more things about what's going on in Ottawa... maybe I'll write a letter to my MP or MLA about something..

adropinthepark

Too bad my political cartoons thread didn't make it over in the move. :roll:

Heineken Helen

Vedderfan10 wrote:

"You have a job, don't ya?" So obviously you wouldn't understand why somebody would be angry?" seemed a bit of a personal dig. Hence my use of the word obviously in my reply...whatever. I shouldn't have gone there...

Right. Well, I'm off to clean my beach or chain myself to a tree...and then watch the Mercer Report and learn a few more things about what's going on in Ottawa... maybe I'll write a letter to my MP or MLA about something..

It wasn't a personal dig... I just meant that I can understand why people with jobs may not understand why I'm angry about it.

I'm off out to find a job

adropinthepark... that's one of the funniest, yet saddest, things I've read in a long time... the irony.

decides2dream

interesting. so if a fan has a disease, other than chrohns and colitis, a disease that mike has and raises countless funds and awareness for....i should be "angry" or think mike "insensitive", b/c i have some other disease he's not raising funds or awareness about? or if ed and pearl jam raise lots of funds and awareness for the surfrider foundation, b/c well....ed and boom like to surf....all of em care about the ocean....should i consider them insesitive and be angry b/c they don't do more for whales? hell, even the david lynch foundation gig that ed will be participating in, along with paul mccartney and a whole host of artists, to raise funds and awareness for children and meditation.....should i be angry or think it insensitive b/c i may personally think raising funds for hungry children is more important? should all the soldiers from the iraqi war think ed is insensitive b/c he put a lot of focus on ONE solder, and participated in the film body or war?


of course not.


that's the whole point of using your voice for causes and people YOU deem personally important. no one person, nor group, can change the world, alone...but they CAN work towards things THEY deem important, and work towards the greater good. ALL of pearl jam do SO MUCH for SO MANY causes, probably more than we are even aware. and by highlighting ONE cause, or ONE person, does not mean ed, pearl jam or anyone...deems others less important.....it's merely raising awareness of something, or someone, dear to them. we all do it. whenever we decide to give to charity, whenever we go out of our way to support someone/thing we personally believe in. someone trying to do something GOOD....even if it's not a cause you personally believe in, well i just can't see the anger or insensitivity....and it has nothing to do with the fact that i am thankfully employed at the moment. as i said initially, differing perspectives...but you bet...i find it amazing to think anyone could be 'angry'...or think it 'insensitive'...for ed, or anyone, to try to exert some influence, garner support, for a cause he personally believes in.

burtschips

woooaaa. D2D, good to 'see' you. hope you're good.

I totally support this. Ed has used an example personal to him to highlight an issue that is occurring all over the world due to the economy. Same thing here in little old Norwich, UK. Good for him for trying to defend a voice that cuts the big boys down to size.

Don't be negative because he has provided one example to set the scene. It's a fucking huge motion picture.

good luck to all having a hard time.

i shit and i stink

He's trying to help a friend, but it just seems inappropriate somehow to stick it out there on his band's home page. My business hasn't gone under; however, we are fighting to our last drop of sweat to keep it that way and nobody is eulogising about the importance of my job on a huge international website.

I like Ed - hell, we all love him - but I don't think he's really read his audience on this one. Asking a group of people who are almost certainly worse off than the guy who writes cartoons and has published several books to help him is a bit of a stretch. I sympathise but if his cartoon was really that good and meaningful it would have survived the cuts.

For all of you out there who are suffering emotionally, physically, mentally and putting your loved ones through the mill because of this crisis, just remember... we'll keep taking punches until their will grows tired.

burtschips

i guess it's how you read it. I don't read it that he is asking us to save Brian (ehm) but he has given us one example personal to him. That's all and he has focused on a subjet that he thinks needs to be highlighted.

Yeah he's got a pretty big platform but in terms of a just cause I think this is one.

burtschips

Sorry, I just realised the cartoonists name is TOM not Brian... woops, sorry Tom. Same difference to me though.

i shit and i stink

I'm not really disputing that it is a 'just cause', I just think that there are a lot of other 'just causes' reading at pearljam.com who might feel a bit disillusioned that this guy is being highlighted and they are not, especially when he is undoubtedly better off than most of them.

Mind you, I also understand that if I shun helping this guy I'm not exactly putting out good karma. I suppose what goes around comes arround, so I should help him if I want anyone to help me out.

Then again, should you help others simply because you think you'll get help in return?

Man, this 'doing the right thing' stuff is difficult!