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

Heineken Helen

timmyshee wrote:

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.

Nice post... and I agree... sure, he's read SOME of his audience evidentally :? but, for the rest of us, this feels kinda like a big 'fuck you'. But hey, he's in work, so I'm sure he doesn't realise how this comes across either to those of us who aren't.

Good choice of quote too by the way

burtschips

timmyshee wrote:

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!

Yeah but I'm not saying that the just cause is Tom as an individual. I'm saying that the cause or issue that Ed has highlighted is how the economy has led to political cartoonists being cut from papers. And it is not just happening in Seattle, the West Coast, The USA or Northern America, it's happened to my local paper too. Ed has used Tom as an example to illustrate the point. Offer support if you want keep on reading the cartoons.

adropinthepark

Heineken Helen wrote:

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

Totally

I'm glad someone caught that.

The more I think about this, the more I feel like Ed (if not the entire band) is out of touch with the average fan.

Just feelin' :roll: :roll: :roll:

Heineken Helen

adropinthepark wrote:

Heineken Helen wrote:

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

Totally

I'm glad someone caught that.

The more I think about this, the more I feel like Ed (if not the entire band) is out of touch with the average fan.

Just feelin' :roll: :roll: :roll:

He's definitely out of touch with his fan club if that happened :oops:

vedderfan10

Stop taking this personally and understand it is a larger issue than just one guy.

To even imply that Ed is out of touch with his fans is really a hurtful thing to say about a band member you supposedly "adore", who goes to great lengths to do what he can for his fans. This is not about YOU, this is not about ME, this is not about ED...this is about the state of the ecomony and the state of modern society...

Think BIG PICTURE...

decides2dream

burtschips wrote:

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.

exactly.

Vedderfan10 wrote:

Stop taking this personally and understand it is a larger issue than just one guy.

To even imply that Ed is out of touch with his fans is really a hurtful thing to say about a band member you supposedly "adore", who goes to great lengths to do what he can for his fans. This is not about YOU, this is not about ME, this is not about ED...this is about the state of the ecomony and the state of modern society...

Think BIG PICTURE...

EXACTLY.


both posts so well stated.




adropinthepark - if your political cartoon thread from the old message board didn't make it's way to the new digs, along with a plethora of other threads i might add, why not start a new one? it's not like the mods closed it, they simply didn't move it. i think the MT could most definitely use more input.

Heineken Helen

Vedderfan10 wrote:

Stop taking this personally and understand it is a larger issue than just one guy.

To even imply that Ed is out of touch with his fans is really a hurtful thing to say about a band member you supposedly "adore", who goes to great lengths to do what he can for his fans. This is not about YOU, this is not about ME, this is not about ED...this is about the state of the ecomony and the state of modern society...

Think BIG PICTURE...

Huh??? I think Ed is fantastic... but I'm not gonna just idolise him and I can't believe you're using THAT as an argument. If I don't like something he said I'm supposed to just shut up about it? :? I doubt HE'D shut up if he didn't like something that I said :shock:

And it isn't about Ed... it's about something Ed said which I disagree with. If you're gonna debate that at least use a better argument than 'you love Ed so how can you say anything wrong about him?' seriously *shakes head*

And yeh, I know ALL about the state of the economy at the mo... don't get me bloody started... it's a sore subject, as it is for many here... which is why he risks rubbing salt in the wounds of MANY unemployed PJ fans. Oh and you're right... it's not about ME nor YOU... but I've lost count of the number of threads saying people lost their jobs.

vedderfan10

This not about job loss - it never was about job loss. It was about the fact that altnerate news sources are disappearing (and with them political cartoons), which means to a great extent a different perspective about the issues, world, political,or otherwise, will no longer be available and we will all be exposed to only one side of the issue...which ultimately means informed decisions can't be made.

there are plently of things that Ed says that a lot of people don't agree with, I hear you on that one. But a lot of people are still hung up on the fact that this is about one guy losing his job when it's not that insular.

and there have ALWAYS been out of work PJ fans and there always will be. Implying that Ed is only thinking about getting his friend's job back and is therefore out of touch with his fans kind of enforces the fact that a lot of people seem to be focusing on the wrong thing in his note...

decides2dream

Vedderfan10 wrote:

This not about job loss - it never was about job loss. It was about the fact that altnerate news sources are disappearing (and with them political cartoons), which means to a great extent a different perspective about the issues, world, political,or otherwise, will no longer be available and we will all be exposed to only one side of the issue...which ultimately means informed decisions can't be made.

there are plently of things that Ed says that a lot of people don't agree with, I hear you on that one. But a lot of people are still hung up on the fact that this is about one guy losing his job when it's not that insular.

and there have ALWAYS been out of work PJ fans and there always will be. Implying that Ed is only thinking about getting his friend's job back and is therefore out of touch with his fans kind of enforces the fact that a lot of people seem to be focusing on the wrong thing in his note...

excellent post.
it's not about accepting any/everything ed says, far from it! it's simply about understanding what he's saying...whether you agree or disagree with it's premise! absolutely, all should call out when they disagree, but to say it's a 'fuck you to fans'.....or insensitive, or out of touch with the fanbase or whatever else...it's just not getting the message presented. within the first few sentences he specifically said he's sure most of us know people affected! it's not meant to be "personal", it's meant to illuminate a larger issue, and he did so through the confines of one specific example, one political cartoonist he happens to know. don't think the issue is worth discussing or supporting, fair enough....but don't shoot the messenger in the process.

and again...

burtschips wrote:

i guess it's how you read it. I don't read it that he is asking us to save *Tom (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.

exactly!

have a great evening all!

adropinthepark

decides2dream wrote:

adropinthepark - if your political cartoon thread from the old message board didn't make it's way to the new digs, along with a plethora of other threads i might add, why not start a new one? it's not like the mods closed it, they simply didn't move it. i think the MT could most definitely use more input.

Political cartoons have a powerful history in the United States. Many cartoonists were the Jon Stewarts of their day, quickly cutting complex issues to their cores. Decades before the Revolutionary War, Ben Franklin sketched a disjointed snake to rally the colonies to unity, creating a lasting symbol of the time. Herb Block’s incisive visual commentaries played a significant role in the public perception of Watergate. Alt-weeklies have provided a home to some of our finest subversive comic art, from Bill Griffith’s “Zippy the Pinhead” to Simpsons-creator Matt Groening’s “Life in Hell.”



-Ed

Helen got it. It's absolutely ironic that Ed would ask fans to support a political cartoon, because they have such a powerful history, yet a thread dedicated to them didn't make the cut on their own website when they changed boards. The sentiment doesn't match what happens with their shit. That's all. And it makes it that much more unlikely that I, personally, will give the plea any creedence.

And yeah, I may make a new thread at some point. Though, I'm still bummed that the most frequent contributors have been turned off/away out by the payola format of this new board.

decides2dream

adropinthepark wrote:

decides2dream wrote:

adropinthepark - if your political cartoon thread from the old message board didn't make it's way to the new digs, along with a plethora of other threads i might add, why not start a new one? it's not like the mods closed it, they simply didn't move it. i think the MT could most definitely use more input.

Political cartoons have a powerful history in the United States. Many cartoonists were the Jon Stewarts of their day, quickly cutting complex issues to their cores. Decades before the Revolutionary War, Ben Franklin sketched a disjointed snake to rally the colonies to unity, creating a lasting symbol of the time. Herb Block’s incisive visual commentaries played a significant role in the public perception of Watergate. Alt-weeklies have provided a home to some of our finest subversive comic art, from Bill Griffith’s “Zippy the Pinhead” to Simpsons-creator Matt Groening’s “Life in Hell.”



-Ed

Helen got it. It's absolutely ironic that Ed would ask fans to support a political cartoon, because they have such a powerful history, yet a thread dedicated to them didn't make the cut on their own website when they changed boards. The sentiment doesn't match what happens with their shit. That's all. And it makes it that much more unlikely that I, personally, will give the plea any creedence.

And yeah, I may make a new thread at some point. Though, I'm still bummed that the most frequent contributors have been turned off/away out by the payola format of this new board.

i *got it* too...however, i don't quite see it in the same light as you. it is pure dumb luck that your political cartoon thread did not make the move over here. of course we all can only hypothesize, but i highly doubt the mods sat there, reviewing EVERY thread on the board in every forum, picking and choosing what threads to move and what not. i have no idea the rhyme or reason behind how or why any threads got moved.....but i don't think it was 'personal'...and it certainly wasn't a decision made by ed. :P i also doubt that the mods, or anyone, truly knew ed's thoughts on political cartoons, until now. one again could hypothesize, but only now do we truly known he personally deems them important.

again, i understand if people disgree if it's an important issue - absolutely subjective. what i disagree with is the judgement of character, the thoughts of insult, the anger, the idea of a 'fuck you to the fans'....why? b/c ed mentioned a cause important to him, one he personally deems worthy, and he shared information with his fans that, for those who do feel/agree strongly with him on it....actions they could take to support the art. that is all. i wonder if he didn't 'personalize' the story but mentioning an artist friend of his hard hit...and simply discussed the demise of potical cartoons in alternative new sources, if any would take offense? i personally think his friend's dilemma really illuminated the issue to ed, and thus when he thought about it....he saw the greater scheme, the importance of the issue in his mind. i think burtschips stated it perfectly...focusing on one to show the many....

as to the format change...it is what it is......and it's our choice to be here, or not, and not something i would personally waste my time and lament - but sure, we've lost a lot of great fans posting along the way. i guess i personally don't 'expect' much from a rock band outside of great music, even one i truly respect....and certainly not enough to ever get 'angry' with their personal thoughts or sharing them with their fans. i see what pearl jam do outside of making music, and all i can see is good - so much effort on the behalf of others, and i personally cannot see fault in that. c'est la vie.

LL624

I have to admit....I was set a little sideways by this shout out. So I think I will use this forum to help promote my husband who has been unemployed for 11 months. We have barely been able to keep our house. If anyone is interested in hiring a heavy equipment operator with 15 year experience, let me know! He served his country in Iraq and since leaving the military...employment has been hit and miss. I have been unable to afford all the glorious goods that ooze commercialism provided by the tenclub. The last few years of pearl jam fandom seem to be overshadowed by "stuff", to which I cannot afford....feeding my kids and keeping our house is more of a priority. I still manage to get my volunteer work in though....gotta love the SPCA & PAWS! I will cling to news of a new album (it's all about the music!) and try not to become embittered by all the commercialism and goodies.

I send my best to all of those who are dealing with difficult times....it will pass.
Peace & Love!