Hey comedy and podcast fans! It’s time for Rant & Wade-Episode 3!
That’s right, I have released the third episode thus far, which means that I will continue to release more, as I find more topics to rant about.
In this episode of the series, I talk about two issues that are near and dear to my heart, the Media and Diversity. You can listen to the podcast here, or watch it on YouTube if you want to see me in rose-coloured glasses, and to catch some of my fine AI art.
Audio version.
So what kind of crap can you expect me to be venting about in this one?
Media
As someone who has worked across international media for the past 25 years, I have seen some seismic shifts happening in the media landscape in the past decade.
Media giants have been buying each other up, major production companies gobbling independent studios, and a rash of bad judgement, and poor decisions on major commissioners.
In the UK, over 75% of the people who work in the media went to ‘private school’, which means that they were born rich, went to nice schools, and have had very little exposure to the raw or live media.
With such a stranglehold on media operations, there has been little movement to quell their dominance in the media, despite representing a small and privileged population.
It’s not just the top-dogs in the biz that are posh, many of the top actors, comedians and athletes that represent globally are fortunate to have come from small fortunes, that afford them the time, and commitment that many working 3 jobs can’t match.
The industry itself is diverse in what I have seen globally, with most pro-co’s and networks employing a vast degree of colour, sex and ability. This is great, but it also means that we don’t need to actively pursue diversity hiring, when we’re already swimming in it.
If we really want to be diverse in media, how about hiring more people over 40? What about hiring people that are less fortunate? How about the immigrants? What about encouraging new production companies, and setting a percentage of commissioning content budget to new indies?
Diversity
It seems pretty ripe about a 50 year, white male lamenting about diversity, but like any great movement, it needs to adapt it’s targeting.
I am specifically talking about ageism, classicism, and poverty discrimination.
If you haven’t experienced it yet, your ‘uselessness’ begins to show around 40, as many companies don’t see you as being as expendable, and a bit more set in your ways.As you hit 50, it starts to get very dry, as firms simply see you as expensive, or too experienced. 60, you’re supposed to retire, so those looking for work over 60, might as well start to look at begging. At 70? Forget about it. But that’s the problem, we have an aging population that is increasingly hitting the poverty mark.
Why can’t we find work for the over 50s’, when industries are bemoaning a lack of talent pool?
Classicism isn’t something you see per se as much in North America, but in England, it’s jolly old and ripe. The posh have a choke on the arts, politics, and media, and the public has merely accepted this as the class society that is. As an immigrant, I find it infuriating that they don’t stand up to it.
But as the kids say today into the wind ‘it is what it is.’
If you do like the podcasts, please let me know, although they are unedited, unscripted, and very raw dog. You can technically listen to them on a plane, and it’s still raw-dogging.
Please do make sure to like some of my Ai art designs, and reach out if you need anything done.