SOTADTO: Saying One Thing And Doing The Other, Pt 1 of 2

Another virus is spreading through our industry: Peak Hypocrisy. But what else is new?

Let’s list out all the bullshit we are told in this business of ours, so the next time someone spits it to you, you can’t help but guffaw in their face.

Okay maybe don’t do that, but we have got to find a cure for this new disease and PDQ. FWIW, I am sure I too am going to spout some of that horrid bullshit. Please forgive me. I probably already have and yeah, PWLIGHSNTS — I get it. Like most things though, we are all guilty. This stuff gets ingrained in us. We start to believe it. And so often we think we may be the solution but actually we are still part of the problem. Let’s get out of the rut.

We should be compassionate though: they lie to your face because they often fully believe in what they say — despite all evidence to the contrary. They are the embodiment of delusion to Nth degree. They have bought into the company line even though it against their own self-interest. It’s slowly rotting them from the inside out. No wonder people believe there is a puppet master or some sort of conspiracy; we see through the false construct even without our glasses. Yet, we don’t see that we too are propagandists for a world and order we don’t believe in. With all the best intentions, we become pied pipers taking everyone for that long walk off the short pier.

They live again and again and again over and over and over again.

We are in the system and the system is within us. Don’t even hesitate to recognize this. It takes a lot of effort, collaboration, and course correction to free ourselves from cliche, superficial gesture, and overall empty actions. But we can. First you have to be willing to see it for what it is.

The funny thing is we know of ALL the bullshit and lies in our industry already. We are not stupid. We are not evil. We are not lazy. Many have called it out time and time and time again. Yet, we walk right back in the room and consume another cup of the daily sludge. What’s up with that?

First, it’s not like this is something new. The film industry runs on bullshit. Always has. And happily so. We reward it. Just look at how many movies get made: someone pitches an idea and someone buys it in the room. Everyone knows that every day of production there will be 10,000+ decisions to be made and no one can really predict the out come. Everyone knows that it is going to take years to prepare and meanwhile lots of things will change. Everyone knows that there will be very big personalities involved and that the best and the brightest consistently make dumbass decisions. And yet, things somehow still get done. And beautiful things result.

But why is it different now? Why is it worth calling attention to such common practice?

Our industry is full of bad practices that we continue to ignore. As a result things get worse. Monsters emerge. But, it doesn’t have to be that way.

We are told: “Keep your head down.” “Stay in your lane.” “It’s just how it’s done.” These recommendations perpetuate problems. End it now.

Call bullshit. You still love the film business and you certainly love movies, so isn’t it time to protect them? Everything is made better by dissent, resistance and sometimes even revolt. And yes, good person to person diplomacy works pretty damn well in most situations. It is at the core of democracy, and you say you love that still, don’t you? I hope so. Please express it. We’ve seen what happens when people just keep on, keeping on. We’ve seen what happens when we keep our mouth shut and look the other way. Aren’t you mad as hell? Something is wrong if you are not (and by the way, you can be MAH and still laugh, joke, play, love, and find things wondrous).

Yes there are common blockers. And it doesn’t stop with how our fear of reprisal is used to control our behavior. Particularly in the corporate world. Or the social media one. On top of all that we, or rather THEY in the corporate suits, try to cover up the bad practices that surround us with a whole variety of lame-ass empty gestures. Empty virtue signaling. Tokenism. False promises. Meaningless aphorisms. People just want to keep their jobs. Let’s take all those layers off and wear a new suit for a change. Isn’t it time to make things better?

And as I said, and will keep saying and reminding myself: I know I am guilty of sometimes SOTADTO. I want to change. And I do. I have. I still will too. But I also know I will keep making mistakes — as all of you will. I will forgive. I will be compassionate. That is, I will if I see they are also trying to do better. But let’s try a little forgiveness this year, shall we?

As you may have guessed by now, I think it ALL starts with close examination — interrogating — and then seeing the things we say and do clearly, making sure they help bring understanding, to not blur the truth of what we do and why we do it. This is the process we might want to follow. This is how they are going to show they are trying to do better. This is how we ALL will show we are trying to improve our practices. So where to begin, you ask? Well…

Tomorrow I will list out the Top 20 Examples Of SOTATDO That We Get Served Daily In The FKATFB’s Soup Kitchen.