I'd have to say the thing that seems to be having the largest effect on the entertainment industry is the glut of product that's available to us. In the music biz bands come and go at the same rate images flash across your tv screen during a music video. There is no concern for quality it's all quantity and the fast buck. There is no place for creativity and invention in today's marketplace just reproduce the sound, or the image that sells. Should we blame the industry for that? I don't think so. They wouldn't be selling if someone wasn't buying. Mediocrity rules...isn't that what our country is all about now? We want it fast and we want it stupid. Don't make us think...don't make us work to engage ourselves.

  Remember the bell curve? Remember how that works? Well the fact of the matter is most folks are just mediocre. Yup, middle of the road. Let's think about that for a moment shall we? Because if most are mediocre then we have to factor in all those that are below average. Now nobody wants to hear this but that means the majority of the country is of average intelligence or worse. So where is that minority that is above average? You think they are in charge of things? You think they are minding the store? Of course they aren't! Hell, they're spread pretty thin. The mediocre guys are the ones running the show or worse the below average guys! Just look at our buffoon of a president. He's just an average joe. Not real bright but hey most of America can identify with him. He stumbles over words. Doesn't seem to understand the point he's trying to make sometimes and he resorts to platitudes and telling us what a great country and a great people we are when he gets confused. We like that don't we? Plus he doesn't seem to have a thing for blow-jobs and damn he's just a real nice guy. Well it's the same where ever you look. Corporate America, the entertainment industry, politics, even medical professionals. There just aren't that many geniuses out there and believe it or not a lot of these mediocre guys that are running the show don't want them around because it makes them look stupid. That's what they mean when they say we're "dumbing down America". We don't want to create quality, we don't want to nurture genius, we want to be lazy and damn it we want it in a hurry.

    Oh yeah, you wanted to know what happened to the "firebrands". Maybe you should have a closer look at who's serving you your "happy meal" at the drive thru window...isn't that the guy that was in that band...umm can't remember their name...what was it? David Baerwald recorded one of the best records of the 90's ("Triage") and everyone that bought it probably visits this site. I'd put that total at about 100 people. Most people just don't want to deal with anything at that level. This country is sleepwalking and can't wake up. If we do wake up well then we'll need to be deprogrammed, debriefed, debunked, and we'll have to defecate. We'll need an enema that reaches all the way up and rinses the gray matter. Thanks that is all.