COM 117

On Friday I watched Off Label, a film co-directed by Michael Palmieri and Donal Mosher that was a part of the Human Rights Film Festival. It was a very moving documentary, following the lives of eight individuals whose lives are severely impacted by the commercialization of medicine. The subjects vary from human guinea pigs to mothers affected by psychiatric studies. It was truly eye opening to see the prevalence of mental illness in the United States and how it is dealt with.

Before the film started, Palmieri advised the audience to “try and look at this film not as strictly an advocacy film,” which definitely opened mine and I’m assuming the rest of the audience’s mind as it cleared our filters. Granted, it was definitely a challenge to not view this as an advocacy film, but what I took away from it was a series of very raw and very moving stories – for the main purpose of storytelling.

I felt a connection with the subjects; I empathized with every one. In the after-showing Q&A, Palmieri said that he filmed many subjects, including people in the professional field, but the eight subjects whose story he chose to tell were the most “static.” Behind their stories was so much raw emotion that was impossible to recreate. These individuals understood the corruption behind the commercialization of medicine, but were victims to it nonetheless. Andrew Duffy, a veteran struggling with PTSD treatment said, “I don’t need medication; I need help. If you give me medication, give me medication that helps.” He has an entire bin of medication that has been prescribed to him, and all he really wants is a support system to talk to. When interviewing a series of young people in Rochester, Minnesota, they were listing off the medications they have been prescribed, and most of them couldn’t even pronounce everything they were taking. It has become such a simple solution for doctors to just prescribe drugs to patients, send them off and say, “I hope these work.”

Richard Wolff is an economist and visiting professor at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. Wolff gave an open lecture on September 27 on the “evils” of capitalism. An outspoken critic of our economic system, Wolff touched based on a wide range of topics, including the history of capitalism, capitalism in the United States today, and how we must go about reforming our economy.

According to Wolff, capitalism originally thrived due to a shortage of labor: we simply did not have enough people to work, or enough people willing to work. In the South, the problem was solved with the introduction of slavery. However, in the North, where slaves were not commonly held, businesses had to find other ways to attract workers. Between the 1820s and the 1970s, this was done by continuously raising wages. But by the 1970s, labor shortages were no longer an issue. With the advent of computers, more and more women entering the workforce, and the wave of immigration, corporations no longer had a pressing demand for American workers. Wolff stated that Americans now perform more hours of work than any other population around the world. They are literally “working themselves to death” to keep up with rising cost of living. To help meet these rising costs, it is also at this time that we started seeing the borrowing of massive quantities of money, burying families in debt.

“Capitalism is abandoning the areas in which it grew,” Wolff said.  Corporations moved overseas to foreign markets. They employed non-American workers in areas where wages were extremely low. It was cheap, more “efficient,” more “economic” labor.

As with many economies, our’s clearly has its problems as Wolff pointed out all too eagerly. (A rather tender nerve was struck when someone haplessly mentioned WalMart, a corporation which for him evidently represents capitalism at its worst.)  However, I did not necessarily agree with the reforms he subsequently proposed. Referring back to Roosevelt during the Great Depression of the 1930s, Wolff highlighted many key changes the president introduced to fix the economic crisis. After being lobbied by unions, socialists, and pro-communist groups, Roosevelt understood the need for social and economic  justice. He wanted to close the economic gap that is still prevalent today. To do this, Roosevelt created an unemployment compensation program, which equates best to our current welfare system; a social security system to help the elderly; and proposed a plan to tax the rich and corporations. Roosevelt’s tax plan included a 100% tax on any income exceeding $25,000 year. This proposal was reduced to 94% after passing through Congress. When discussing Roosevelt’s reforms, Wolff became very passionate. He clearly agreed with many of these types of broad-reaching reforms.  But not everyone agrees this approach is applicable in today’s economy. I am included in this group.

While I found myself disagreeing with Wolff on his ideas to democratize the economy and expand our welfare system, his lecture was stimulating. It is when listening to people that you disagree with most that your own opinions become more carefully defined.

Robert Draper visited Newhouse this Thursday to talk about his rather exuberant career in magazine journalism. First deciding to become a writer because “it was the only thing I could do well,” Draper had ample encouragement at an early age to pursue his talent. Originally aspiring to be a novelist, Draper stated that it took him a while to turn his “juvenile interest into a career.” Like many of us, Draper was unsure of what exactly he wanted to do. Yes, he entered college in hopes of becoming an author, however, he left as a free-lancer, writing for any magazine that would take him. To me, it is people like Draper who are clearly passionate about their careers. Making very, very little money, as he put it, Draper took on whatever stories he could. It was not about pay or notoriety, but rather doing as much as he could and proving that he was capable of succeeding in this field. “I prefer the dabbling approach,” he stated, doing a little bit of this and that, never limiting himself. Today, Draper continues to writer for a number of magazines, most notably The New York Times and National Geographic.

For The New York Times, Draper writers about domestic politics. Mainly focusing on Republican figures, Draper has written pieces about people as acclaimed as George W. Bush. Bush was one of the first public figures Draper wrote about. I find it compelling to have the opportunity to meet such luminaries in the field. You get the chance to interact with them, interview them, and hold conversations with them. During the lecture, Draper even went on to discuss the things he has learned about Bush since doing stories on him; “he’s a very intelligent guy but intellectually lazy,” “a great polemicist…able to pick out the weak link,” has “rigorous intelligence,” is “very complex.” Overall, Draper has come into contact with a variety of notable persons within politics. He is considered the “republican explainer” to The New York Times’ liberal readers.

In addition to being a writer for The New York Times, Draper has also done a considerable amount of work for National Geographic. When talking about travel writing, Draper stated how it is no “luxury” vacation. There are no nice hotels in the south of France, or wonderful sights to be held as you walk through the streets of Italy. It is visiting places where there are stories to be told; war stricken, poverty ridden, distressed countries. For Draper, this included places such as Madagascar, Libya, the Congo, Afghanistan, and, the most memorable in my opinion, Somalia. Somalia was the first truly dangerous places Draper visited to retrieve a story. It was at the time when Doctors Without Borders was the last U.S. organization present in the area. People with the organization said it was senseless for Draper and his co-workers to go into Somalia at this point. “You would either be killed or kidnapped” when leaving your hotel, one person told him. However, Draper and his team decided to proceed. Immediately upon arrival “we were targeted for assassination,” Draper said. After he had received permission to stay without fear of prosecution, Draper went on to interview natives, surrounded by heavily armed security. “You can’t interview people when you’re surrounded by guns. But in Somalia, I had no choice.” It was also in Somalia that Draper met Amanda Lindhout, a name many perhaps are familiar with. Lindhout was a self-styled free-lance journalist, kidnapped by Islamist rebels in southern Somalia. Draper, very likely, could have been in Lindhout’s position. Somalia was a trip that throughly shook up Draper, evidence that not all travel writing is glamourous.

Out of the speakers I have attended at Newhouse, Draper was the one guest who completely captivated my attention. Perhaps I am partial due to my major as a magazine journalist, but Draper’s success and profound contributions to journalism cannot be impeached. He was truly an accomplished and enjoyable speaker to listen to.

On Thursday September 26th, Rob Light visited Syracuse University to talk about the music business and the ins and outs of being a Hollywood agent. Light came to SU in 1974 from Westchester and enrolled in the Newhouse School of Public Communications to be a journalist. He wrote for the Daily Orange and eventually became the concert chairman for the University Union. He then met Charlie Joffe (famous talent agent whose client list included Woody Allen and David Letterman) who told him that if he wanted to make it in show biz, he first had to work in the mailroom of a talent agency. Light did just that, working in a mailroom in NYC after graduating from SU. After only a week in the mailroom, Light introduced himself to the head of a talent agency looking for new employees and had an impromptu interview. He got the job and was soon promoted to agent and given the job of convincing the failing Bay City Rollers to cancel the rest of their pathetic tour. With his job on the line, Light went to the Bay City Rollers and tricked them into believing he was there to support them. He gained their trust and agreed with all their concerns and through flattery and promises of a remodeled career, he got them to cancel their tour.

After years of working at an agency called ICM and after turning down an offer of being the head of development of what would eventually become MTV, Rob went on to start up his own agency called the CAA. Today, the CAA has 1600 employees and about 9000 clients ranging from sports, TV, movies, writers and music. He works with the likings of Katy Perry and Bon Jovi and strives to do what he believes the role of a good agent is: nurture, guide careers, create opportunity, and enhance dollars for your client.

Rob Light was very interesting in that he shared his story while also educating us on the important things to remember when considering maybe one day being an agent. He gave the audience a multitude of advice that was very helpful. For example, he informed us that when looking for jobs in the market, it is important that you remember that “information is key.” He meant that if you are made aware of an opportunity that you want to take and are qualified for, you have to go get it no matter what. Although at times it can be ruthless, it is the only way you’ll make it in show biz. Another piece of advice he offered was that when working with clients, “listening is better than talking.” This means that you always need to be listening to the wants and desires of your client, the audience, and the fans. If not, you are not marketing your artist well and they will most likely fail. When looking for a new client, Rob Light told us that above all else, “content is king.” You need to find a person who is offering something new, original, and memorable. It doesn’t matter if they are likable and attractive if they can’t offer great content to an audience. Lastly, Light explained that when working with a music artist, touring is the most important part of their career and where they will make most of their money. This means that it is super important that an agent works extra hard to promote the tours of their clients and make sure that they go international to increase their revenue and the diversity of their fan base.

I truly enjoyed Rob Light’s presentation because he offered valuable advice through interesting stories of his own experiences. He showed us how easy it was to work your way up in Hollywood as long as you are driven and passionate about what you do. He taught me that I will face many opportunities through the duration of my life, but not to panic because if I continue on the path of doing what I love then I will definitely have a rewarding career. I feel like if I ever wanted to pursue a career as a Hollywood agent, his advice would help me lead a successful career. I am very glad that I went to Rob Light’s presentation because it opened my eyes to a career path that I never even considered and now I am extremely interested in the idea of maybe one day being an agent.

Robert Draper, a magazine journalist from Texas, claims that he got in to writing because “there was nothing else [he] could do well.” While freelancing in the beginning of his career, he picked up odd jobs, making only about $5,000 – $7,500 a year. Since then he has written for magazines such as the New York Times online magazine, Rolling Stone, National Geographic, and GQ. A multi-dimensional journalist, he writes articles about topics like traveling, photography, and politics. Each story is a variation of his interests, for he says he wouldn’t want to devote all of his time to one subject matter. He deliberately writes for different magazines with different voices relative to that magazine’s style. “It’s fun to work with different editors,” Draper says.

Although a Texas native, Draper has traveled quite a bit to cover certain stories. One in particular was in Somalia – a story that was assigned to him by National Geographic, where he is fully employed. Draper and Pascal, the photographer for the story, traveled to the failed state despite a warning from Doctors Without Borders that it was way too dangerous. It turns out they were right – there was a round of killing during their stay, as well as an attempted kidnapping. Let me explain. There were four Westerners in Somalia at that time – Draper, Pascal, and two other freelancers. After being sold out to the Militia by the head of security, Draper and Pascal’s car was followed with the intention of kidnapping them. But because they – quite luckily – decided to have heightened security that day, the Militia captured the two other Westerners instead of Draper and Pascal and held for 18 months. After this, they had to hide out for days until it was safe to travel to the airport. Not surprisingly, their Somalia trip was cut short.

The most admirable thing about Robert Draper is his honesty. He takes an impartial approach to every story he covers. The New York Times favors him as a Republican but unbiased writer for their liberal newspaper. Not only is he honest with his audience, but he is honest with himself. Draper is constantly “mindful of the fact that [he is] inconveniencing whomever [he is] interviewing.”