I hope to offend as many people as possible with everything I publish, be it an email, a podcast, or what have you.
I know this is contrary to just about everything said in popular culture these days, but it wasn't too long ago that this was more or less a common way of thinking.
The signers of the Declaration of Independence weren't exactly trying to make friends with The Crown, were they? People like Gandhi knew they were going to offend some important people with their words and actions.
You see where I'm going with this.
I'm not talking about saying things
that are offensive just for the sake of offending people. I'm talking about saying something, knowing some (or a lot of) people will be offended at it, and saying it anyway.
Two things occur when someone does this:
- The people that were never going to be interested in what you have to say will move on to other sources of infotainment
- People that do relate to what you're saying will be that much more attracted to you, subscribe to your show, eventually buy
stuff from you.
The major media (meaning tv networks, most churches, political parties, etc.) are constantly toeing the
line with being too offensive lest people leave and take their money with them. Next thing you know they're branded as "extremist," "fringe" and much worse.
I call it being an adult. Sometimes you just need to say what needs to be said, smash the egg shells the
congregants at Our Lady of Perpetual Offense lay in front of you, and let the chips fall where they may. (h/t to both Ben Settle and Will Grigg from whom I stole two brilliant lines and created a new one)
That's why I love the podcasting medium. So long as I'm not saying
something that is intentionally slanderous, promoting violence, or providing a cure for COVID, I can say whatever I want. Governments can certainly control the major media, but they can't control the "fringe" voices who speak truth with conviction on things like podcasts, blogs and emails.
I would much rather have a conversation, public or private, with someone I disagree with, but who speaks with conviction and authority than someone who I do agree with but is mealy-mouthed and tentative in their thoughts and speech.
Those types of
people are known as "drifters".
I don't like drifters.
They're
mostly nice people, but I don't like being around them. When I spend enough time around drifters, it's not long before I find myself drifting in my thoughts, speech and actions.
So to anyone who asks my opinion on the matter, I say offend away. All you have to lose is some friends who
weren't all that into you anyway.
My new This Is What We C.R.A.V.E. podcast has been pretty tame thus far, but there is some "offensive" material in the queue that will be published in the coming weeks.
Here's the link to check it out and subscribe on your preferred podcast player. https://jamesdnewcomb.com/podcast