What the World Needs Now: a Green Jon Stewart.
On December 31st, the last ecopaper-printed issue of my eco-magazine, elephant journal, sold off the last newstands in Whole Foods and Pharmacies, etc., around the US of A. A few weeks later, Plenty, the leading 'green' magazine, went kaput. And then there was one.
One print mag that can take it into the endzone: Ben Goldhirsch's GOOD. Of course, plenty of magazines are great. But few are (mission-) driven to spread the green, lifestyle, social activism gospel in a hip, fun, not-half-as-holy-as-thou manner. So while little elephantjournal.com marches on, GOOD is already in a position--with its videos, magazine, daily blog, deep pockets and connections to put together a real nightly talk show on a real, old-fashioned TV channel.
A mainstream talk show would reach millions of Americans each night--and in so doing, do for sustainability, organics, fair-trade, social activism, conscious consumerism, yoga and non-new-agey spirituality etc. what Jon Stewart has done for politics: make it accessible to those who thought they didn't give a damn.
GOOD magazine's latest video series is stylish, and full of vital info re: what's going on with our world. Too bad they're also just on YouTube, where the sum total of all GOOD's videos, ever, might equal half of the viewership of one night of Oprah, Jon Stewart, Jay Leno, Rick Mercer, Jimmy Kimmel, Conan, Moyers, Rose, Letterman or Ferguson. Why can't the charming, smart, ambitious zillionaire Mr. Do-Goodhirsch make a few calls to a few bigwigs who want to corner the emerging green/LOHAS market...and get a green/political/social activism talk show on Planet Green or some hungry cable channel? Or why can't Arianna Huffington, with her kajillions of views each day, feature a daily video talk show in a corner of her home page? Isn't video a major driver of internet traffic--and isn't daily, original video content the one thing Huffington Post isn't acing, thus far?
Want to change the world? Media, as Lester Brown said in our recent interview, is the key. Not 'a' key. 'The.'
Won't someone create a fun, yet fundamentally serious show that can get the good word out re LOHAS [the female-driven demographic described as Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability]? Do Stewart and Oprah have to do all the heavy lifting around here? God knows we need it, and we're running out of time.
Below is the latest vid from GOOD--stylish, cool, full of good info, but slightly boring if you have a severe case of ADHD (as does most of the iPhone/Blackberry/IM'ed US). Raking in say 20- to 40,000 views (the average GOOD video), GOOD's vids won't change our cultural dialogue compared with great guests and music on a fun talk show, five nights a week. Yeah, we here at elephantjournal.com are trying, and having fun doing so, but we don't even have a publicist or agent, let alone the ability to snap our fingers and make a big-platform talk show rise out of our 5280-elevation thin air.
So it's up to you, Ben. Arianna. Redford. Simran. Sara. Olivia. SRO. Glatzer. Graham. Step forward--our remotes will follow.
Video:
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Waylon- Truly sorry to see the end of the print elephant, but perhaps this will open up space for you in new endeavors? Great post and thoughts above--the more intelligent and relevant media dedicated to a sustainable way of life, the better.
I have great admiration and respect for GOOD magazine--it is as you write, Waylon, unique in its ability to make green matters accessible and "cool" for the general public--and for young people in particular. While I haven't seen a lot of the video work GOOD is producing, I am sincerely disappointed in this video. I appreciate its as art work, but I find its approach utterly unoriginal, and even slightly offensive, as it seems to promote an agenda of dumbing down important information and issues. I one hundred percent support a green Jon Stewart. I agree, people will listen to smart, insightful and witty dialogue--it's already been proven.
I think one of the core things is not only the wide-spreadness that something like this would give (a good thing, absolutely!) but the possibility of funny as a "green" value, too.
As a product developer, green living or environmentally conscious manufacturing does not diliberately choose to be more expensive. It is the cost of the choices of raw materials and processes, we as product developers are now having to consider when developing our lines. There are many lower tier distribution channels who offer organic or eco products at mainstream prices and continue to grow their selection. From industry experience, corporations bashed manufacturers over the heads to find ways to cut prices for the US consumer. Manufacturing costs money and our previous/current actions show that it is costing the planet. A reflection of the price that we were paying v's the price we should be paying.
There are many products on offer at affordable prices, the fact that most media, review the novel, unique or interesting eco-product lines, is I believe an editorial decision. Anyway, I'm sure if a show was to be produced, there would be balance of aspirational v's realistic products and services that would make an e-lifestyle above all accessible and doable.
Amen. Especially now, when dollars are hard to come by: we need some communications leaders to help!
I agree that eco conscious does NOT mean expensive. However-in order to get more people on board we have to use the age old tool of brain washing call advertising-Waylon is good at it. He can help change the world.
Great article ! Keep going on Waylon... ;o)
Come on TV people, give this guy a show !
The cutest of all would be Mr. Trash Can; But Waylon Hart Lewis is the man!
As long as you're a regular guest!
As a father of a three-year-old, I'm so out of the loop on who is hip in the media world that the only figure I can think of is Sid the Science Kid. Even if he doesn't get the job, I think PBS should make the content of his shows more green-oriented.
Green-living is so expensive. When I go to elephantjo
It's amazing the steps that are being taken to create awareness and to push people to change their destructive habits, but it's alienating an entire demographic of low-income individuals who in turn feel guilty - or if not guilty the feel defensive due to the high cost of a healthy living. I attempt green as much as I can, but not when it's putting me in the red.
I appreciate this article because it's asking for a communal resource of affordable and easily accessed information, but the need for social awareness and participation should coincide with the majority population in mind so as to help it flourish. Hopefully those who can contribute will help you make this happen.
Great point. I would argue—based on my personal experience, raised by a single mom without a car, who worked two jobs, had to sell her home bc she couldn't afford the balloon payment, we wore hand-me-downs etc—that there is nothing inherently more expensive about taking chemicals back out of food. Consider the health savings. Or, about buying 'green' clothes—I do, when I shop at Buffalo Exchange (a 'recycled fashion' store where 80% of my wardrobe comes from). It's certainly cheaper to use public transit and bike—not counting the health savings—I don't have to pay insurance, car maintenance, parking, gas, etc.
The expensive green items you saw under the 'Econscious' site within elephantjo
But if you do go to Wal-Mart, a store which has crushed local economies, put indie mom n'pops out of work, paid horrible wages and offered anemic healthcare
Google 'Wal-mart' and 'green' on elephantjo
Finally, I'd remind you that, while I do not consider myself poor, I have $555 in my account. There's nothing rich, except the quality, about my life. Living mindfully is not just for the rich—in fact, it's priceless.
Hello Waylon,
You'd make a great green spokesperson. you have a natural self-deprecation, but flamboyance that works. Give yourself a handle--Mountbatten maybe, and go with it!
Funny thing about the lonely trash can--many local governments' budgets for recycling, waste reduction, and responsible hazardous waste collections come from garbage tip fees at the local transfer station. While we're all about waste reduction and recycling (in that order), we'd still like to keep our jobs! Lots of local governments need to look beyond the cash cow of garbage transfer station fees if we want to walk the walk of sustainability.
yes, yes. time for a green...
and everything else!!!
I agree that there needs to be a green show that captures the complete essence of green living (ecofashion, greenovations, food, etc.) The reason Stewart and Colbert do so well with their witty, political talk shows is because they bring humor to serious stuff people don't want to dig into themselves, but ultimately it's because they keep it short and to the point. Nightly guest interviews last no more than five minutes (if even that). This keeps audience attention. The GOOD vid is interesting and cutely made, but makes you feel guilty after watching it. I feel like it is pointing fingers and hopes that the guilt will make people change. This is the wrong way to approach the public. Green videos should make you feel inspired and wowed by the ways in which you can go about change.
Thank you so much for this!
I only just now discovered elephantjo
... it will very much be part of my daily online life.
(For what it's worth I'm Karma Kagyu ... discovered the Vidyadhara's writings in the late 70s.)
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