A Rant on Inequality and the Power of Timeless Music

I just rediscovered a song this weekend that I’d completely forgotten about. Considered an “oldie,” this gem has inspired me because of how painfully timeless and relevant it still is today. And I’d like to share it with the blogosphere.

Over the weekend, I rewatched Mean Girls for probably the 100th time. This time, I paused it and decided to look up some of Janis Ian’s songs. Say what you want, but I love Mean Girls particularly because it’s so well written and naming Lizzy Caplan’s character Janis Ian was brilliant. My parents grew up listening to music from the 60s and 70s and that’s all they played while I was growing up. I forgot about the painful beauty of one song in particular- Society’s Child.

This song confronts the issue of racial inequality. While equality movements like the civil rights and feminist movements have been hugely successful, neither movement has completely eradicated the issue at hand. Being who I am and especially working for GLAAD, I immediately and instinctively began to examine Society’s Child through the lens of the LGBT equality movement, and it instantly brought this song into 2012.

Society’s Child laments the bias that Ian’s parents and society in general had about her falling in love with someone of a different race. Lines like, “They turn around and say why don’t you stick to your own kind” and “Preachers of equality, think they believe it then why won’t they just let us be” really resonated with me. I’ve encountered many people in my life who claim to be open minded and accepting, but are so uncomfortable with the idea of a loving same-sex couple, let alone allowing them the right to marry. Ian called out this hypocrisy so candidly and it’s sad how it is still prevalent in society today for interracial relationships, let alone same-sex relationships. The song ends with a hopeful line “When we’re older things may change” but then she admits she’s only “society’s child” and “for now this is the way [things] must remain.” It was a big deal to discuss this topic in the 60s and the fact that this song was one of her most commercially successful songs showed that the tide might finally be changing. Today, with 8 states fully allowing same-sex marriages, it seems like the tide might finally be changing again. Society has always been heading toward equality, albeit slowly and not without conflict. I just hope full equality for all people is something that I get to experience in my lifetime.

Another reason why I think it’s interesting to look at this song through the lens of the LGBT equality movement is that a few years ago, Ian herself came out as a lesbian. I can’t help but wonder if she wrote this song with that at least in the back of her mind. Maybe not, but either way, this is just one song out of many that is timeless and could easily be sung today with just a few changes. This inspires me so much. It gives me a renewed sense of hope that society will continue to progress in terms of equality. After all, baby steps are still steps in the right direction.

Chapter 2012, page 9 of 366

Every year is the same – I, along with millions of people across the world, make huge proclamations at 12:01am on January 1, promising myself that I will make these sweeping changes in my life and that this year will finally be different. It’s great and all, but generally by the time January 2 rolls around, I’ve already broken and/or forgotten half of these resolutions. Perhaps that’s my #1 resolution for this year – to keep my resolutions!

Well, this year I’ve decided to wait a week or so into the year before setting some goals for my personal growth. January 1 brings so much pressure and stress that when I do inevitably break a resolution, I’m left with nothing but disappointment, regret and frustration. So, in the spirit of shaking things up, I’ve decided to make a list of general goals that I’d like to accomplish within the year. And I’m promising myself this now – even if I don’t achieve them all by December 31, 2012, I’ll be okay. As long as I actively work toward achieving these goals each day, I will feel accomplished. [Insert cliche about life being about the journey, rather than the destination, or some inspirational quote like that]. So here goes…

• Stress less about the little stuff and take a step back to focus on the bigger picture.

• Learn the difference between hunger and boredom/emotional eating – (aka the typical “eat and drink less” resolution).

• Reconnect with old friends. Life can get pretty busy, but remember to make time for the people who are important to you.

• Thank Mom & Dad every day.

• Sing more and try to write a song.

• Build something.

• Learn something new every day.

• Appreciate others more.

• Get a full-time job and give 100% each day.

• Get an apartment in NYC. (Upper East Side penthouse, perhaps??)

• Save more than you spend.

• Find the perfect bottle of wine.

• Read many books.

• Write and blog more often.

• Try to make someone’s day, each day.

Here’s to a new year and a new me. (…Is it too late to add “stop using cliches so often” to the list??)

 

 

 

 

 

 

What are some of your goals for 2012?

My First Post on GLAAD’s Blog – Facebook Launches Bullying-Prevention App

I haven’t mentioned it on here yet, but I recently (read: finally) got a job! Well, a fellowship, but close enough! It’s the Digital Initiatives Fellowship with GLAAD (The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) in NYC. Very exciting. But anyway, in other news:

Facebook has officially reinvented itself more than Madonna. In the midst of the latest batch of crazy changes, Facebook decided to do something pretty cool with its power (and definitely something I find inspiring). They teamed up with Time Warner, Inc. to take an existing anti-bullying campaign to a whole new level – the digital sphere. This is what I wrote my first post on GLAAD’s blog about, so check it out – Facebook Launches New Social Application to Help Prevent Bullying

http://www.glaad.org/blog/facebook-launches-new-social-application-help-prevent-bullying.

Pretty Please?: An Open Letter to NYC PR Agencies

This day always seemed so impossibly far off in the future. And now it’s here. What’s that day, you ask? Well, it’s the day where it all hit me at once – the dreaded “G-day” is now only 16 days away, I went to the last class of my Marist College career yesterday and as I try to take it slow, relax and enjoy the rest of my time here on this beautiful campus with my amazing friends, I am constantly nagged by my incessantly ticking biological clock. Well, so to speak. No, I’m not desperate to have a baby, rather, I’m desperate to secure a place for myself in the workforce.

Today, as I searched for more positions to apply to, I came across one in particular that caught my eye. The website was fantastically Web 2.0 and the instructions to apply simply read: “We like creativity, so feel free to tell us why you stand out from the pack in the body of your email.” Well, I accept the challenge and I am going to take it one step further – blog about it!

Here’s why I stand out:

• Every part-time job I’ve ever had (and I started working at the age of 14) helped me build PR skills – from waiting on tables and serving as a head cashier in Electronics at Target to working at two libraries (my college library and the one back home). I’m comfortable interacting with anyone, can “close the deal,” I know the importance of “the customer is always right” and I can prioritize and manage a wide range of simultaneous tasks.

• I have an interest in and (at least) a working knowledge of nearly every field imaginable – you say ADD, I say Renaissance Man! I can work well with any client.

• When it comes to social media, Klout (which measures social media “influence”) says that my “level of activity and engagement shows that [I] ‘get it.'” Oh, Klout, how you flatter me so! I’m comfortable with nearly every social media platform and I have a bunch of theories on how to best utilize them.

Here’s why I make a great candidate:

• My internship this semester has been with the NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade – I’ve been able to work directly with the parade’s secretary and director and have been responsible for drafting press releases, organizing meetings with the Board of Trustees, coordinating media interviews and working on the parade’s website.

• I am fiercely motivated to succeed. I will constantly give 110%, show up every day with a smile on my face, approach every task (no matter how great or small) with the same dedication, treat everyone equally and with respect and, most importantly, I will never give up. Why? Because that’s who I am. I love being part of a hard-working team, I crave success and I want to  will achieve something great.

• I don’t take myself too seriously, but I certainly take everything I do very seriously.

• My dad has sacrificed a lot to allow me to receive a great education. For that and for his undying support, I will be eternally grateful. Making him proud, getting the most out of every opportunity he’s given me and proving to myself that I have what it takes to succeed are what drive me, full speed ahead.

Yes, this post is a shameless plug for myself, but I’d like to think that it proves the points I have made – I am incredibly dedicated, extraordinarily enthusiastic about working in PR and I am not afraid to try something new to achieve my goals. Thanks for listening…well, reading.

Any fellow graduating seniors reading this? I have a question for you – have any of the places you’ve applied to asked you to get creative with the application process?

How “Pinteresting” – A Look Into a New Platform

One thing I really love, yet never seem to have enough time for, is testing out and playing around with new technologies or platforms. I was quick to create a website in junior high (though it had no real purpose initially), join Facebook as soon as they lifted the college-only requirement, start tweeting in March 2008 and now I’m intrigued by Pinterest.

I originally heard about it when PR Breakfast Club posted a write-up on it. At first I was bummed that it’s still in the “invite-only” stage (à la LiveJournal back in the day) but I requested an invite through the simple form on their site, tweeted to them and within a week it arrived! And now that I’m a member I can send out 5 invite codes – leave a comment if you want one! (Their iPhone app is finally coming out in a few days also)

So what is Pinterest exactly?

Well, it’s basically a virtual pinboard system (like a bulletin board, but for images) where the whole purpose is to “pin up” images you come across while browsing the web to share with whoever follows you. You can create different boards in different categories (Art & Architecture, Film+Music+Books, Fashion, Travel or Gift Guides, among others). You can place their simple bookmark button in any major web browser and it will automatically link the images you pin to the original source site. Here comes the social aspect – you can “like,” comment on or “re-pin” (think: ReTweet or ReBlog) anything other users pin.

So what are some practical uses?

Let’s take a look at fashion. Say you find a great outfit in an online store or on someone else’s pinboard – you can pin it to your own “Spring Fashions” board and it will link to the designer’s website. You can also take it a step further and include the price right there!

How about food and drink? Well, these boards are great for new recipe ideas. The picture of the plate or drink lures you in and, with a click, brings you to the recipe!

Now for the PR aspect. Here are some key points that Nathan Burgess thought of in his PRBC article that intrigued me:

• “Rebranding exercises
• New product showcasing
• ‘Viral’ product launches
• Printable coupons
• Commentary on something visual (journalists/reviewers on a fashion designer’s new line, architects on student designs, etc.)
• There’s even a professional service (b2b/white collar) angle – Insurance companies showcasing how to prevent damage during holiday season, hurricane season, etc.; Banks showcasing new features within their branches (ATM software/interface, coin counting machines)”

The bottom line: Why do I find it inspiring?

My first thoughts were: “This is visually stunning,” followed quickly by “What differentiates this from, say, Tumblr?” After creating an account and playing around with it for a while, I realized just how surprisingly social it really is, especially since it’s still in its infancy and currently “invite-only.” It’s incredibly easy to find others with similar interests and aesthetic visions and follow them – and from there, there’s a surprising amount of dialogue going on. I liked Tumblr for its images and quotes, but this takes it to another level for me. I find that, on the whole, the pins are more chic and in tune with what I find appealing. Plus, with the added ability to click right through to the source, it’s very easy to find new things. I think I’m going to really like it, or at least get lost in it when I need an inspirational pick-me-up. In time, I think it could prove to be another useful social media PR tactic.

-Follow me at Pinterest.com/JonathanYantz (I promise to start pinning soon! Been too busy looking around).
-Comment if you’d like an invite! I have 5 to give away.

Do Your Cough Drops Inspire You?

"A Pep Talk in Every Drop!"

Apparently this is a legitimate question, because mine supposedly do. I went to the store yesterday, bought a bag of seemingly inconspicuous-looking Halls’ cough drops and was in for a surprise when I unwrapped one. Halls’ ad campaign is “A Pep Talk in Every Drop” and they’ve been running it for about 2 years now (I guess I haven’t been sick in a while?). Each wrapper has about 5 or 6 different inspirational/pep talk quotes on it. So far (about 5 drops in) my favorites are “Put a little strut in it,” “Conquer today,” “Don’t waste a precious minute” and “You’ve survived tougher!” They’re all pretty positive and encouraging, right? I’ve only found one so far that didn’t seem to fit as well – “Inspire envy.” While yes, it’s a positive message, it seems to be tainted with negativity. Oh well, that’s probably just me being finicky.

So, my initial question was – why do my cough drops feel the need to give me an unsolicited pep talk? But I guess the real question is – why did Halls feel the need to do this? The quotes go beyond the simple “Feel better” phrases that are at least related to having a sore throat. When I first saw it, I couldn’t help but think “I’m sick and miserable, I don’t need you, Mr. Cough Drop, lecturing me to cheer up.”

After I got past my initial shock, I started to get into it. I haven’t even found any repeats yet! I’m exactly the type of consumer that Halls had in mind when they started this campaign. I would be the one to actually get excited to open up a new drop… I’m beginning to see it as a brilliant idea. It gives me something to look forward to. Here’s how I see it: you associate cough drops with being sick, and being sick with feeling gross, uncomfortable and miserable (or at least I do). Their approach tries to create a positive association. This, in turn, will get some consumers to choose the name brand over the cheaper, generic “store brand.” And hey, it worked on me.

So, kudos to you, Halls, for giving me something positive and inspirational to take away from being sick. What do you think?

Who, What, Where, When, How and Why?

Any good journalist or PR professional will tell you that these questions are paramount to the newsworthiness, and therefore success, of anything they write. I’m going to try and use these questions to explain to you (and hopefully to myself) the purpose of this blog. Here we go!

I’m Jon, a senior PR major at Marist College. The original purpose of this blog was to fill my free time (on the rare occasion I actually have any) with something productive and creative. Today, as I walked outside from one class to the next, enjoying the sunshine and beautiful 80 degree weather, I suddenly felt motivated and inspired. That’s what the focus of this blog will be – inspiration! I tend to be a very positive person, I try to make the most of any situation and I love to take on new challenges. For me, this requires a lot of energy and inspiration. My goal will be to post once or twice a week and write about what has inspired me lately. The world can seem pretty depressing at times, so hopefully I can help shine some light in the darkness. After all, I can use all of the positivity and inspiration I can get as I embark on this crazy post-grad journey. (Hence the title, The Great Unknown).

I used to blog back in the day, circa 2000-2003, before Blogger and Myspace really took over the scene. My cousin created her own website and, since I totally looked up to her and wanted to emulate her as best I could, I created my own website too. It wasn’t until Chris Dessi came to speak at Marist last month about the benefits and proper usage of social media that I caught the “blogging bug” again. It took a little while, but I think I’ve finally rediscovered my online voice, so to speak, and I feel like I have something to contribute.

So there’s my 5 W’s and an H. Please feel free to comment on anything you find interesting or you can relate to, or even to suggest a new topic or any advice you may have for me. After all, what’s the point of a blog if it’s not interesting or useful to anyone? 🙂