April 03, 2006

• I believe his reported statement in the article re: catharsis & the outlet of public access television reveal that the man has at least some personal insight, because it looks to be a true statement. I think he's deeply damaged; a broken human being. He attests to a life without anything to call his own, mental illness & multiple suicide attempts. Indeed, he really isn't happy, & it would be cruel to wish anything worse upon him. My overwhelming emotion is one of pity, really. On a wider perspective, I think it helps for people to be aware that others hold these views. I think trying to ignore these people is more dangerous than giving them extra publicity. Hold them up to the light. In my experience, vermin scurry from the light. I don't think in his particular case he's a real threat. This is the public access version of a usenet k00k. He should be mocked, nothing more. With other individuals who spew incitements to hatred & violence, the same cannot be said.
• I'd steal a car just so I could run him over with it.
• I disagree, Chy. You can hear this guy ticking from here. He's already gone beyond the bounds of free speech when he began making threats and tacking things to people's doors in the night. Also, having the right to say what you think, however nasty, does not automatically grant you the right to have a TV show and air it. When he finally does hurt someone, the local law is going to have a suit on their hands, since this guy is basically advertising that he is a violent sort of fellow, has aired footage of himself (?) torturing and mutilating animals (a widely recognized pre-cursor for ramping up to people later in life - gradual self-teaching desensitization and sepration from empathy, etc) and just in general exhibits at least moderate levels of mental instability (the bong-hit psychologist that lives inside my head says someone ought to check Mr. Happy's background for childhood sexual abuse, what with his rather trenchant position on homosexuality and all - there's a serious amount of fear distilling itself into rage, there).
• But I haven't renewed my license yet, so...
• At the very least, shouldn't he be turned in for animal cruelty? (Warning to those who love animals, don't read the link...)
• "He's already gone beyond the bounds of free speech when he began making threats and tacking things to people's doors in the night." He's not the only one who does this sort of shit. Supposedly normal decent folks do it as well. I'm not defending him, I think he's a fuckin' idiot, but this behaviour is definitely not confined to homeless, self-hating ranters. "having the right to say what you think, however nasty, does not automatically grant you the right to have a TV show and air it." Tell this to Hannity, O'Reilly, Limbaugh, Coulter & the like. "torturing and mutilating animals (a widely recognized pre-cursor for ramping up to people later in life - gradual self-teaching desensitization and sepration from empathy" The torturing & mutilation of animals is endemic in our society. I would even go so far as to say it is institutionalised. Have you ever seen the practices involved in cattle slaughter? Further, do all slaughtermen, desensitised to a one, turn into murderers? I'm not aware of the statistics on that one. Laws about animal cruelty depend on the State, & dispatching a live pig with a chainsaw is cruel & unusual, but I know men who have worked in slaughterhouses, & I'm pretty sure they would laugh at it, then tell you a story of something similar. I'm not a profiler (though I play one on the internet) but I would characterise advertising lurid fantasies (cos that's all they are) of violence on public access tv as not a very high incident marker of people who actually act out violent crimes. In the first place, the criminal minded do not like to advertise their intentions, naturally. Secondly, you generally just don't see an interest in public speaking in psychopaths. Most times the guy who goes batshit in the shopping mall with an AK, or the serial murderer too, is someone repressed with no outlet. If this fruitcake didn't have his little TV show, then maybe he *would* go out & shoot a gay person, who knows? All I know is, you suppress nasty, ugly things in society, & the nasty, ugly things go underground, fester, spread & become endemic disease, enabled by this conscious effort to keep the nasty ugly side of human nature from our delicate, virgin eyes. You gotta confront these things, otherwise we won't cure 'em.
• Can they be confronted in, say, a place that offers therapy, counseling and medication for this sort of thing, rather than on TV?
• You would have to have the person's agreement to undergo therapy or take medication. I'm sure that forcing this guy into some kind of treatment against his will would not be good.
• I've often wondered what the happy medium would be between the old system of locking folks like this up and the current one of giving them TV shows.
• Locking them up and giving them TV shows.
• I would say the happy medium is getting him treatment until he no longer feels the need to have a TV show, but he has access to treatment. Perhaps more treatment is the solution, I don't know. I thought the last comments in the article were very insightful. Most people don't think of this kind of person when they think of Burlington, Vermont, but they are obviously there. The general public needs to be reminded that no, we aren't out of the woods yet, and I prefer Long shares his opinions through a vile TV show than actual violence.(And Fes, my bong-hit psycologist is apperantly related to yours. Though she thinks sexual abuse is one of many skeletons in that closet) However, what worries me is that his show will be percieved by others as an invitation to commit violence. There are plenty of screwed up people in the Burlington area(I get to meet lots of them on ambulance crew), and frankly I'm shocked that more of them haven't followed Long's misguided advice. That being said, who bears responsibility if one of these disturbed people shoots someone after watching the show?
• That would be the first reality TV concept that I would actually be interested in watching.
• I read the beginning of this as: "Mr. Happy, aka Long John," and thought that we were talking about a penis. No. Just a dick.
• Speaking of which, is it wrong if this guy's show gives you a boner? (Seriously, this guy is obviously suffering terribly. And Fes may be right. After all, suffering people tend to seek to cause others to suffer. My hope is that this TV show is enough of a release for him, and that no one watches it -- both at the same time.)
• Somewhat relatedly: I have a theory that I call to mind whenever, say, a homeless guy is taking his sweet time walking through the crosswalk while I'm waiting for him to cross despite the fact that the light is green. It's that this is one of the few ways he gets to have a voice -- that it's a "fuck you" of sorts to the world that's beaten him down. It's remarkably effective in removing any impatience or stress I might otherwise start to feel in that situation.
• I think that the article reveals a fundamental problem with the way people deal with things today. When the guy responded to the Editor of the paper the article states they mulled over what to do about it, either ignore it or write an article about hate speech. Ummmm, its public access, people. Instead of doing business as usual or writing an article about him, go make your own show! That's the whole point of public access. It is ACCESS by the PUBLIC. The guy sounds like he really is mentally unballanced, but damn, what's good for the goose is good for the gander. If he can make a show about the things he hates, then you can make a show about the things you hate, or like or whatever. Nothing would be better than to have a show about how someone hates gays, or black or whatever, followed by another show all about how much someone loves that group. Use the same tools he is using to spread his message to spread your own. Don't provoke the guy, because he is mentally ill, but you can go out there and have your voice heard. The more important question is how does a homeless guy get a live pig and a chainsaw? I would bet he didn't buy them. You want to charge him with something, charge him with stealing a pig and a chainsaw.
• JC, I'm not sure the pig and chainsaw clip was actually him. I like your idea though. There's probably quite a few students about who would be intrested in such a project. Just a matter of finding the ones who have the time and talent along with the intrest.
• Regardless of how crass, moronic, and silly what he says is, he still deserves the right to say it.
• Question is, where does he get the money to do this with?
• BlueHorse, channel time is free at VCAM, and it sounds like most of his content is lifted from the internet.
• Ooh. I love being torn about an issue. This really is a toughy. I can't come up with a personal resolution between my beliefs of freedom of speech (and my agreement with Chy's statements) and my beliefs in, well, respect for people The kind that the Jyllands-Posten has not. Given the nature of America, our media, and our beliefs... I think the most effective thing to do is for us to all send emails to countdown@msnbc.com and request Mr. Olbermann to do a peice on Mr. Happy. And to request that Mr. Olbermann somehow tie this guy's views with those of Mr. Falafal. Keith's great at mockery, and this would be a good double use of one stone.
• By the way... it's really fucking scary how many hate filled people are in my country. Honestly. I live in hippy-ass Portland Oregon, most people I know buy local goods, food (from local farms), give oft and good hugs, and are fun as hell to drink with. An as-of-late topic of conversation has been of Cascadia. If only....
• I always thought you had to compete to make a public access show - you'd have to audition for a slot.
• Nope...public access doesn't discriminate on the basis of talent, either.
• Maybe everyone in town should start his/her own show. That way the overcrowding might at least reduce the length of his time slot.
• Please no...I assure you, there are far more troubled people than John Long out there, even in Vermont.
• I'm envisioning an hour-long cop drama, starring pete_best and petebest as "Pete and Re-Pete."
• Well, at least he's not one of those racists that shroud themselves with the ruse of political correctness. I admire only his forthrightness, if that's what it is. One other thing: his 'art' reminded me of Timothy Findley's Headhunter, and oddly enough, on multiple levels. I recommend it. <<< performative?
• He has the right to say it... what is frightening is the number of people he can reach with his message. In the middle ages he could stand in the town square and move from village to village - today he can stand in the town square and reach anyone looking for a scapegoat other than themselves in how far????? Promulgation of internal hatred can never benefit the world despite the 'right' to have the view expressed
• Freedom of speech is a wonderful thing. Too bad it isn't in our ethos to think before you use it, or to restrain yourself from attacking other people. I believe it's been said before... Do unto others...