A blogger is journaling his bankruptcy online.
Bobisbankrupt, a Californian film sound editor, filed for Chapter 7 in September of ‘08 and has decided to take his readers along for the ride.
He has worked on films like JFK, Heat, Courage Under Fire, Godzilla, The Patriot, The Bourne Supremacy, Van Helsing, A Civil Action, The Island, and 21. In his words, “Due to film industry contraction, bobisbankrupt’s assistant sound career evaporated…”
While this blog isn’t exactly a mainstream entity, I think it’s safe to say that economic woe has already made its dent on the culture — or did you miss Hugh Jackman’s Oscar opening number?
The significance of this blog and its blogger Bob comes, ironically, from his lighthearted approach. Bob’s jovial take on his situation hits right at the heart of the ignominy of bankruptcy.
For a while now American capitalism has left many — for the lack of a better word — screwed. The moment an American consumer loses his/her spending power, he/she falls out of the “rational consumer” category and becomes excluded from most of the community’s considerations.
I’ve always wondered when the script would flip and the “screwed” would become the majority. Whether a society Edward Bernays helped transform into a “desire-based” culture could go back to being “needs-based” — and how they’d do it.
By making it a little less shameful for one to do without and making it a little more acceptable to say “I can’t afford it”, or, in Bob’s case, “I AM BANKRUPT!”, you pave the way for a return to common sense.
Joking about bankruptcy in these times actually helps to shape a more financially responsible culture by making the subject a little easier to broach.
To jest with wit about a social ill or grievance minimizes the weight it carries and the pressure it places on the society party to the joke.
Jesting pushes that wall of ignominy out of the way so you can think clearly about what you need to do to no longer be Ginnie Mae’s b*tch!
The stigma against unemployment and financial ruin will be pruned by men like Bob, making statements like these and I say more power to ‘em!
Just make sure you buy food before you pay for hosting. Food for thought don’t mean a damn thing when the belly can’t power the brain.
And Bob, since your bankrupt, don’t you think bobisbankrupt.wordpress.com would’ve served you just as well? Bob had to get himself a .com, didn’t you Bob? Better hope it doesn’t count as an asset when they do your audit!
One Comment
Your words of course ring true. It’s not so easy now for some to criticize the havenots now that they have become members of the species. The game is new and they sit silently- confused.