A Return to the Future by Learning from the Past

"Why don't you ever let me tear up the room like that?" I asked my wife during a scene in 'Citizen Kane.' That was one of the lighter sides of my pondering what is widely regarded as the greatest film of all-time.

It was my second viewing of the film and this time around I could not stop but repeat "they wouldn't have the audacity to write like this anymore." Would it be profitable? Would it feed the instant minds of the masses? Just the pace and symbolism alone would annoy patrons of today.

Once long ago, it seems as though high quality and profitability were as close as they could come to cooperating. What made it to the screens or on vinyl was the best artists had to offer. There was no room for mediocrity.

The best analogy I can come up with is one my grandfather always posited. He stands by the fact that prior to expansion in the NHL there were six teams and therefore no room for weak players. The thinking goes those since there are 30 teams most players are mere fillers for rosters. The problem with this line of thinking is that there is far more talent today; especially with the influx of European players.

Nonetheless, it is a compelling one. Same with baseball. Going deep in the game was once the norm for a pitcher. With expansion, came a scientific approach to the point that it is often argued that the 4th and 5th and sometimes even the 3rd man in the rotation would never have survived during more glorious epochs.

Are we seeing this in the arts? Are there too many mediocre people stealing the spotlight? Does the 'Oprah Machine' only contribute to this mess? Why does Hollywood have the image of selling a product rather than art? Just because we don't see films of Kane's caliber does not mean they are not being done. Maybe the big monsters do not want to distribute them. Is the talent pool bigger? It probably is but we are probably not encouraging it to develop. A vast empire of budding geniuses lay beneath the ground living like worms rather than kings.

In other words, the conditions that which accept a great piece of artistic work are all but gone. What is needed is a Renaissance!

Today we want great scripts and great movies but not necessarily together. We have forgotten to bring the two together. In music, the concept of the album has made somewhat of a comeback but it remains a shadow of its former self. One or two songs are enough to sell millions thanks to the media and marketing - if you're lucky enough to know someone. Aesthetically superficial fabrications are what captivates us.

Which leads to another question. Who and what determines demand? If we make it will they come?

In a similar vein, is opinion more valued than knowledge today? What I see on today is a lot of opinion being passed off as knowledge. An even stranger kind of opinion is the expert how-to kind that is based and rooted in obvious inferences. Have we sunk so low that we don't even notice being fleeced? What's next? How to use toilet paper?

Same with the relationship between perception and knowledge - an ancient debate to be sure. Too often we confuse the two without first separating and then empirically studying facts so as to attempt to bridge both. In today's fast-paced consumer society, advertisement does not have the time to find out. Are we in a Dark Age?

Let me stretch this out some more. Should managers, or people in positions of influence and decision making, be required to be people of knowledge? By this, I do not mean product knowledge. Here, I define knowledge in very simplistic terms. Since we have delegated and segregated so much of our economy it is only fair to start in increments. The important thing is that we condition the bosses of the future to at least strive to be Renaissance men. The lack of curiosity is appalling among such individuals. Nor do I speak of the ones who cling to something of value without fully comprehending its inherent worth.

In other words, if you are a banker should banks not teach their workers the history of the bank? Too often, there are people in high position that are woefully inadequate to stimulate meaningful conversation.

This is why movies like 'Office Space' are cult classics. In the 'PC Load Letter' era, it asks that we question if not rebel against the present corporate structure as presently configured. 'Is this good for the company?' should be replaced with 'are we asking the right questions so as to improve both the worker and company? By extension, our families and communities.' One of the more intriguing parts of that film is when three workers steal the office fax/printer machine and smash it to bits. It was a Luddite catharsis moment that revealed a lot about the modern workplace.

Who has the time for this? Read a book? Objectives must be met! We must plan to plan! No room for ideas, buddy. Did you get that memo about the TPS report?

Citizen Kane succeeded because it was made during a period whereby the conditions were ripe to accept it. I can just picture people leaving for Harlem to catch Count Basie after a night of watching Orson Welles. A night out meant fine threads, fine music and fine food.

Today? Everything is dumbed down in the name of cold comfort. Birdland is dead and nothing has replaced it.

And my wife still won't let me tear up the place.