A Matter Of Perception

It's viewer mail time... This is an email exchange I had with a viewer on MySpace. I would love to hear what you think.

----------------- Original Message -----------------
From: lil bling bling
Date: 24/02/2008


I respect the flow but don't like the show. I like your on screen personality but exploiting a homeless guy is just plain cruel and unfunny. It made me sad and it painted you as the worst kind of opportunist.

also your camera man lied to him about being from mtv. I've done the same stuff only didn't record it and put it out there. please don't say you were helping him.

I don't think there is a niche for this type of mean humor and I can't help but think of karma. you should make fun of rich people or those who are self important. that shit is funny.

It is important to get this type of feedback.

for reparations you so go take a homeless guy out for breakfast (off camera)

Lil bling

----------------- Original Message -----------------
From: Chilly S
Date: Feb 24, 2008 9:12 AM

hey man - i appreciate the honest feedback. I've been getting positive and negative feedback on the episodes and I can tell you that most people do not see me as someone exploiting the homeless guy. There are 3 sides to every story - mine, yours and the truth - the truth is very tricky because you will interpret what you see based on how your brain has been programmed wired and the personal experiences you've had.

When I met him I saw an opportunity to get some good footage of "Chilly S" talking to the homeless guy. When he met me he saw an opportunity to make more money because he saw the cameras there. Watch every episode and then tell me how I was making fun of him? Perhaps you felt uncomfortable watching a dialog with a homeless guy and that's an issue you have to deal with - and ask yourself why? Making fun of someone would be me coming up to him and calling him a fucking bum or making fun of his appearance or the fact that he was drunk and homeless. I treated him just as I would treat any stranger on the street. Everything I said to him was honest. I realized right away that he was going to provide me with good footage and I wanted to compensate him for it. I gave him shirts he could sell and I got him $28 in the span of 5 minutes - that's more money than he ever got from anyone else. I am not the type of person to exploit people - on the contrary I want to wake people up to the fact that they are being exploited. If more people would interact with homeless people (or strangers in general) like I did we would be living in a much better world. You remind me of all the people that criticize Howard Stern for "making fun" of crippled people and people with disabilities when in fact he is actually empowering them.

BTW - I am all about KARMA! And everything I do I do I ask myself the question "Will my daughter respect me when she's old enough to understand?".

BTW - the camera man did lie to him - but I didnt - did you watch this at home? Did I not tell him this is not going to be on television but for home viewing?

I hope you don't get offended by anything I said. The problem with people in this country is that they can not have a dialog about things we dissagree on. Two people will never see eye to eye and as you indicated it is important to get this type of feedback - that works in both directions.

Peace!

----------------- Original Message -----------------
From: lil bling bling
Date: 24/02/2008


that was my impression the episode.

I saw the point of interest to be the contrast between you being young and confident and him being, well, on quite another level.

my advice is keep it humorous. scrounging money for a aggravated guy who is down on his luck is not funny, at least not to people like me.

I'm sure there is a niche for this type of comedy; i bet suburban white kids find it really funny as their sheltered upbringing has made it easy for them to detach and relate-out. you are either laughing at someone or laughing with them. your man wasn't laughing.

I'm guilty of laughing at howard stern and his band of merry freaks. yet I find his freaks to be enthusiastic about working with him.

this was not my impression of your guest. he was becoming increasingly frustrated but played along, as there was the hope of money. It was obvious to me that he was feeling like a punk-line; most notably when he offered to give the shirts back. I'm sure he knows all to well, no one wants to buy a T-shirt off a homeless guy, especially if there is stuff on it that they are not familiar with.

I have worked in shelters and with the homeless. so, yes I imagine my personal history would make me more sensitive to their exploitation. It is a sad fact that most of them are willing to do just about anything for money short of actually working for it.

you are likable and display the type of character that is palatable for a wide audience. I'm confident that will do well at whatever it is you put your mind to. this is my critique of just one of your shows and Is in noway meant to be viewed as a judgement on you as a person.

take what you want and leave the rest.

yours truly,
lil bling bling

holding it down, westside!


----------------- Original Message -----------------
From: Chilly S
Date: Feb 24, 2008 3:09 PM

when you have time go back and watch the other episodes featuring the homeless guy "Johnny Janze" - he makes his first appearance in episode #3. Let me know what your thoughts are after you get the whole picture and not just a snippet. The last part about him not wanting to do anything with me was a. edited preview of the next episode and b.not because he was exploited or anything like that - but should be attributed to my talent to be very annoying. I've received the same reaction from non-homeless people as well. If anyone is being made fun of in any of my episodes it's ME. My outlook on life is that you have to be able to laugh at yourself first before you make anyone else laugh. I don't have a target demographic as you eluded to nor do I have a script that says go out and film me talking to homeless people. The clips that you see simply capture the events of December 29th as they happened.

My guest was becoming frustrated because I asked him to give me 10 minutes so I can go inside and get my wallet to get more money for him. I am sure he's used to being dicked around by others all the time - but this was not the case with me. I am sure he's used to people calling him "my friend " all the time and then trying to steal his shit - this was not the case with me - while I was talking to him I felt as if he was my friend and we were equal - because I am always mindful of the fact that life is unpredictable and i can very easily be in his situation. Lastly, if you view the other episodes you can see that I was humble and respectful to him and his cause and wound up begging FOR him.

Finally, I thank you once again for taking the time to comment - because it shows two things. One - that you care and two - that my productions can get a reaction out of people - even if it's negative. I don't have a professional team working with me as I write all the lyrics and music myself and besides the two camera guys filming for a live event, I do all the video filming and editing myself as well - so it's nice to hear that I am able to strike a nerve (for better or for worse) in some of my viewers.

I would like to ask you permission to post this dialog in my blog - if you don't mind? If you want I can take out any references to your name/email/etc...

Kind Regards,
Chilly S represent one-hundred percent!



----------------- Original Message -----------------
From: lil bling bling
Date: 24/02/2008

you have my permission the use this correspondence however you see fit.

I saw your other episodes. "I like."
I think being annoying is an admirable craft though I like to see people with a full skill-set get got: allah Ali G, f-ing with people that take themselves far too seriously.

if you're every in LA stop by. I have a virgin set of pro-tools still in the box. lets violate that bitch. after I finish writing this novel its on.

lil bling bling n chilly S show'n big-love, coast to coast, playa to playa.