The Cult of the Amateur:

"How today's Internet is killing our culture" By Andrew Keen, a man with a look of revulsion on his face and a snooty accent (that I do not find cute).

Look, Mr. Keen, I'm blogging! I'm taking money from you, a published writer. What are you going to do about it?

Are you getting paid for this mention? No, any money I have or will have is tied up in college, so maybe I won't be an amateur writer for ever.

I'll link to your book at Amazon, of course, only so I don't look like I'm making up your book's existence. Or your loathsome expression - I watched the Colbert Report last night - on TV, but the video of the interview is online. You ain't making money from that, either.

Okay, some blog was able to put the Comedy central video in a blog post, but I can't find that section at Comedy Central, hell I can't even find the blog post! So here's a link.

Anyways, I saw a review of your book in the newspaper a while back, and I didn't save it because your book didn't interest me - at all.

And the review wasn't very friendly. I remember that it accused you of sour grapes, and that by saying the internet is robbing us of the Beatles of today, your reality doesn't match up. I've seen and the reviewer has seen mainstream music of today, the kind that makes money, videos, cds, and dvds of concerts, crappy tv shows, and on and on. There are no Beatles today besides Paul and Ringo.

I still read, sir.

I hope to be a published writer one day (under a pseudonym, and if I have to go on TV shows, I'm hiring someone who looks nothing like me, in case it sucks).

But cries that the internet is bad and killing culture are pointless, unless you make some good money off it.

It won't change a damn thing.

When I saw you on The Report, I was reminded of Nebraskans, like my aunt and uncle, lamenting the Mexicans that had moved in, or opened Mexican restaurants and were becoming active in the small communities. The Mexican-American culture found there is better than what the white people are doing now. No small family farms anymore. The biggest industry outside the cities seems to be nursing homes. Young people run like their feet are on fire most of the time.

So if Mexican immigrants and Mexican-Americans want to live there, and have a community, so what?

There needs to be something there, and it's better than what's there now, and at least equal to what was there before.

That applies to the internet as well, Mr. Keen.

So...

bite me.

You have a blog! Making money off it? Are you contributing anything worthwhile, hmm?

As for your book and me buying it - no. I'm 19, I'm part of this generation, and we're the worst ever, according to your generation, which was the worst ever around the time you guys were 20, and so on.

And I wouldn't buy a hardback book if I had the brains. (Easier to transport paperbacks and they're cheaper.)

So it would be library or nothing, and I doubt I'd be bored enough to do check it out when I have almost 80 pages of books I'd rather read.