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Laura Thieme

Bizresearch President – 10 years - 2007

Fisher College of Business Lecturer on Search Marketing

OSU Russian Studies Grad – 1993

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17th November 2007

Apathy - Are You Apathetic?

Do You Know What Apathy Is?

After dinner tonight with a colleague, I started to drive home and found myself sitting in a movie theater watching Lions for Lambs, which stars Meryl Streep, Tom Cruise and Robert Redford.  All of these actors are true performers, all inspire thought-provoking discussions as a result of many of their movies, and no, Mission Impossible is not one of those movie series that inspires thought-provoking discussions.

I had heard the movie didn’t do well in its opening weekend, and was disappointed to hear that considering the all-star line-up.  I had seen the previews and it looked good to me.  I’m a sucker for both Redford and Cruise, and have always, always wanted to meet Redford.  I love what he’s done for Sundance, Utah, environmentalism, independent filmmakers, and his many causes for action.  He inspires.  I saw Redford last year speak at Ohio State’s Wexner Center and was enthralled by his presence in the room.  He leads and inspires me to action.  He makes me think.  He’s opinionated but takes action.  He does more than pontificate, bitch or whine. 

Cruise gets a bad wrap due to his Scientology connection, but personally I like the guy - I think he’s an excellent actor.  He’s had a few dark movies but he has the medium to communicate and in most cases seems to choose it to tell a story, to communicate with the masses.  He’s intense and he’s so frickin hot.  There is not one bad shot of this guy - you can’t make this guy look bad - you just can’t.  Yummy.

Meryl - she’s a legend.  I’ve watched her for many years and have always been mesmerized by her performances.  She’s great in this movie.

 The movie is brilliant but I’ll warn you - it kinda ticks you off at the end.  In fact, some people who look for happy endings - they’ll be really disappointed.  You’re left wondering, saying, don’t you dare end this movie at this point, no, no, no.  

Redford does not share the screen with Cruise or Streep.  The latter two have an intense conversation meanwhile action is taking place in Afghanistan that Cruise is enabling Streep to write about exclusively.  The conversation is about Iraq, Vietnam, terrorism, Bin Ladin, mistakes made, how the Americans are not experiencing proud moments, and how we the press are just not able to believe in our leadership anymore.  Cruise says that the press was part of making the story happen, part of making Iraq happen, part of “selling” it to the American people.  And Cruise is offering Streep a new story, an exclusive on a new initiative in Afghanistan. 

Meanwhile Redford is teaching an apathetic college kid at “some university in California”.  Redford is a poli sci professor - a Dr, a Ph.D.  I’m loving this because of my latest role in life at Ohio State, and my ongoing desire to coach millenials to be better employees and participate in life as good voting citizens.  

The dialogue in this movie is excellent.  The action in Afghanistan is excellent - but there are parts of the movie that inspire you to think about apathy - because that’s what it appears Redford is enraged or perhaps a little apathetic himself.  He questions why a lead student just stops going to class.  Cruise references the Tipping Point.  If you’ve read the Tipping Point, there is reference to how some people are leaders and lead others to action in masses.  Paul Revere led others to action - there was cause for action.  While others told the story of the British invasion and little were inspired to act.  But what made Revere different?  Why did he cause so many to act?  What caused him to act on the behalf of others?

In the movie, there are obvious statements made about our apathetic college kids, as well as additional observations made where multiple interpretations could occur depending on your own viewpoint.   Redford takes a full hour to communicate with a student with whom he identifies, just as Cruise takes a full hour to talk with Streep.  Both are lobbying for one hour to motivate and inspire others to act.  The question is how does the apathetic kid react?  Does he begin to question again what goes on around him?  Does he realize that his apathethic roommate who is obsessing about the 40 inch flat screen tv over a Paris or Britney-like persona?  There is some reference to the person who obsesses over his or her grades and has no clue about what’s happening in the world. 

I have always liked going to movies that cause me to think about something bigger than me.  I know some people who refuse to go to that type of movie because they don’t want to have to think.  Perhaps that’s why I like being a Christian, like being around the ocean, and want to see first-hand what’s happening in the Antarctica.  All of these things represent something bigger than me.  They all represent history.  They existed before me and will long after me.  Well, I can’t guarantee that the Antarctica will exist long after me in its current form, which is why I’m going to see, photograph and video record its current and yet changing state of being. 

Apathy is an interesting word and it’s the first word that came to mind at the end of this movie.  It’s a close relation to apathetic, which is also very close to “pathetic”.   Some lack emotion or feel no cause to act because their leaders fail to inspire and lead by example.  There is reference to this in Lions for Lambs by the apathetic college kid, who’s brilliant but ininspired.  What’s good though - is that Redford gets to the kid, visibly, at the end of the movie.  The question is what will the kid do?  Will he join the military, become a politician, start to vote, or does it matter, as long as does something that makes a difference?  Redford taught the two Army inductees as well, who are off in Afghanistan.  Perhaps Redford feels some sense of responsibility regarding the two former students for their outcome, and tries to inspire another perhaps in a different way - and that’s what’s hard to find out.  But must we know the outcome?

We are inspired to think, at least some of us are.  We may be inspired to act, perhaps.  More importantly, we should act on our beliefs, our passion, and our knowledge.  We should impact not just one at a time.  We should impact groups, and even some are able to impact the masses.  That’s what a blogger can do today.  The question is whether you will use your medium to inspire others, or sit back and lose yourself in the Entertainment channel, or watch Survivor in China. 

Act on behalf of others, and inspire many to act.  I choose to act on the behalf of others by leading a company, teaching students, coaching millenials, rescuing animals, and blogging about the environment.  I choose to go to Antarctica not to go to Hawaii.  I choose to tell a story through a mass-medium to increase environmental awareness.  What about you?

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