2004 In Retrospect: The Write-Off
Jan 22 '05 (Updated Feb 27 '05)
The Bottom Line Reflecting on last year
It’s been a long time since a survey write-off invaded Epinions, and of recent times a lot of people have been rubbishing them. I can’t say I blame them, they’re not the most intelligent of things and overall I think the aim of the site is for the product reviews. However, I think survey Write-Offs do have a few purposes:
1) They help reveal more about people
Whereas a write-off that encourages people to write product reviews is simply a series of product reviews with a similar theme going through them, a survey write-off does not conform to the same review-writing standards. They encourage you to talk about you and possibly even share some more personal experiences.
2) They’re good for Epinions as a community
Ask me to name the writers I read the most of, and I’ll pretty much reel off a whole bunch of music and movie writers. These are the categories I feel most comfortable writing in, and because of that they’re the ones I enjoy reading most. Writer’s Corner, home of survey Write-Offs, doesn’t restrict by category. Everyone can and does venture in there every now and then, with results can range from amusing to touching, sometimes sad, but always a damn good read. In Writer’s Corner, you’ll meet a lot of people you may not have read before, and possibly even find someone new to trust.
3) They’re creative
This is the most important one for me right now. As one of my New Year’s Resolutions, I said I was going to write at least two product reviews a week. As with most resolutions, that’s gone out the door already. It’s one I dearly wanted to keep, but lately I’ve found my inspiration for writing lacking. I’ve got several product reviews on the go, but I’m just not finding the words. I think a survey write-off could help me get rid of that creative block.
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As you might guess from the title, this Write-Off is about looking back at the year just past. Things you’ll always remember, things you wish you could forget. A series of questions regarding what you did, whether or not you enjoyed it, and all the other stuff that goes along with it. I’ll try not to make this too long or hard.
#1: Name one person you met who you met throughout the year that has made a lasting impression on you. Tell us about them.
For me, that would be Nathaniel "Nate" Downie, though he’ll never know it. Nate’s mother Kursty was in my journalism class, and for the first six months or so she was pregnant. Then, around September / October, she gave birth to Nate. When she brought him in for a visit and held this two-week old baby in my arms, I knew all I really wanted in life was to be a husband and a father. That was a really powerful moment for me, and I’ll never be able to forget it. I spent so much time with Nate – that day and every day I saw him, that Kursty gave me the nickname "Uncle Clucky". That’s one of few nicknames I’m really proud to have.
#2: Was there a TV show you saw for the first time in 2004 – perhaps 2004 was it’s first season – that you now absolutely love?
I tuned into "Monk" near the beginning of the second season, just to see what it was like. I was a bit weary of a whodunit with a comedic element, but “Monk” works really well. Adrian Monk is a detective who had retirement forced upon him after his wife was murdered, which is the only case he can’t solve. He’s also got Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and at least 20 different phobias. However, it’s like his brain works differently to other people – he can make connections between events that police Captain Stottlemeyer can’t, and as such proves himself useful on many a case. Although Adrian can seem a little over the top at times, it’s usually pretty funny, and the Scooby Doo-esque style of revealing the killer and how it was done is brilliant.
#3: Tell us about the best movie you saw last year. It doesn’t have to be one that was released last year, just as long as you saw it for the first time in 2004. If possible, include a link to your review of it.
If I was to limit myself to just one movie, I’d say Back To The Future. It’s one of those films that I’ve had many a chance to watch, but something else always comes up. Within a week last year I saw the other two parts, and I can honestly say that it deserves to go down in history as a classic trilogy – which it already has. I’m just a little late to the party.
#4: How about the worst movie you saw last year? Is there one that sticks out a mile – perhaps you wrote a scathing review on it.
Sequels, as a general rule, aren’t that good. I’d struggle to name any that were better than the original. Considering that, I don’t know why I thought Spider-Man 2 would be any different. To put it plainly, it stinks. I’m yet to see it on anyone’s "worst of 2004" list, but it hasn’t appeared on any "best of"s either. However, I find to unquestionably be the worst movie of the year, and if you haven’t already seen it I suggest you stay well away.
#5: Was there an event that you wish people would just shut up about already?
The Janet Jackson boob incident. Yes, OK people, it’s a breast. They’re perfectly natural, all women have them or have had at one stage. There’s no need to make a big deal. It slipped out – it’s not like she paraded around the stage topless. Get over it.
#6: Was there a worldwide event that left you wondering what the world is coming to?
The re-election of George W. Bush. It’s bad enough he cheated his way in for one term, invaded a country with no justification and can’t find one man, even though he has such a big army at his disposal, but for all this to be overlooked by the people of the United States just amazes me. I don’t know a lot about politics, but it seems to me people just voted for their favourite party. That’s all well and good, but look at who the leader of that party is. Having George W. Bush in office for another four years is, IMO, a very bad idea.
#7: Similarly, was there a worldwide event that made you happy?
The Asian Tsunami on Boxing Day. Not for all the devastation it caused, but for the way the whole world has united in the aftermath to help out. It’s a terrible event, but I think we can all be pretty proud of ourselves for the way we’ve banded together as a planet to help those who are severly in need.
#8: What were the best and worst albums you heard last year?
The best album, and a lot of people have said this already, was Green Day’s American Idiot. It’s the kind of album that just blows you away, no matter what kind of music you’re into. There’s no denying the genius of the album, of the fact they make it look so damn easy. The worst album I heard this year was Dido’s Life For Rent. I despise her drawling, monotone voice and when combined with the over-synthesized music it just makes for an excruciating listen.
#9: Which musician / band disappointed you?
Good Charlotte, how the mighty have fallen. While GC’s first two albums are on high rotate in my CD player, it’s the third, The Chronicles Of Life & Death, released in the latter part of last year, where things start to go downhill for the band. The album is basically a showcase of the experimentation they’ve been doing. If you’ve heard their latest single, "I Just Wanna Live", chances are you’ve got a good idea what I’m talking about. In the case of that song, the experimentation works well. In the case of the other experimental songs on the album, it doesn’t. It’s reached the point where Good Charlotte just don’t sound like Good Charlotte anymore.
#10: Are there any writers who were newbies in 2004 that you highly recommend we read?
Manutdboi. Alex has quickly established himself as one of the best music writers on the site, let alone one of the new ones. His reviews are full of amazing insight and opinion, and being a fan of Green Day, Good Charlotte and Avril Lavigne, he’s got damn good taste too.
#11: What was the most significant event of the year? It could be local, international, or simply personal
I opened up my inbox one morning to find an email from my best mate, to say he’d popped the question and was soon to be married. That changed a lot of things. Mainly, it changed my relationship with him. We’ll always be best mates, and he’s asked me to be best man, but now it’s time for him to settle down. In a few weeks he’s going to have a wife, and somewhere down the line, a kid. He’s got everything I want, and although it’s hard not to look at his life and be jealous, I know this can benefit me as well. When they have a child (I’m sure it’ll happen someday), I’m going to be an uncle, and until I have a wife and kids of my own I can always look at the life of my best friend, and see it as a reminder that one day, I’ll have that life too.
#12: Do you think your life is on the right track for where you want to end up? How did 2004 affect this?
I remember being in class at one stage last year and thinking “Shit. This isn’t what I want to be doing with my life”. I knew what I did want to be doing and since then I’ve been doing as much voluntary radio work as I can, and next month I start my diploma. I’m really looking forward to it – even though I know it’s going to be a lot of hard work – and I think 2005 is shaping up to be the best year of my life so far.
#13: Was there anything else significant about 2004 you’d like to add?
On a musical note, there’s been some great new artists this year, such as Franz Ferdinand and Joss Stone. As far as movies go, I think I need to see a few more 2004 flicks. To look at my ratings so far, it would seem I, Robot was the best film of the year that I saw. You already know my opinion on the worst.
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So that’s it. A bakers dozen of questions reflecting on the past year. Leave me a comment with your entry, and I’ll link things up here. I’ll keep this W/O open until Feb. 21. My apologies if this doesn’t sound like the most original W/O idea ever, in fact I’m sure it isn’t. If you feel I have plagiarized a W/O you have run in the past, please feel free to send me an email (address on profile page), and hopefully we’ll resolve it in a mutually agreeable fashion.
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