Opportunity Knocks in the Form of Tom Hanks

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By Jason Menard

Batten down the hatches! Shield your children’s ears. The day of the Apocalypse is upon us! Verily, the very foundations upon which Western society has been built are set to crumble.

And the culprit? For years rumours have abounded that the Anti-Christ walks among us and now we have seen his face. The one to send humanity to its fire and brimstone end? Tom Hanks.

With the release of the DaVinci Code movie, defenders of the Christian faith are wringing their hands nervously at the allegations and potentially devastating revelations that were first popularized in Dan Brown’s novel and now have made the big screen in an easy-to-digest, two-hour format. And Tom Hanks, with his everyman appeal and Midas Touch at the box office is a perfect vessel from which evil can pour forth.

Think about it. What if the Holy Grail isn’t a chalice or the living bloodline of Christ through a marriage to Mary Magdalene, as the DaVinci Code claims? What if the elusive Grail is actually a hidden item that inexplicably allows people to reach unheard of levels of fame despite not doing too much?

I mean, the evidence is there. Hanks has made a career being Hanks. Save for his performance in Philadelphia, he’s never really done anything that’s beyond the everyman, pleasant guy. Splash? Big? Even Forrest Gump was a pleasant Everyguy with some developmental challenges. Cast Away? Everyguy on a beach with a volleyball. That Thing You Do? The Ladykillers? Road to Perdition? Everyguy in period dress.

Hell – no pun intended – for someone as pleasantly bland as Hanks is there must be something that he’s drawing upon to unleash the forces necessary to survive bombs like Joe Versus the Volcano and Turner and Hooch. Maybe the grail is shared amongst Hollywood glitterati – which would explain why I know Zsa Zsa Gabor’s name and why I can’t walk past a newsstand without seeing her next-gen copy Paris Hilton – allowing people to be famous just for being famous.

No, Hanks is just Nice Guy on Screen with an Impressive Rolodex (or compromising pictures of Ron Howard.) Which is why it’s so intriguing to see Christians losing their minds over something as innocuous as a movie. Yes, the issues are challenging and appear to be unflattering to the Church as an institution. But in their zeal to repress discussion of the book, its contents, and Hanks’ performance (which may not be a bad idea…) the Church has ignored the greatest opportunity of all. And that is the chance to be relevant.

The DaVinci Code was not the first source for these Grail theories. Nor are alternative versions of the life of Christ or Christianity in general restricted to the here and now. But people are talking. Religion is relevant. For a Church that’s been hemorrhaging parishioners for years, instead of boarding up the doors with dogma, the Church should be engaging these newly interested people in discussions about religion.

Having faith does not preclude having curiosity. Questioning one’s religion does not constitute a crisis of faith. It is a factor in what makes us human.

I am not religious. I am spiritual. I suppose it’s a factor of not being able to drink the whole glass of Kool-Aid for any one religion. However, I also believe that if God is going to punish me for being a good person, being respectful of others, raising my kids and loving my wife to the best of my ability, and for thirsting for knowledge, then that’s a deity that I’m just ready to get down with.

Many others are like me. They are fed up of religions that choose to dictate to their followers as opposed to engaging them in the discussion. Many religions employ a top-down model of faith, wherein a select few are in the know while the followers must swear blind allegiance.

Why can’t we question our faith? Does a belief in a deity preclude curiosity? Does it eliminate free thought? Or can religion not open itself up and engage those who are interested in thoughtful debate and discussion. Not everything has to be black and white – there’s room for metaphor and there’s room for leaps of faith – but shutting people out of the discussion process is counterproductive.

For the first time in years, religious discussion is cool. But instead of embracing the opportunity that Pop Religion books, movies, and texts are presenting, the Church is boarding up the doors and hoping to ride out the swirling winds of questions and interest. Too bad they aren’t realizing that these questions are an invitation to engage in discussion and teaching, not just a challenge to the Church’s authority.

In the end Tom Hanks, Dan Brown, or any other anthropologist, writer, or historian isn’t the Anti-Christ. In fact, if used properly to stimulate an open debate and inclusionary nature in the Church, they could in fact be part of Christianity’s salvation. And after all, we all know the position of Anti-Christ has already been filled – by Chuck Woolery.

Opportunity is knocking. But will the Church finally answer its call or keep the door barred?

2006© Menard Communications – Jason Menard All Rights Reserved

Anthem Removal Hits Wrong Note

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By Jason Menard

Since the recent ugly situation in San Jose, there has been plenty of talk about stopping the practice of playing the national anthem before the start of hockey games. And if leagues start singing that song, forgive fans for thinking that they’ve hit a wrong note.

While there are so many reasons why the anthems should go, there are two big reasons why they should stay: pride and respect.

A national anthem is more than an advertising jingle for a country – it’s a shared experience around which an entire nation can rally, raising their voices in unison to proclaim their pride for their nation. It is but one brief moment in our lives when we can stand up and wear our hearts on our sleeve.

And, unfortunately, it’s an opportunity that we don’t get often enough. Unless you’re an insomniac or a shift worker, chances are you’re not awake when stations sign on with the playing of the national anthem. Most of us are out of public school, so we don’t have to go through the ritual. In fact, except for attendance at sporting events, I can literally go months without hearing the anthem.

Is that right? While being a proud Canadian doesn’t mean you have to engage in a sing-along, it certainly doesn’t hurt. There are few things more moving than hearing thousands of voices rising in unison as O Canada builds to its climax. In fact, one of the most stirring experiences I ever had was standing in Olympic Stadium before a Montreal Expos’ home opener, right during the time when Separatism was regaining momentum, and listening as a few boos were drowned out by tens of thousands of Canadians proclaiming their love for this nation through song.

Donny Osmond had it right when he sang that a few bad apples don’t spoil the whole bunch. Whether it’s the knuckleheads in San Jose who chose disrespecting a nation’s anthem as the best venue for expressing their dislike of the opposing team, or it’s the egomaniacal few at junior hockey games whose ego can only be stroked by shouting “Go Team Go,” in the final few moments of quiet during the song, the good outweighs the bad.

The problem isn’t the anthem; it’s that we’ve grown up without a healthy respect for what the song stands for. I grew up thinking that the playing of the anthem was almost sacred and the manner in which you comported yourself during its playing was reflective of how you felt about the country. And every time it’s played I will stand in respectful silence, mouthing or singing the words depending on the venue. However, especially at sporting events, you will see people talking through the anthems, moving, shouting, wearing hats, or performing any manner of disrespectful acts during its playing.

But the problem isn’t with me, it’s with them. And it’s for that reason that sporting leagues shouldn’t stop the practice of playing with the anthem. We need time to pay more respect, not less.

How we react to foreign anthems says a lot about us as Canadians. If we boo, we’re not disrespecting a politician or a policy that we may not like – we’re disrespecting a people as a whole. We’re disrespecting a diverse group of individuals who may or may not share many of the same beliefs, values, and dreams that we do. But by standing in respectful silence, we show our compassion, our kinship, and our respect for our fellow man.

There is an argument that states that in league competitions, where teams are representing cities, not countries, that it’s inappropriate to play the anthem. That’s a short-sighted view. Sporting events, where competition and passions are high, are the perfect venue for this type of national fervor to be displayed. Respectful silence or singing along followed by a heart-felt cheer is not just a sign of fidelity to our country, but also a bonding experience with our fellow countrymen.

The chances that we have to show our national pride are already few and far between. Pandering to the lowest common denominator in our society and removing this practice due to the actions of a classless few is an insult to the majority of Canadians – and Americans – who are able to combine national pride with international courtesy.

Is it so bad that, for just a couple of minutes of our lives, we’re allowed to reflect on who and what we are as a people? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we had more, not fewer, opportunities to express our pride?

2006© Menard Communications – Jason Menard All Rights Reserved

Brewing Up a Health Conundrum

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By Jason Menard

You know, I really do want to do right for myself when it comes to making sensible choices for healthy eating and drinking. But when trying to do right may end up being wrong, it’s almost enough to make one dehydrate themselves out of spite.

Take, for example, my recent attempt at converting to green tea. Now, I’m not a band-wagon jumper and I refuse to jump on somebody else’s train and from craze to craze based upon the latest headline. But, I figure, millions of green tea devotees can’t be wrong. Back in my university day, I was up to an obscenely high number of cups of coffee a day. Although I quit cold turkey, I have bounced back to a cup-a-day habit – certainly not unhealthy, but I wanted to do better!

So, like the person who stumbles across the Backstreet Boys in the discount rack and, after a listen, looks back wistfully to an opportunity lost, I obtained my first box of green tea. Feeling slightly poseurish and mildly conformist, I brewed my first cup. And, after swallowing my pride and convincing myself that following the masses in the quest for a better life is an acceptable form of populism, I took my first sip.

And I hated it.

Same thing with the second sip. Unpleasant sips numbers three and four were chased by equally vile sips five and six. And on and on it went until I reached the grainy, cooled-by-delaying bottom of the cup.

However, instead of discounting it outright, I chose to look back on the experience with the perspective of time. Maybe it’s an acquired taste – I couldn’t remember my first experience with coffee, but I can’t imagine it was as bad as this. After all, I wouldn’t have picked up another cup. So I chalked it up to a bad experience and committed to trying again.

Thinking perhaps it was my ability or the quality of the tea that I had, I chose to go to a more appropriate establishment, which will remain nameless, and decided to go upscale with a latté-based green tea product. With some enthusiasm balanced by more trepidation I watched – or, more accurately, was unable to watch — as the barista worked in secret behind the machine, infusing my beverage with melon flavouring, whipping, foaming, and presenting it to me. All of this hullabaloo is, of course, an affront to my black coffee sensibilities, but I decided to remain open-minded.

Let’s just say the mind slammed shut the second I tasted it. Oh, I tried to prop it open with a few more sips, trying to convince myself that I could actually, possibly, in the right mood, enjoy its sweetness. But it was to no avail. Perhaps a fitting parallel to my personality, the beverage was just too sweet for me to stomach and didn’t contain enough bitterness.

But don’t be sad for that fine coffee product. It found a home in one of my co-workers. I guess if I can’t improve my health, then I could play the medicinal Marco Polo bringing green tea to the masses.

Overall, I’ve been successful in my conversion to a healthier lifestyle. I gave up my beloved sugary soft drinks for its caffeine-free, somewhat flavour-free, diet version. I cut out salt and processed foods and added healthier alternatives and seasonings without batting an eye or offending my palate. I lost weight, lowered my triglycerides, and have managed to keep it off.

Yet a switch to green tea is beyond my reach. And that may not be so bad. In fact, just this week the United States’ Food and Drug Administration rejected allowing green tea vendors to make the claim that it reduces the risk of heart disease, based upon lack of evidence. This falls in line with the organization’s previous decision to reject claims of cancer-prevention properties.

Ironically, antioxidants can be found in acceptable quantities in my black coffee. So maybe while others were chasing the elusive green tea leaf, I and my other java-inspired brethren were on the right track. Then again, in six years coffee may be on the outs and Juan Valdez could be branded a medicinal pariah in the face of the newest research on the health benefits of spruce beer! We can never tell what the future will bring.

All we can do is do the best we can and be satisfied with our effort to improve ourselves. The one thing that will never go out of style is a healthy attitude – no matter whether you choose to kick start it with coffee or green tea!

2006© Menard Communications – Jason Menard All Rights Reserved

Stevie a Wonder of Loyalty

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By Jason Menard

You don’t need to be a Red Wings’ fan to appreciate the team’s captain — you just need to be a fan of the game itself. But his appeal is not restricted to his on-ice talents, his longevity will come from being an icon of the game as we want it to be.

Following Detroit’s unceremonious ouster from the National Hockey League playoffs, the expectation is that Steve Yzerman will finally hang up his blades and move off into retirement. But as superlative as his efforts were on the ice, what most hockey fans love about Yzerman is that he represents an iconic presence to which we want all players to look up to.

Free agency has brought many good things to the league and its players. In fact, it can be argued that fans also have benefited in knowing that their team is just a few savvy signings away from contention. However, the one thing that free agency has taken from the game is the sense of affiliation between a player and their team.

The game is a business and longevity is but one factor in a player’s decision to stay with any franchise; family, location, taxes, and ancillary opportunities all play a part. That’s why many of us look to Yzerman as a throwback to years gone by.

Yzerman was a player who spent his entire career with one team, growing with it through the “Dead Things” bad times, taking a leadership role during the glory years, and playing the role of elder statesman as the transition to a new generation took place. For 23 years, no matter what else happened in the league, you could be certain that Yzerman would be pulling on the Red Wings’ jersey.

His career stats speak for themselves and manage to spell out Hall of Fame on their own: 1,514 games played, 692 goals, 1,755 points, and a career +/- of +202 attesting to his commitment at both ends of the rink. Add to that 185 points in 196 playoff games and you’ve got the statistical embodiment of an all-around star.

The Red Wings’ first-round choice in the 1983 Entry Draft paced the three players taken before him in career points combined (Brian Lawton’s 266, Sylvain Turgeon’s 494, and Pat LaFontaine’s 1,013). And while LaFontaine watched his number rise to the rafters earlier this year in Buffalo, Yzerman continued to pull the number 19 over his head 61 more times in the regular season.

But beyond everything on the stats sheet, Yzerman embodies loyalty. While Colorado’s Joe Sakic has also spent his career with one franchise, the fact that it’s been in two cities confuses the issue. And Stevie never signed a loaded offer sheet from another club designed to force his team’s hand into retaining his services. We, as people, understand the business aspect. We, as fans, applaud loyalty.

Loyalty is the tie that binds fans to their teams, despite the unbelievable gap of salary and lifestyle. It’s what makes the average Joe scrimp and save to take the family to a game, or buy a replica jersey. It’s what makes people far and wide live and die with every flickering image on a TV screen. And when you have a player that displays the faithfulness and loyalty that Yzerman has shown during his Red Wings’ tenure, then that sense of validation is palpable.

Of course, it’s easier to be loyal when you reap the rewards that Yzerman’s been able to during his career. In addition to always receiving a salary befitting his status, the Red Wings’ captain has hoisted Stanley Cups and worn Olympic gold. And he’s earned the respect of hockey fans far and wide. Yet, while stars are often polarizing by nature, it’s hard to imagine one person who wouldn’t wish that Yzerman suited up for their favourite squad.

Fittingly, Yzerman passes the torch to a new game, with a new collective bargaining agreement that goes a long way into stemming the mercenary nature of the sport and assuring that teams and core players will have the ability to grow and develop together.

As a 20+year with one franchise player, many looked upon Yzerman as being the last of a breed. However, as he passes the torch to new players in a new game – with a collective bargaining agreement that goes a long way into stemming the mercenary nature of the sport, thereby assuring that teams and core players can grow and develop together — Yzerman may, in fact, go down as the bridge between eras.

And, in the end — even though we may not be Detroit fans — we’ll remain faithful to him because he always remained faithful to us.

2006© Menard Communications – Jason Menard All Rights Reserved

Future of Radio – Less Rock, More Talk

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By Jason Menard

To paraphrase Mark Twain, the reports of radio’s death have been greatly exaggerated. But the future of radio may, in fact, involve a twist on the old saying: tomorrow’s radio will be less rock and more talk!

With all due apologies to the Electric Light Orchestra, rama-lama-lama rock and roll won’t be king, but rather content will rule the airwaves. And the savvy broadcaster that invests now in developing locally relevant content will find themselves at the vanguard of the next generation of radio.

The Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission recently released statistics showing that revenues and profits are rising for Canadian commercial radio. According to the report FM radio revenues grew by 11.8% in 2005 over the previous year to a little over one billion dollars. FM’s profit before interest and taxes also increased by 19.6% over the same period, from $220.3 million to $263.3 million. And while revenues for AM radio decreased by 0.7% year over year, their profit before interest and taxes rose four-fold from $3.4 million in 2004 to $13.6 million in 2005.

However, instead of resting on its laurels and patting itself on its back, commercial radio should invest those resources back into one word: talk.

The question exists as to how radio will be able to compete with the onslaught of next-generation technologies that currently exist and threaten to eat away at marketshare. Already a generation that has grown up thinking that the Sony Walkman is a relic have embraced the idea of plugging in their I-Pod into their car stereo and programming their own music.

The place to be to hear the latest artists won’t be on-air, but rather on-line, and radio must realize that the model of free music distributed over the airwaves is one that just can’t last. When listeners have the option to direct their musical experience as opposed to being dictated to by some program director, it’s clear as to which path future generations will take.

But the one thing that the Internet can’t replicate is content. The AM model, which relies heavily on talk and analysis, ironically will be the one left standing. Personalities, perspectives, and information will lead the way, more than the latest band or track. As our world continues to shrink and people have the news of the world literally at their fingertips, the move towards local perspective and analysis will be a natural progression.

Many so-called local stations actually import a significant amount of their content from abroad. In Canada, many of our stations pull from not just major media centres like Toronto or Montreal, but their syndicated content originates from the United States. And while that model may be cost-effective in the short run, it’s a myopic view of developing market share and listener fidelity.

If the listener wants to hear Toronto radio or a show originating in Los Angeles, they can either jump on the satellite bandwagon, listen to streaming broadcasts on-line, or subscribe to podcasts. What radio stations must do to set themselves apart is create dynamic, engaging broadcasts that leverage the local flavour, talent, and perspective.

Unfortunately for the station manager or program director whose jobs are predicated on ratings in the here and now, return-on-investment is a concept that can drown out all other ideas. Putting money into developing programming for the future is a wonderful idea, but the fact of the matter is that the return on those dollars may not come for a few years into the future.

But perhaps that future investment can be offset by opening new revenue streams that have, to date, been sadly undervalued. Many stations do offer an on-line, streaming version of their broadcast content. However, the advertisements remain local. Where is the foresight to approach advertisers specifically based upon the on-line demographics.

In many cities, ex-pats flock on-line to listen to a taste of home. So why not approach service providers and vendors that either export local products or offer services like travel and hotel accommodations to those interested in coming back and visiting family. The Internet is more than just a delivery method – it’s an entirely underutilized revenue stream that can open up previously untapped advertising budgets.

No matter how small the world gets, the idea of ‘there’s no place like home’ resonates within us all. Local content, local perspective, and local talent distilling the changing world down to a level that means something to local listeners is the future of the industry.

The gravy train that the industry is riding now can derail quickly without those steering it having an idea of what the future conditions are going to be like. Now the question is are those at the controls willing to turn the wheel and take control of their direction, or are they going to plow straight ahead into an uncertain future?

2006© Menard Communications – Jason Menard All Rights Reserved