After eight years Mike Goodpaster is retiring The Savage Animal weekly music column. Find out when, why and what's next!
THE SAVAGE ANIMAL IS BEING “PUT DOWN”?!
The rumors are true. “The Savage Animal” column that I’ve become quite known for (google it!) is being retired here soon. There are only about five or so columns left in the tank and I plan to unleash them with the same bad ass grandeur as ever.
I have a few other interesting ideas like a piece on “Bands I Don’t Get”, where I reveal that I don’t understand the appeal of certain artists I never connected with or understood the mass love for. I’ve started making a short list of columns I’d like to cover before putting The Savage Animal on the shelf. I keep saying “I’ve been writing these columns for six years”, but the truth is that my math sucks. I started in June or July of 2006 and haven’t looked back. Do the simple math for yourself. You can even use your fingers. 2014 minus 2006 is 8. I have been writing weekly columns for 411mania.com for EIGHT YEARS. There has been absolutely no financial gain from this. Most people realize that websites with banner ads and video ads are making money. My words and work have been surrounded by literally thousands of ads. Seriously, I’ve written over and participated in over 400 articles on 411mania.com. Anyone who clicks on a link instantly gets four or five ads thrown at them, often invasive and annoying. I’ve not seen one cent from those ads. I might not get read a ton or anything, but I’m sure my work has made someone enough for a cheap used car. Sure, you can say “But Mike, 411 is a well-known website and you’re getting a lot of exposure”. It might be, but I’m not getting much exposure. It’s not bleeding over into my other projects. What’s better: 1000 people reading a column where you gain nothing or putting your column up on a different website and get 500 people reading who engage while making a few extra cents? It’s obvious. Early in my run I got a few CDs mailed to me for review and I got into two or three concerts based on my 411 credentials but that’s it. When I would attempt to use my “411 credibility” for my own interests, like covering last year’s Lollapalooza or reaching out to a lot of cool people for interviews, there was nothing for me. I’m not bitter or even complaining. I could have stopped writing at any time. It was all because I enjoy rambling about music and sharing my passion for it. My passion is elsewhere now. In all honesty, I have a hard time even goiing to their site anymore because of the auto-play video ads and pop ups. I also use an Android phone so attempting to visit the site while out and about often results in unwanted site forwarding to download stuff I don’t want, loud media ads, pop ups, and slow connections. I am aware there is a “solution” where I’d have to alter my own settings or I could forward a screen shot of my issues. That is not my job. Why would anyone want to really go that far out of their way to get the same wrestling news that’s being reposted from other sites? Don’t get me wrong, I’m loyal as f*ck to the 411 brand. I’ve been a fan of 411 since it was 411wrestling.com waaaay back in the day. It used to be a special site with awesome columns and fresh news. That, along with most of the internet, has turned into click-bait fodder. The times have changed. I’d rather take my time and effort elsewhere. No drama needed. As of now, the plan is to end with 399. Why not 400, you ask? Because! That’s why!
MOVING FORWARD: IDEAS THAT NEED FEEDBACK!
I’m still going to be releasing weekly “Preview Reviews”, “Random Movie Reviews”, “Rant and Raves”, and “Worst Case Scenarios” on DigitalLizardProductions.com. I’m also exploring the possibilities of what to fill that gap with. I have a few NEW ideas that could be cool and interesting. We shall see. Two concepts that come to mind off the bat are “OMG”, which would be “Obviously Mike Goodpaster”, a column where I’d share the thoughts and opinions that are clearly from my own twisted and silly mind. The other would be a bit more ambitious and ballsy. I have around ten screenplays under my belt and I full accept that a few of them will never go into production. Maybe the budget would be too much, it’s not on par with other things I’ve written, or we’d just rather do something else…. Regardless, I put my heart and soul into these full length screenplays. Instead of letting them collect digital dust on my hard drives I’d just flat out share the pages with the world. I’d want to do something like put out 2 pages a day for however long it’d take to get the entire project out there. Would THAT be something anyone would want to take in? Along with watching the daily web show we provide and the numerous blogs and columns would YOU be interested in reading every day? A few pages of an on-going story? Huh? Would’ya? Would’ya? Huh? Huh? TELL ME!!!
Until Next Time!
-Mike
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