Nestled in the hills of Laguna Beach, CA overlooking the Orange County coastline, a slight hint of salt in the breeze as Gen Y TV spoke with documentary filmmaker and political commentator, Stephen K. Bannon. With his latest film, “The Undefeated,” about to debut in 80 million homes through major cable and satellite companies, Bannon’s eagerness to talk to youthful viewers pushed his personal victory aside. For the next hour, I spoke with this truly humble gentleman about the existing opportunities and challenges that face my generation.
[youtube IEsYy01HWt4]
A graduate of Harvard Business School, a Surface Warfare Officer for the US Navy, and a former investment banker for Goldman Sachs, Bannon is a remarkable example of how filmmaking can come at any age and point in one’s life. Technology has enabled anyone with a digital camera to creatively express opinions as entertainment, and as a result, Bannon has written and directed four documentary films in less than two years. With our country’s finances spiraling out of control, Bannon has particularly shed light on issues that are currently affecting America’s wellbeing. He emphasized the importance of storytelling and the necessity for being passionate about the topic you are conveying. He further explained the amount of time and effort that must be committed to a project, and said, “be prepared to spend a year of your life” hashing out the story.
Moving into the specifics of his work, I asked why he chose to dedicate a film to Sarah Palin, to which he replied, because “her story has never been told.” He immediately followed with, “she is an incredibly accomplished executive who took on a corrupt and compromised political class virtually single-handed.”
The many misconceptions of Palin personified by the mainstream media opened Bannon’s film. He used this approach to gain an emotional reaction from the audience and demonstrate the influence pop culture has on the younger generation. But what started out as a conversation about independent filmmaking quickly turned to the state of the economy and the daunting problems that are soon to be inherited by those 18-35 years-old.
In a profound reality check, Bannon stated, “the financial crisis today is your generation’s Vietnam, but it seems like people are more concerned about what Snookie and The Situation are up to than something that’s going to affect you forever.” Hitting the nail on the head in terms of the lack of attention that is paid to pertinent issues, Bannon went on to express his feelings towards Gen Y’s involvement in the military, and added that his 23 year old daughter, a recent West Point graduate, is currently serving as a Logistics Officer with the 101st Airborne in Iraq. “Your generation is among the bravest generations we’ve ever had,” he admitted, “the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are two of the hardest wars the United States has ever fought.” However, Bannon concluded by stressing that if we don’t demand a seat at the table in the discussion of our country’s problems, Generation Y is going to be “wiped out before it even starts.”
Stephen K. Bannon’s The Victory Sessions can now be heard on KABC 790AM every Sunday after the LA Dodgers game.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.