Even after a heart attack in 1994, John Mellencamp continues to smoke cigarettes. Now, we don’t have any problem with smoking. We love our freedom, and we don’t cry like a bunch of salad eating pussies if some secondhand drifts over our whipped cream covered “coffee.” But that’s just us. John Mellencamp’s 14 year old son, on the other hand, doesn’t want his father to die.
So Speck Mellencamp has started a Facebook group. And his father has agreed to quit smoking… if and when the group has one million fans.
We’re not looking for easy targets here. Jack & Diane is one of the best songs ever written by anyone. However this takes the culture of social media to a new, disgusting low. Is this where we’re at? Here lies John Mellencamp. Only got 321,430 Facebook friends. Sorry, Speck.
Maybe I’m just taking this a little more seriously than the Mellencamps would wish, but this is life, and life is bigger than the internet, bigger than celebrity, and yes, even bigger than both combined. And that’s something I think we all need to remember.
If you’ve got kids, there’s no seven-plus-digit number of Facebook fans or Twitter followers that could ever collectively be more important, or rewarding. This social culture where anyone can be famous may seem like a celebrity firesale at times, perhaps most tempting to those that once had it and have since lost it. But selling your humanity to buy celebrity is kinda like selling your hands to buy a violin.
Just cut the shit and quit smoking, John. Your kid loves you more than the press, and even the fans, ever will.
Via Shawn M. Smith
Damn straight. The wish of 1,000,000 anonymous people who you’ll never see in your life shouldn’t mean more than your own son’s wish.
Well said, well said.
Brilliantly written and thought out! I had told my wife to join and just emailed her to forget about it! Just think about the other people who are going to do this in the future…Spencer Pratt???
Go Skwerl, go! Great piece brother, love to see how the heart shines through. We all need to check the real priorities in life every morning, just to keep us grounded, aware and conscious, not to be dragged by the bullshit river thrown at us everyday. Great piece, again
I find that people with habits such as these, will defend the crap out of them, in spite of those who love them, no matter how much they beg, plead and cry for them to stop.
My father didn’t stop smoking until after he found out that he had lung cancer. And his death hasn’t stopped my step-father from smoking cigarettes either. Sigh… what does it take?
You should share this with Speck who, in turn, should share this with his dad who, in turn, should get his head out of his ass. I’m serious.
tng/dharma69 is a wise person.
well-said buddy
I’d rather start smoking myself, and then tell my father I’ll quit if he does the same…
This whole thing is just sad. Well said Skwerl.
Spinett, that is genius. I’m surprised the kid doesn’t smoke already with JCM for a dad and a name like Speck. I mean, WTF?
Hey man, quit the cigs and live longer to be with your family and kids. Don’t be a stupid.
Good call skwerl. Although a self described asshole, you are no asshole…you just call it as it is…with no high-fructose-corn-syrupy coating, which is very much appreciated.
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