Eminem

Whatever your politics, don't overlook Eminem's Mosh, directed by Ian Inaba. It's a very important new media work, displaying buckets of craft, and it offers real insights into new media.

First, it really is new media. It isn't Flash, but it could have been. The production values are intentionally accessible -- there's plenty of polish, but it's polish that you could manage on your new iMac.

Even the music argues, "You could do this." I don't understand Eminem; I'm more of a Bruce guy, or (truth be told) maybe Handel and Haydn. But Eminem's video literally screams: you could do this. Why don't you?

You could do this, but this is very well done indeed. Look at the detailing, the pacing. This is new media that moves. The camera is always moving, the things are always moving, but you can see everything. And note, too, how the video respects the audience; Inaba assumes that you don't need to see an image twice, and you don't need the camera to tell you to notice.

This might well be remembered as the work of new media that changed the world. (Bruce just changed the world, too; 80,000 people in Madison. Madison? For politics? We're in William Jennings Bryan territory, folks) There's a lot of fine work out there that doesn't have a celebrity and an election to battle for it.

But these are the times that try men's souls, and right now we're either witnessing the liberation of a great nation or the foundation of a great resistance movement that will -- no doubt after struggle and sacrifice -- defeat ignorance, superstition, and greed to free that nation and rescue the world.

Three days more.