Obey

Watch one of my heroes, Shepard Fairey, do his thing:

Shepard Fairey from Arkitip on Vimeo.

My Letter to the President

NBC recently aired a special called Inside the Obama White House. Leslie and I caught it and I was surprised at how interesting it was. I knew I liked our president, but I gained even more respect for him after seeing the inner workings of his administration. At one point in the special they talked about the letters that President Obama receives. It then occurred to me that I should write a letter to the president.

What follows is that letter:

Dear Mr. President,

Let me begin by saying good job. In my 29 years I have never before been so proud to be an American. This is a feeling that I am shamed to say is a bit foreign to me. I followed your campaign very closely and my wife and counted the days we would have the honor to vote you into office. I've been extremely impressed with what you've done with the giant mess that was waiting on your desk when you showed up. Keep up the good work.

Now that I'm done buttering you up, here's my plea: I need a job. Full disclosure, I'm not unemployed. I have a pretty good job for someone with just an AA. In fact, between my job and my wife's we live quite comfortably. I am not another unfortunate American who lost there job as a result of the recession.

I work for a wholesale company and I purchase large quantities of cheese in the South East. You're probably asking yourself how I could apply these skills at in your administration, and the truth is I don't know. However, I think it is the interests in my personal life that might be of use.

It is for that reason that I think you should create a new position: Secretary of Pop Culture. I am a connoisseur of all forms of pop culture. I have a vast knowledge of comics, I am very well acquainted with film both domestic and foreign, I love art (I was a fan of Shepard Fairey well before he created your iconic poster) and I read a lot of books. I also have a great interest in the internet and technology, which I know is a growing focus of your administration. I use facebook, twitter, I write a blog, and I worship Apple products.

As the Secretary of Pop Culture I will keep the administration abreast of all of the important going ons in pop culture. This can include trends in movies or how many times you are mentioned in comics. I will also find a way to catalog the information in a way that will be helpful to the administration.

I'm not looking for fame or fortune and I know the members of your administration have to put in long hard hours. I'm willing to put in my time and do what I must to help you help the country.

I know this is a tall order, and I understand if you cannot accommodate this request at this time. All I ask is that you consider it...and maybe sign my copy of Amazing Spider-man that you appeared in.

Yours truly,
Jean-Paul Dorigo

Of course I do not actually expect a response from President Obama. He's a very busy guy, and to be frank, my letter is pretty ridiculous. I decided to submit it anyway, on the off chance it might make its way to him and give him a chuckle. Of course I'd be lying if I didn't entertain the notion of him responding, if for no other reason then to call me an idiot. Would I ever work for President Obama if offered? In a heartbeat. For now I'll just focus on buying more cheese.