P.S. If Mr. Thomas ever does decide to he would in fact like to take his popularity to the next level in politics, I just wanted to share, since there are so many Americans who are not up on their U.S. Constitution...that since he was born on a U.S. Army base, even though he was born in Germany, he is in fact a U.S resident and therefore is eligible to run for any elected office all the way up to president (not that he would ever want to run, but come on, who doesn't consider at some point, what it would be like to be president?). I know he and his lovely wife are likely far more concerned with their Sidewalk Angels, than they are in Rob's political career, but I wanted to mention it in support of the suggestion I made above regarding him ever running for office :)
Allow me to preface what I am going to say as it relates to Mr. Thomas by saying, it isn’t always easy to be identified as a member of the media. There is a line drawn between what us truly ethical journalists practice, and what the paparazzi do to people like Rob’s buddy John Mayer (saw a great clip of Mr. Mayer dissing TMZ as they cornered him on the street in New York City, while trying to get him to keep what he wanted to keep as private in his life public to them and their viewers instead). I have been told by friends in the media, particularly by a former reporter and anchorwoman for WXYZ - Channel 7, the ABC affiliate station here in Detroit, when I explained that I was seeking a Master's in Teaching to go with my journalism degree, that I was going into, "the more noble profession." Not sure if that is exactly true, based on how our society seems to undervalue their teachers almost as much as they undervalue certain members of the media, but seeing as how Rob’s website is meant for comments on him and not for discussions on social issues in general, I will get to the point…
Since I have some experience as a media consultant, and see that Mr. Thomas shows an interest in politics on the Huffington Post, I wanted to make a recommendation here. As this straight on headshot pose, and some of his other press shots reveal, he has a real, "I mean business," and, “in your face,” side to him, even though it does seem upon first review of who he is to his fans that he is more widely known as simply a really nice, fun-loving guy. In regards to his political interests, I suggest that perhaps one day, he expand on the dead serious, and don’t you dare mess with me side of himself and disclose far more to someone who he could trust to be personally revealing of him in a positive light. To be more specific, in addition to the books out there on Matchbox 20, Mr. Thomas might want to consider opening up the way he did for the story Rolling Stone magazine did on him, and agree to do an autobiography. If he were to begin to, "live his life out loud," the way he suggests we all might want to do in his song, Someday, and discuss more of the fine details of his life in a book that would focus on subject matter outside of his music and his band, I am sure it would generate an interest amongst his fans, as well as those who haven’t discovered who he is well enough to consider themselves fans yet…in other words, amongst the voting public in general.
For example, some of the subjects I really think fans of Rob’s solo career and his involvement in Matchbox 20 would be interested in are: his parents involvement in the army at Landstuhl (which is the nearest medical treatment center for soldiers coming in from Iraq and Afghanistan, and also is one of the top hospitals for organ donations for its region in Germany), his relationship with the father who it sounds like left his family, as well as with what were undoubtedly strong women who ended up primarily raising him, how he survived on his own – meaning what types of jobs did he hold down, where did he live, what kind of interesting people did he meet - for years after he left home before he started "Tabitha's Secret," how he thinks all of this made him into the man he is today, and finally what I think his fans might find to be one of the most interesting aspects of who he is now, but which according to my research is never discussed to even a small degree, and that is his own role as a father and his relationship with his son. Sure, Rob’s music is revealing of what he wants us as listeners to think about and feel, but there is a whole side of him that remains far too hidden for those of us who want to know more than what my favorite radio station here in Detroit revealed when he performed at the Fillmore…stuff like that his entourage enjoys Oreos and Nutter Butters while they travel with him. Typically if someone takes the time and interest in the political arena enough to spend the time on a blog, it is because like a lot of the rest of us, they wonder what the furthering of their political beliefs might achieve if they could only hold some type of office, and really work to change the world. I honestly believe it is entirely possible that this nice guy musician has real potential as someone others would love to see in even more of a public service role, especially because his true fans are more than aware and can truly appreciate all he does as a philanthropist. If Mr. Thomas might ever consider furthering his political interests, he should seriously contemplate taking his celebrity in the direction that politicians like Ronald Reagan did when he went from Hollywood to being governor. Although, based on what I’ve seen of Mr. Thomas, who in the tribute he did to The Who he did at the Kennedy Center Honors, sang their famous song, “Teenage Wasteland,” he truly seems to understand what it means when one “fights for their meals.” To me, that suggests if he wanted to apply that understanding to a voting constituency, it seems he would be more of a viable candidate for the Democratic Party than for the Republicans.
Personally, seeing as how Mr. Thomas is the one who introduced his interest in politics by blogging about things like, “The Big Gay Chip On His Shoulder,” in the first place, and seeing as how politics is one of the things journalists are typically most interested in, I wanted to add one more comment, albeit unsolicited…and hopefully the owner of this website will take this as nothing but a compliment. Rob, you are far too smart a guy to be pure genius in the music world, while being almost 40, you have settled for the education level you have achieved thus far. After reading your blog, I am even more convinced, aside from needing a good editor to make sense of your highly intellectual mode of thinking so the rest of us who may have achieved college degrees can try to understand the point you are making, you have way more than what it takes to succeed in furthering your education. Once you further your formal learning, since education is power, the possibilities are endless for success in other areas of your life, especially if you should ever decide to move beyond the music world, and maybe take the popularity you enjoy among your listeners to a whole other level.
Finally, it would never be my intention to offend Mr. Thomas or his lovely wife with these bold comments coming from a freelance correspondent who just so happens to be female…but as every successful, yet humble man like Rob knows…behind every good man, there is a woman.
Comments
On Wed, Dec 21, 2011 at 8:05 PM, Annette Rogers-Schwartz said:
P.S. If Mr. Thomas ever does decide to he would in fact like to take his popularity to the next level in politics, I just wanted to share, since there are so many Americans who are not up on their U.S. Constitution...that since he was born on a U.S. Army base, even though he was born in Germany, he is in fact a U.S resident and therefore is eligible to run for any elected office all the way up to president (not that he would ever want to run, but come on, who doesn't consider at some point, what it would be like to be president?). I know he and his lovely wife are likely far more concerned with their Sidewalk Angels, than they are in Rob's political career, but I wanted to mention it in support of the suggestion I made above regarding him ever running for office :)
On Fri, Dec 16, 2011 at 5:48 PM, Annette Rogers-Schwartz said:
Allow me to preface what I am going to say as it relates to Mr. Thomas by saying, it isn’t always easy to be identified as a member of the media. There is a line drawn between what us truly ethical journalists practice, and what the paparazzi do to people like Rob’s buddy John Mayer (saw a great clip of Mr. Mayer dissing TMZ as they cornered him on the street in New York City, while trying to get him to keep what he wanted to keep as private in his life public to them and their viewers instead). I have been told by friends in the media, particularly by a former reporter and anchorwoman for WXYZ - Channel 7, the ABC affiliate station here in Detroit, when I explained that I was seeking a Master's in Teaching to go with my journalism degree, that I was going into, "the more noble profession." Not sure if that is exactly true, based on how our society seems to undervalue their teachers almost as much as they undervalue certain members of the media, but seeing as how Rob’s website is meant for comments on him and not for discussions on social issues in general, I will get to the point…
Since I have some experience as a media consultant, and see that Mr. Thomas shows an interest in politics on the Huffington Post, I wanted to make a recommendation here. As this straight on headshot pose, and some of his other press shots reveal, he has a real, "I mean business," and, “in your face,” side to him, even though it does seem upon first review of who he is to his fans that he is more widely known as simply a really nice, fun-loving guy. In regards to his political interests, I suggest that perhaps one day, he expand on the dead serious, and don’t you dare mess with me side of himself and disclose far more to someone who he could trust to be personally revealing of him in a positive light. To be more specific, in addition to the books out there on Matchbox 20, Mr. Thomas might want to consider opening up the way he did for the story Rolling Stone magazine did on him, and agree to do an autobiography. If he were to begin to, "live his life out loud," the way he suggests we all might want to do in his song, Someday, and discuss more of the fine details of his life in a book that would focus on subject matter outside of his music and his band, I am sure it would generate an interest amongst his fans, as well as those who haven’t discovered who he is well enough to consider themselves fans yet…in other words, amongst the voting public in general.
For example, some of the subjects I really think fans of Rob’s solo career and his involvement in Matchbox 20 would be interested in are: his parents involvement in the army at Landstuhl (which is the nearest medical treatment center for soldiers coming in from Iraq and Afghanistan, and also is one of the top hospitals for organ donations for its region in Germany), his relationship with the father who it sounds like left his family, as well as with what were undoubtedly strong women who ended up primarily raising him, how he survived on his own – meaning what types of jobs did he hold down, where did he live, what kind of interesting people did he meet - for years after he left home before he started "Tabitha's Secret," how he thinks all of this made him into the man he is today, and finally what I think his fans might find to be one of the most interesting aspects of who he is now, but which according to my research is never discussed to even a small degree, and that is his own role as a father and his relationship with his son. Sure, Rob’s music is revealing of what he wants us as listeners to think about and feel, but there is a whole side of him that remains far too hidden for those of us who want to know more than what my favorite radio station here in Detroit revealed when he performed at the Fillmore…stuff like that his entourage enjoys Oreos and Nutter Butters while they travel with him. Typically if someone takes the time and interest in the political arena enough to spend the time on a blog, it is because like a lot of the rest of us, they wonder what the furthering of their political beliefs might achieve if they could only hold some type of office, and really work to change the world. I honestly believe it is entirely possible that this nice guy musician has real potential as someone others would love to see in even more of a public service role, especially because his true fans are more than aware and can truly appreciate all he does as a philanthropist. If Mr. Thomas might ever consider furthering his political interests, he should seriously contemplate taking his celebrity in the direction that politicians like Ronald Reagan did when he went from Hollywood to being governor. Although, based on what I’ve seen of Mr. Thomas, who in the tribute he did to The Who he did at the Kennedy Center Honors, sang their famous song, “Teenage Wasteland,” he truly seems to understand what it means when one “fights for their meals.” To me, that suggests if he wanted to apply that understanding to a voting constituency, it seems he would be more of a viable candidate for the Democratic Party than for the Republicans.
Personally, seeing as how Mr. Thomas is the one who introduced his interest in politics by blogging about things like, “The Big Gay Chip On His Shoulder,” in the first place, and seeing as how politics is one of the things journalists are typically most interested in, I wanted to add one more comment, albeit unsolicited…and hopefully the owner of this website will take this as nothing but a compliment. Rob, you are far too smart a guy to be pure genius in the music world, while being almost 40, you have settled for the education level you have achieved thus far. After reading your blog, I am even more convinced, aside from needing a good editor to make sense of your highly intellectual mode of thinking so the rest of us who may have achieved college degrees can try to understand the point you are making, you have way more than what it takes to succeed in furthering your education. Once you further your formal learning, since education is power, the possibilities are endless for success in other areas of your life, especially if you should ever decide to move beyond the music world, and maybe take the popularity you enjoy among your listeners to a whole other level.
Finally, it would never be my intention to offend Mr. Thomas or his lovely wife with these bold comments coming from a freelance correspondent who just so happens to be female…but as every successful, yet humble man like Rob knows…behind every good man, there is a woman.