What’s the job?

The Criterion Collection just put out their 4K edition of No Country for Old Men, which includes a new interview with the Coen brothers.

The Coen brothers made two of my favorite films of all time: The Big Lebowski (a film about life trying — and failing — to change an oblivious character) and No Country for Old Men (a film about characters trying — and failing — to change the obliviousness of life).

Whenever the Coen brothers are interviewed about the meanings of their movies, they usually avoid a direct answer, but this new interview was a little different.

They didn’t seem to care about the meaning behind the controversial final lines of the movie, which was taken word-for-word from the novel by Cormac McCarthy. Their job was to direct a great film. They knew the ending was interesting. That’s all that mattered.

I think many of us can relate — on a smaller scale.

When I’m asked to write for a client, I ask myself, ‘What is the job of this piece?’ Then, I match the work to the desired objective. Defining the job is the foundation of a successful outcome.

Whether I’m writing giant guides or simple social posts, every word, every pixel, and every person involved has a specific job. When I write emails, clients often ask how the subject line ties into their overall brand campaign. I explain, that’s not the job of a subject line.

Sometimes, it’s comforting to know that even the most celebrated creators, like the Coen brothers, can’t escape questions like this.

They directed one of the greatest thrillers of all time. They won the Academy Award for Best Picture in the process. But if you ask them about the message of the film, they don’t really know for sure. That wasn’t the job.

Now, I love the movie even more.

— CJ

Elsewhere

“We are born not remembering why we walked into the room.” — Elisa Gabbert via Austin Kleon

Wonder why I don’t recommend the ad model for beginners? After several big-name YouTubers were seemingly scammed (again) by (another) big name advertiser, Louis Rossman went on a rant that summed up the state of YouTube advertising: “99% of the people who are recommending you sh@t on YouTube are so out of touch that they’re recommending you products that not only screw you; they’re recommending products that actively screw them. It demonstrates that 99% of the people on this platform that recommend you sh@t have no f@cking clue what it is they’re advertising to you.”

Doug Stanhope is the new Norm Macdonald, the underrated comic who other comedians love, but the public barely knows. His new special includes this rant on caring less about things you can’t change. A lot of burned-out people could use a healthy dose of this right now. “l’ve stopped caring and it’s worked out beautifully. I know that sounds irresponsible, and somewhat Canadian, but just don’t even not give a f@ck. That’s too extreme. When I hear someone say, ‘I don’t give a f@ck,’ I think you sound like you put a lot of effort and energy into that f@ck that you’re refusing to give. I need you to dial it down...that’s what I’m preaching — radical apathy.”