Seven San Diego

Last year, the Marlboro Man topped the list of 101 “most influential people that never lived”. In their book, Allan Lazar, Dan Karlan and Jeremy Salter rank characters of myths, legends, television, and films. These men from New Jersey entertain the idea that even people that never existed in the real world have had the ability to “shape our society, change our behavior, and set the course of history”. And…well…they’re right! These characters have changed our thinking, for better or for worse.

While I’m usually excited about reading through list, I found this list to be alarming. Don’t get me wrong, this list was fun to read, but it also made me uneasy. The influence these “nobodies” have had on our culture is substantial. As a marketer, I get excited when “brands” pervade so deeply, but I certainly don’t jump out of my skin when the “brand” promotes unhealthy habits, poor dietary behaviors, inflated alter egos, or mindless consumption.

Ladies and gentleman, when are we really going to start raging against the machine? When are we really going to start getting real? I find that the “nobodies” these days are making a difference only because the “somebodies” have stopped believing in what they could do to change the world. The “somebodies” have taken a backseat to fabricated truths about sex, drugs, and yes, even rock and roll.

If you want to start making a difference in people’s lives, you’ve got to start living life. You’ve got to start blogging about things that will help enrich others. You’ve got to stop posting discouraging notes to friends on social networking sites. You’ve got to start uploading videos with good ideas. You’ve got to stop being just another chump on the block! As artists, writers, poets, musicians, or Christ followers for that matter, we bear the responsibility of transforming our cultures for better not worse.

If you desire to make a difference long after you’re dead, you’ve got to stop thinking about your own problems and start helping others with theirs (Phil 2:3-4). If you want to start influencing people, you’ve got to start making better choices about who you want to be. Our attitudes should be the same that Christ Jesus had. The Apostle Paul notes “though he was God, he did not demand and cling to his rights as God (Phil 2:5-6).

Unfortunately, under the influence of a “nobody” like the Marlboro Man, people smoke themselves to death. Fortunately, under the influence of a “somebody” like you, people can have a better understanding of a life that is not only physically more enjoyable, but spiritually as well. Photo by Spencer Batcheider.