Cheezhead

And I wanna be an anarchist
I get pissed, destroy! 

Would Sex Pistols’ Johnny Rotten have made a good blogger? Public Enemy’s Chuck D? John Lennon? Kurt Cobain? Jim Morrison? Bob Dylan?

Working out this morning to the tune of Anarchy in the UK, this is the question I asked myself. I know, a tad off the beaten path, but it is Saturday.

Aside from being poets and artists, all the people mentioned above shook-up the system and questioned authority. Fortunately, they were all blessed with enough talent to be able to broadcast their words to the world.

But how many such messengers have gone unnoticed through time? Well, don’t look now, but the times they are a changin’. The blogosphere is undoubtedly giving voices to those who have been silent in revolutions past.

As a journalism student in college, the dream my classmates and I were fed was to one day be Woodward and Bernstein, uncovering the next presidential scandal.

I wonder how many students today negate the dreams of working for The Times, and instead dream of blogging their way to fame and fortune?

Not to say there’s a monopoly on politics. Jeff Jarvis’ crusade against Dell Computers is a great example of the power of blogging and the headaches it can cause corporate America. How long before a disgruntled employee makes life hell for some poor HR director?

The pen is mightier than the sword. And Blogger and Typepad arm everyone.

Additionally, what does this mean for industry stalwarts who have enjoyed a lone soap box to stir the pot? Our industry’s own John Sumser has made a living of being the washing machine’s biggest agitator. But I’d have to guess as more HR-industry bloggers force a sharing of the spotlight, his brand faces dilution.

Will competition like this lead to ever-increasing muckraking? Time will tell, but I think it’s likely. That said, I have to believe, in the end, the market will take care of lackluster creative, news and commentary, and lead only the best of bloggers to the top of the heap.

It’s an intriguing time. Army of One has never made more sense. Will bloggers someday have the same effect on a world’s consciousness as Bob Dylan’s lyrics or John Lennon’s Bed-In? 

Imagine. It’s easy if you try.