I saw the Agony and Ecstasy of Steve Jobs last year, when Mike Daisey toured the show to Sydney. He performed at the Opera House. It was a profoundly moving experience, an amazing show.
So when it surfaced that large parts of his story were fabricated and embellished, I thought long and hard about my response. I’m still conflicted about it. Some of what I felt and thought has made its way into a good friend’s piece for the ABC’s PM show on Radio National.
I play the role of the punter in Eleanor Bell’s well-scripted story, which you can listen to here, along with a transcript.
Ultimately, I’m not sure how I feel. I do believe that art is the lie that tells the truth. I know from personal experience that the truth is complex and unwieldy, and doesn’t easily fit into dramatic arcs or three-act structures. Some dramatic license is needed. The question is, how much is too much, and how far is too far?
Ultimately, what crossed the line for me was that Mike Daisey passed his story off as a true account. He claimed it was reportage, and we believed him. And the fact that it was “based on a true story” gave extra weight and meaning to the revelations that we experienced during his show. Not only that, but Mike Daisey made out as if he, and only he (as a non-journalist, and a fat, white American) could have had this experience and told this story. It was precisely because he was a storyteller and performer (and not a journalist) that he was able to tell this tale.
When it comes down to it, though, the ultimate onus is upon the producers and reporters that allowed and invited him onto their shows and their channels, as the voice of reason and the enlightened expert. More fact-checking was needed.
Do I think that Mike Daisey achieved more than any news article ever did? Yes. Will I go to watch a Mike Daisey show again? Absolutely. Great storytelling is hard to find. We should cherish those that would use their talents in the service of great art and a noble cause. It’s worth mentioning that while his account was factually inaccurate … the reality remains. Working conditions in China are awful. They will continue to be, until we demand otherwise.
