Contributors >> Gibbs, Dan ('99)

Biographical Statement (August 2013)

Joseph Daniel Gibbs (Dan) graduated Lehigh in 2000 and in 2001 enjoyed his Presidential Scholarship. He graduated with highest honors with a double major in English and Theatre. He now lives back in Agoura Hills, CA, with his wife, Melissa Dawn Gibbs, and his 3 ½-year-old boy, August Rain Gibbs. He still has his passion in the arts and now expresses himself through vivid abstract oil paintings. In 2005, he attended the Advanced School of Massage Therapy to become a better artist and get to know the body better. That he did, and now Dan is a practicing Reiki Master Teacher and massage therapist in addition to his successful career as an Internet Manager in the auto industry. Gratefully his mom (Nereda Haque) taught him very quickly her secrets to her success selling cars and the ins and outs of the auto industry. Dan is now an Internet Manager at Rusnak/Westlake Porsche, just a few moments from his house. Dan considers himself an ambassador of Agoura Hills. Whether taking visiting family or guests on trips to the Malibu, going on local hikes in the Santa Monica Mountains, coaching wrestling, and even participating in Agoura/Oak Park Alumni football games to raise money for the kids program--Dan makes others feel welcome and warm.

Reflection

I am writing this bio, thoughts, and reflection for one of the most impactful professors, Ed Gallagher, and the onward movement of Film in American history. I first met professor Gallagher in his class "Oliver Stone's America." Title says it all. "A must if I can get into this class," I thought to myself as the syllabus featured a heavy work load of ten of Oliver Stone's films that showed the breakdown of our American society, a downward spiral of our great nation from the assassination of JFK to the Vietnam trilogy (Platoon, Born on the 4th of July, and Heaven and Earth), and etc. Not trying to bore you, but this class to me was ahead of its time with the power of film. I was a straight-A scholar athlete through high school and college, but not by reading. I learn by listening and watching and doing. Participating in class so the teacher and I have a working relationship with each others thoughts, so when I write in a manner of thought and talking--my thoughts were always followed. Bunny-trailing again. Lol. My lead-in is I didn't read a text book until I was in college. Plays, books, yes--text books that read like a car owner's manual--no. So here I am in college, with a professor looking into the future, seeing this culture and saying, "Oh shit! I don't know if it's 'Bad' or 'Good,' but everyone's truth today on history is based on a mass-media 'based on a true story' thirty-second flash on the screen before a movie starts." (Paraphrased, of course!). What does it mean? How many liberties are taken with the "truth"? Film now being our History. Whose truth is being told? Who paid for and produced the movie? Why was it released?

So Professor Gallagher offered another class based on Film in American History. Syllabus much thicker, but I was hooked -- pick a film "based on a true story" and research the truth. How close to the truth? How many versions of the story/film are there? How did the movie I choose represent the truth? Why did I pick it? Etc. I was all over it and passionate to put the movie watching/reading to the max and find out.

Well, I picked Wyatt Earp. Looking back now, maybe because my freshman year the movie Tombstone played non-stop, and I had the movie memorized. Then looking into it, it was a black hole, the story of Wyatt Earp had been made and told soooooo many times. Which one do I pick? And overwhelming was all the books, movies, media I was researching to find the truth. Each having their own spin. Basically, you want the truth? Make the man a myth and print the Legend. It goes further and is more popular and reaches more people as they can relate. And it benefits the producers because if makes more money.

If you look back now, Wyatt Earp is forgotten, and everyone can still recite Tombstone. The badass hardcore gangster-style film in an hour-and-a-half story Tombstone) is more marketable and more entertaining than a three-hour-plus movie (Wyatt Earp) that drags because its trying to give you more of the man-version and the myth at the same time. Whose going to remember the truth if they can't sit through it? Especially with our shrinking attention span.

I don't dive that deep anymore into films. Just always aware of the vision, time-frame, and overall direction a film is portraying of truth and make up my ideas as to why it benefits our society to tell this truth now. And if it's a good story it will be told again another way. And if it's an amazing character, his life will be fabricated and used as "based on a true story" to fit a purpose, to make money, help promote war, stop war, end bigotry, etc, etc.

Do we listen to a "based on a true story." Yes. We do. We say, really? I didn't know that, and it's the best hook in the biz. It's watching the news! But better. No commercials, and I get to eat some popcorn and chocolate.