@FolkToe There were quite a few issues raised in your last post so I'll do my best to address each in turn. The comments seem to have diverged from the original question, but are worth addressing nonetheless.

First off, I want to clear up the notion of @jaredleto as the 'celebrity'. If we go back to your first post, you described it as "thousands following, and millions that are inspired by [him]", placing some kind of civic responsibility upon him because of it. You say that Jared the 'capitalist' is the target of your question. But I tend to think that blaming Jared the 'celebrity', 'capitalist' or 'philanthropist', all go hand in hand in blaming Jared Leto the HUMAN BEING.

Secondly, I agree that attending a live concert is an exhilarating and unforgettable experience. But VyRT is in an entirely different realm than a live show. The very first VyRT was created so that those that didn't have the money to travel, to be a part of the experience, could pay a small amount to have it brought to them, in the comfort of their own home. If the VyRT broadcasting does expand, do you really think people will forgo live concerts altogether? I highly doubt it. I would never give up the feeling I get when I hear my favourite songs being played live before my very eyes, would you?

I think we've now come to the interests underlying your original position. I believe it is fueled by anger at the possibility of being 'left out'. It is understandable, especially in such a close knit community as the Echelon, to have that fear. I have missed out on experiences before, but thanks to 30 Seconds to Mars, I have made amazing friends who are always willing to fill me in. Why isn't that enough? You say that there is no "charity donations" for VyRT, but I would have to disagree with you on that, too. I in my own right, have gifted many tickets for VyRT events. It is not just on Jared and the rest of the Mars crew to help us out. They've planted the seeds of all our friendships, and where possible, we need to help EACH-OTHER out. WE need to take responsibility, and we have, that's why hundreds of VyRT tickets have been gifted by generous people in the past. Your question was "how FAMILY is that?"...To me, that seems a lot like one. I don't see why anyone would feel like a "second class fan" because of it, but that is one's own insecurities getting in the way.

As to your point about the record company paying for free VyRT broadcasting of MARS300, the answer is simple. The record company has no place in VyRT. VyRT is a unique company created by Jared Leto alone, without financing by the record company, without advertising and paid for out of his own pocket, FOR US. Like many things that Jared has done for the Echelon (I'll keep my focus on Jared, not discounting the contribution by Tomo and Shannon and the rest of the crew) he does not do it with the intention, nor does he expect, to turn a profit. The comment you made that "I don't think anything beyond $$$ concerns him," I think has not been made with an objective mind, actually taking into account everything done to date. I don't think that is fair to assume or to accuse, and you made that into a personal attack on Jared Leto the person, something which you previously claimed your question was not about.

Just from twitter alone, it is evident that VyRT has given thousands of people around the world the opportunity to be a part of an uplifting experience together with their favourite bands. It's an inspiring notion, that someone like Jared would put his own time and funds into a start-up company (and if you think about it, very unlikely that he would make any profit at all from it anyway), just to make the Echelon, and now, other fans, happy. To start blaming him for perpetuating problems faced by society , is irresponsible. We need to focus our attention on the root causes of these social problems, on the failure of society, on our own failures. Maybe that's the reason that these problems have not been solved sooner; because it becomes too easy to sit in our recliners and point fingers rather than take responsibility and ownership of our OWN CHOICES.

Ellen.

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