Man, I really didn’t think I’d have to do this because it’s not like it’s a new thing with me going around taking pics and making comments at car shows… But here I am, doing this.

Lots of you are new around here – you probably don’t even know who this “lifewithjson” guy is and probably never even heard of a blog because you’re too busy watching clickbait youtube videos or tryna catch clout on these platforms where people don’t even know you. For many of you entering a show – not just Driven in particular – it’s your first time, or you’ve never had a picture of your car posted anywhere other than instagram cause one of your buddies spotted you and thought it was worthwhile to have you on their stories. The internet – the same place where you’re looking for clout, fame and followers – is the same exact place where you can get called out, made fun of, and hated on for all the same reasons. I need you guys to understand that. Because I certainly understand what it’s like to be called out on things that I was proud of and I didn’t have anywhere to cry about it except my own bed at night. You don’t just get to play the cry baby card because someone disagreed with you – you just gotta handle it. You stick to your guns and your choices and let them disagree or you change it to make yourself and maybe (or maybe not) others happy. However, you will never make everyone happy.

Some of you may know Errol – he’s a very straight up and no bullshit kinda guy – and some of you may have seen his story coverage on Instagram. He has not once ever not called anyone out if their shit was improper – his friends included. Me included. From a purely unbiased standpoint, what he was pointing out at the show was not “wrong” per say. It was just the cold hard truth – whether you failed to see it or not. I’ve said this before – if you go to a show, your first priority should be that your car is in a condition that will please the people paying to come see it. Period. If you’re rolling in on winter tires or steelies or you got rusted bolts and janky parts – that’s fine – but be prepared to be questioned on it. You can’t have hurt feelings because someone noticed your own negligence. You feel me? That’s like walking around with vomit on your sweater, mom’s spaghetti and someone pointing it out and getting upset with them. It’s the same damn thing.

Unlike Errol, I like to think I’m a bit more conservative. I don’t go to these shows like some egotistical maniac on the hunt to find all the janky cars, photograph them, spend my time editing and writing about them and wait for the crowds’ reaction. You might think I do, but I really don’t. My purpose – like the last 12 years of doing this – is to provide coverage that really no one else does and to recap and review the show in a unbiased and straightforward method for people that were at the show and those that weren’t. I don’t care who owns what car – I take the picture and I move on. If I spot something odd or out of place, I will call it out if I think it’s worth calling out. Let’s flashback to Driven 2018 when I called out an individual for dirty wheels – that’s all that ever was. I had no intent of hurting feelings or starting shit – it was about the same premise I bring up every year – make sure you are up to par with the standards to make it worth it for the people paying to come see the show. But Jason – what good did that do other than offend the people? Quite honestly, it did a lot of good and not with that intention in mind either. Everyone makes an effort to clean their wheels now. Isn’t that what should be done anyway? If all that did was bring some sort of awareness to people to start minding their barrels, then that was the best thing I ever did. For the first time ever, at last year’s Midnight Revup show in Edmonton – practically 99% of cars had the cleanest wheels I had ever seen and it was fabulous. So unlike Errol – no offense to him at all because I think he spotted many things I didn’t care to look for – I stand by my position that I still provide an unbiased and methodical approach to show coverage and pictures for people to enjoy. That’s it.

At the end of the day, all I want to see is cool cars and cool shit. I’m never singlehandedly calling someone out on purpose and telling the world to laugh at them, please understand this. For those of you that have been around for as long as you have – thank you for the support and knowing this. This blog never started with bad intentions and it will continue that way. For those of you that are just finding this blog now because of all the drama, welcome. Go through my past posts to see that I really haven’t changed my coverage or my attitude towards reps or janky things. It is not elitism, it is just proper. There is a certain truth to this #RespectAllBuilds hashtag – I certainly do but it’s also difficult to do so when the respect to the parts you’re using is thrown out the window with replica parts. It’s a two-way street. I appreciate the DM’s and the tags, the followers and unfollowers – it’s a way of life nowadays. I’m not mad if you don’t like it and I’m happy if you do.

This was not a rant, just a clarification for the new blood because of all the thin skin and the emotional damage – you know, the meme you all love sharing so much? We were new blood once too and we learned. We. Just. Want. To. See. Cool. Shit. #BuildBetter