♪ ♪
John Wilson: Hey, New York.
Waking life is filled with a lot of exciting stuff.
But every night when the Sandman tucks you into bed,
you exit the world of rational thought
and begin to dream.
If life is like a basketball game,
then dreams are kind of like the halftime show.
All the players leave the court, and you're left
with a strange performance that nobody asked for,
but, uh, you get anyway.
It's always fascinating because it's a window into a world
that you don't usually get to see.
I haven't been able to remember my dreams for a while now,
and I feel like I'm missing out.
My nights are more like a skating rink
where the Zamboni quietly repairs the ice,
leaving it smooth and blank
before I wake up in the morning.
Scientists say that the average person
has around four dreams a night.
So, you know they gotta be in there somewhere.
I'm not even sure if they would even be useful
if I could access them.
But, once something is backed up long enough,
it can start to cause problems you didn't expect.
And once you figure out how to get things moving again,
all that good stuff in your head could
finally come rushing out and
fill your world with inspiration.
So, instead of wasting half your life in a deep sleep,
it's time to unlock your midnight potential
and finally figure out how to remember
all those sweet, sweet dreams.
Supposedly, the first thing you gotta do
is keep a pen and paper by the bed,
so that you can get in the habit of writing
everything down the moment you wake up.
Even if you draw a blank, you can just write down,
"nothing to report," and before you know it,
you'll begin to recall little fragments.
Everything's really hazy at first.
You remember vague shapes and colors,
but, after a while,
the content becomes much more clearly defined.
♪ ♪
Sometimes, you dream that you're flying.
Or that you move into a strange new neighborhood
just slightly out of town.
(clears throat)
Sometimes, you dream that you're being pursued
in a high-speed chase.
Or that you have to complete
a strange challenge you don't understand.
You're not sure what any of it means,
but maybe you could discover some kind of practical use
for all this raw material.
So, who's, who's that you got there?
Inventor: This is Foxy.
Very happy, jolly dog who loves people.
-Wilson: Cool. Okay. -Inventor: Who's that? Who's that?
So, one night when I went to sleep, I had a dream.
I was in the park with my nephews,
and we were walking with the dog that I had just gotten.
And I looked down,
and the leash actually had split into two.
So, my nephew was holding one, and then I was holding one.
And it's just kind of an "ah-ha" moment in the dream.
So, I woke up, started drawing some sketches.
Um, then I started pretty much reaching out
to some manufacturers, and it all took off from there.
Wilson: You think your dog knows
that it's being controlled by two people?
Inventor: She loves it. She loves all the attention.
Just increases the conversation with people
when they're walking.
So now, people can communicate a little more, like,
"Let's go here, let's go there."
And everybody gets to enjoy the experience.
-Wilson: This is nice. -(Inventor whistles)
I will say the biggest hurdle was the name.
Wilson: Well, why was the name hard?
The name was hard because, unfortunately,
the word "love" has kinda been over-sexualized,
and just making it a Love Leash,
people had different ideas about it when I was--
especially when I was reaching out to find people
to shrink-wrap the box and different things like that.
They were curious about what it is, um.
-Wilson: Oh, did they think this was a sex toy? -(laughs) Yeah.
I had the dream. I stuck with it. I believed in it.
I had faith, and I just moved forward.
I think anybody can really do it.
Wilson: Do you ever have dreams that you wish you could forget?
(laughs) A few.
A few.
Wilson: So, take a look in your dream journal to see
if there's anything in there that people might wanna buy.
You did have a dream that involved
some sort of portable copy machine.
But, when you tried to draw a prototype,
it didn't seem very practical,
and it actually turns out
that they kind of invented
something like that already.
So if you can't think of a product,
maybe the value of your dreams is in understanding
what they can tell you about yourself.
Your brain always seems to be suggesting
strange things to you.
And a lot of the time, it's not even stuff you knew you wanted.
This happens to you a lot in real life, too.
And there must be a reason you
keep seeing images like this.
The idea behind targeted ads is, you know,
you're not being force-fed a bunch of irrelevant junk
that you don't want. You know, you think back
to when you used to get these giant catalogs
of just crap that you didn't want.
You'd get delivered all these ads,
like on TV that had nothing to do with you.
So, the idea is, of course, the right one
where they want to deliver things that are relevant to you.
Wilson: Okay, so this is kind of the interface you use
-to create an ad on Facebook? -Advertiser 1: Yeah.
Advertiser 2: Correct. We can create some audiences here.
Wilson: Relationship status...
Ov-over six million people are widowed?
-Advertiser 1: Yep. -Advertiser 2: Mm.
Wilson: Wow. Is that pork?
Advertiser 2: Yeah, presumably.
What we developed and we received the patent on
is the ability to see a person going on a site,
what they were actually looking at, their intent.
Wilson: Do you think like with all these data points, you might know
like a user better than they know themselves?
Yes, because they're actually...
You're doing it behind the firewall, right?
You're doing it in private.
So, it's very different, subconsciously,
what you do and the patterns that you take
versus what you say you actually do.
Wilson: Is like the targeted ad industry,
is that a really lucrative industry?
Yeah, it definitely is.
If you pan around to the other side,
I have five cars on order,
and only have three spots.
Something like this is half a million dollars
-just for the garage. -Wilson: Wow.
And then another 100,000 in the lifts
and all the other things that you have to put behind it, so...
Even the lifts, they're great, but just to get to a car,
you have to move one out, bring it down, bring the other one up.
-Wilson: Oh yeah. -It's not the worst problem,
but I'd love to go subterranean.
(engine roaring)
Wilson: (laughing) Oh my god!
-Makes all the right noises, feels right. -Wilson: Holy shit.
-Yeah. -It's just really an amazing drive.
-Wilson: Let me put on my seatbelt. -That's a good idea.
Wilson: I totally forgot.
♪ ♪
Wilson: It seems like the stuff in your dreams might be
the most honest expression of all your deepest desires.
And maybe you should act on them once in a while.
Maybe you should finally purchase
that object you've been dreaming about,
or maybe invest in something. Something big.
And if you keep having stress dreams
about fighting with your partner,
you might try to settle things in real life.
But this might lead to an even bigger argument
where they tell you that
you make everything about yourself,
and they want someone who's ready to commit.
(clears throat)
And that's just not the kind of person you are.
You beg them to give you a second chance,
but they ultimately decide to break it off for good.
So, you end up just sitting around your apartment,
watching a bunch of television
and feeling sorry for yourself,
which eventually transitions
into a full-blown identity crisis.
So, you start exercising
and reconnecting with old friends
and taking up brand new hobbies
that you never would've considered before.
And after a while, you begin to feel
like the best version of yourself.
And none of this would have happened
if you didn't listen to your dreams.
♪ ♪
Unfortunately, some dreams
are really hard to understand,
and you can't always tell what kind of direction
they're trying to give you.
You had one dream recently where you walk into
a laundromat in your neighborhood.
But when you get in there,
instead of washing machines lining the walls,
it's all stoves, and
people are cooking instead of washing their clothes.
That was pretty much it,
and you're not really sure what it says
about you or your desires.
-(knob clangs) -(clears throat)
You try to talk to a handful of people about what it can mean.
I walk around the city, and I find, like,
it's like a laundromat,
but there's no washing machines in it.
But, everyone seemed kind of uninterested
and wanted to move on to the next subject
as quickly as possible.
There's no washing machines inside.
-It's just stoves inside, and everyone's cooking. -Yeah.
Wilson: And when people did engage,
all they wanted to do was tell you about their dreams,
which you also found uninteresting
and had a hard time connecting with.
I-- I was just sitting on the side of a bank,
and the moon was out,
and it was relatively cool and, um...
I was just in another landscape.
I'm flying a plane, or just flying,
or para-gliding,
or in a hot air balloon,
or lost in space. Like, flinging through space.
This is actually the earlier part of the dream,
where more of the creatures
-were still up on the, on the roof. -Wilson: Uh-huh.
And, uh, and there were a few humanoids like this,
although most of them were, generically,
what things looked like.
Wilson: You felt kind of bad for your lack of interest,
but maybe there's a logical reason for it.
♪ ♪
When someone describes a dream to you,
they're asking you to care about something
that never actually happened.
You can try to grasp onto little details
that you can relate to,
but in order to appreciate it,
you need to be willing to immerse yourself
in a fantasy world,
and maybe that's just not the kind of person you are.
♪ ♪
Back when I was growing up,
my friends would play Dungeons and Dragons all the time.
I always wanted to join, but they wouldn't let me
because they said I wouldn't take it seriously.
I was ejected from paradise,
and I completely rejected fantasy
from there on out.
I started to only read books about real stuff
and became obsessed with the authenticity
of documentary filmmaking.
When I watched fiction stuff,
I could never suspend my disbelief
and fully immerse myself in the world.
I even got frustrated when dream sequences
would interrupt the plot of a show,
even though it was all
completely made up to begin with.
And while everyone else was going to Comic-Con,
I started going on court TV shows to
fill the void that was left behind.
-Judge Milian: Okay, John, what is your last name? -Wilson.
-Judge Milian: Mr. Wilson, how old are you? -I'm 16.
This obsession lasted well into adulthood,
but it started to take a toll
on a lot of my relationships.
Judge Acker: Mr. Wilson, you're a videographer?
-I'm a freelance filmmaker. -Judge Acker: Well,
Mr. Freelance Filmmaker, you're suing the defendant
for $2,000 because, according to your complaint,
he hired you to do some freelance filmmaking,
-and then he didn't pay you! -Yeah.
I won a few thousand dollars over the years,
but mostly all I did was
just make enemies.
I think it's a victory for freelancers everywhere.
He was just trying to take advantage of me.
All he was trying to do was get that money.
I think that's a moronic thing to say.
And I kind of wish I could find value
in the stuff we make up in our heads.
But, as you continue to record your dreams,
they just... seem to get scarier.
And instead of providing you with nice thoughts
that stick with you throughout the day,
every evening begins to feel like
an eight-hour nightmare
that you just can't
find a way to turn off.
And one day, when you left your dream journal
on-- open on the table,
your girlfriend walked by
and read about a dream that you had about an ex.
She got really upset,
and it kind of led to a big argument.
You told her it didn't matter because it wasn't real,
but she still felt otherwise.
Maybe it's not a good idea
to try to remember your dreams
because once you bring your subconscious
into the real world,
it could do real harm to someone you love.
And maybe you should just go back to your comfort zone
before you do any more damage.
Whenever you wanna relax,
you like to turn on AM radio.
Your favorite station is 1010 WINS
because it's all facts, all the time.
And for nonfiction lovers, it can feel like
settling into a warm bath.
Darius Radzius: There are signs here to remind people
not to feed the goats.
They appear to have plenty to eat.
-Darius Radzius, 1010 WINS, at Riverside Park. -Ad: Are you missing teeth?
Wilson: You were always really curious about
how the sausage was made there,
so you decide to contact them,
and they, they miraculously agreed
to let you come by and check everything out.
If anything could snap you back into reality,
this would be the place.
(upbeat music)
(inaudible)
Announcer (on radio): All news, all the time.
-(jingle playing) -This is 1010 WINS.
Good afternoon! 88 degrees,
mostly sunny skies at 2:00.
I'm Larry Mullins, and here's what's happening.
On the Upper East Side, they had a 20-foot crater open up,
devouring part of 89th between York and East End Avenue,
and freaked a lot of people out.
On Long Island, was she trying out a scene
from "Silence of the Lambs" or what?
They've arrested a lady in, uh, on multiple charges
after they say she sank her chops
into a responding officer, Hannibal Lecter-style.
A warning about the raccoons in Point Pleasant, New Jersey.
Cops there say a number of the animals
have been acting strangely, appearing agitated,
even screaming in some cases.
They've already euthanized 15 raccoons
who are now being tested for rabies.
No reports of any attacks,
but they're telling people to stay away from these animals.
Wilson: It was cool to see how the whole place functioned,
but no matter how pure you thought this place was,
you started to notice how often the facts were diluted
with other kinds of strange messages.
In three, two, one.
An orthopedic surgeon can replace a damaged joint,
but they can't replace time.
That's why you need a surgeon who's close to home.
Do it right. Here. Visit RW-- Sorry.
-I would pick it up from, "Do it right. Here." -DJ: Okay.
Some people think a store-bought doorbell camera
is going to protect them, but it won't.
All that provides is a front-row seat
into somebody breaking into your home.
Call 833-933-SAFE
for your free doorbell camera
and free home. "And free home"?
Oh, there's something.
And free home security system. Call now, 833-933...
-Sorry. -Okay, let me do that line from your screen.
Push it over this way a little.
I can't see that all the way the hell over there.
Wilson: You spent the next few hours just hanging out,
trying to enjoy the rest of the broadcast,
but without any plot or narrative
to keep your attention, the same stories
just started getting exhausting after a while.
Another huge sinkhole is causing a traffic nightmare
right now on the Upper East Side.
We'll take you there live.
A possible rabies epidemic among raccoons.
A Long Island woman is under arrest
for an alleged Hannibal Lecter-like
assault on a police officer.
As for Metallica, the band announcing
tasting sessions for their blackened whiskey.
Wilson: You don't know why you thought a place like this
would make you happy.
And after a while, it was clear
that you had overstayed your welcome.
What is cough?
Reporter: Let's say, for example, you needed to cough.
-'Cause I just like, you know... -Wilson: Um...
-Wilson: Okay. I was just getting you-- -(Reporter speaking)
-Wilson: Alright, thanks. -Reporter: Good evening, or good afternoon,
I should say to you. What a horrible afternoon
that's gonna stretch into a bad evening...
Wilson: So, before you caused any more trouble,
you decide to finally take the hint
and see yourself out for good.
♪ ♪
Maybe nonfiction
isn't all it's cracked up to be
because it can be unhealthy
to only see the world from one perspective.
And maybe it's okay to take a break
from that once in a while.
You never really got into comic books,
but you were walking by one of those stores
and thought that maybe now
was a good time to give it a shot.
You hadn't heard of any of these characters before,
and you aren't sure which one you'd
even want to get to know.
But then as you were looking around,
you saw one of the customers reading a comic
that you actually sort of recognized.
It was based on that movie "Avatar."
So, in terms of the Extended Universe,
what's going on right now,
this one takes place immediately after the movie.
Wilson: Are you a fan of "Avatar" at all?
I just-- I'm not... I like James Cameron,
but I just don't get "Avatar" for some reason.
Fan: I definitely recommend checking out the website
if you, if you-- because we have like a whole community online.
It's kelutral.org.
We try to keep it pretty active
because Kelutral is up-and-coming. It's constantly growing.
Wilson: You haven't seen "Avatar" since 2009.
But, from what you remember,
it was about a guy in a wheelchair
who uploads his consciousness
into a tall, agile creature
that lives in some kind of
jungle paradise
where they even speak their own language
and make love by
attaching their ponytails together.
The people of Earth were trying to extract resources
from the "Avatar" planet,
and after a bunch of fighting and stuff,
the main guy decides to stay in his avatar body
with all the other avatars in this utopia
and never go back to Earth.
You remember feeling really emotional after watching it,
which is more than any fantasy
had made you feel in a while.
And maybe if you spent time with other fans of the movie,
you'd get a better idea of why you felt that way.
The guy from the comic store told you
that they, um, were having an event
up at a conference room in Midtown.
They decorated the place with a bunch of stuff from the movie
or maybe inspired by it.
You saw it twice in theaters?
I never go to see movies more than once in a theater.
-How many times did you see it? -Five times. (laughs)
Wilson: After a while, they started to say a bunch of stuff
that you didn't really understand.
(speaking Na'vi)
(laughs)
Wilson: And you quickly realize that
it was actually the language from the movie,
which they all spoke fluently.
The reason that the adjective has to be next to the word
that it describes is because of that flexible word order.
So, if it was on this side, it would be...
(Na'vi word)
(movie chatter)
-Fan 1: Okay, this scene works so much better in 3D. -Fan 2: Right?
-(movie continues) -(indistinct mumbling)
Fan 3: Here's the thing. This is one of the only kiss scenes
in any movie with any CGI that's actually very, um...
-Fan 4: Believable. -Fan 3: Yeah, it's very believable.
Wilson: And after watching the film,
they sat around talking about
how the world of Avatar has impacted their lives.
I saw it the first two times in theaters, and I was like,
this is one of the best movies I've ever seen.
I like, love this movie.
Every time I've watched it after,
I had-- I would always hit about a week or two
-of a really deep depression. -Fan 1: It feels like,
wow, like, this is so beautiful,
and it also, also just feels impossible.
Like, this can never be.
That's where the hopelessness component comes from.
Fan 4: For me, the post-Avatar depression hit hard
because I had this serial track record
of just trying to escape my reality, and,
uh, it--
"Avatar" provided that escapism in a way
that I had never really experienced before.
If you could lay down tonight,
and wake up tomorrow as a Na'vi on Pandora...
-Heck yes! -...would you take that?
Absolutely.
Closely tied with escapism is the idea
that it is just an escape. Like, at the end of the day,
you have to come back to reality.
And so there, there are those out there
who feel like the film enables ableism,
in that the main character
is able to escape his disability, you know,
and have this, this perfect body.
If you're disabled, and you say
you wouldn't take that opportunity if given to it,
-you're lying. -(laughter)
-Because as someone who struggles... -Yep.
with hearing, and I have
some brain damage and such
caused by being struck by a car,
-I would 100% be in that link unit. -Mm-hmm.
I just couldn't see my life going anywhere,
and I was honestly experiencing
a lot of suicidal ideation,
and I just started talking
to some of the people on Learn Na'vi,
and I said...
"I can't see my life going anywhere.
"I want to be an artist. I want to do all these things.
"I have stories that I want to share with the world,
but I just can't see it ever happening."
And that's when...
Alensi contacted me, and he said,
"Hey, man, you need somebody to talk to."
And I was like, "Talking never helps."
And I talked anyways.
Alensi: For about a month or two. (laughs)
For about a month or two, yeah.
And he said, "Say the word, and I'll come get you."
And...
that was the most selfless thing
that I'd ever heard anybody say.
And...
you know, I said, "Okay, come get me."
(laughs)
And since then, he has brought me in as, you know,
he's, he's been the father that I've always wanted.
-And, uh... -Mm-hmm.
(laughs)
Ultimately, it comes from a desire
to want something better.
-Fans: Mm-hmm. -But, just because we have that desire,
I think it drives us to make the world
-that we live in a better place. -Yeah.
♪ ♪
(inaudible)
Wilson: When you live in the real world for long enough,
it can start to feel like you need to escape.
And maybe you do need a bit of fantasy
to make things here on Earth more bearable.
Is there like a lot of, like, "Avatar" erotica?
-Fan 1: Surprisingly, no. -Fan 2: If you know where to look...
There is a fair amount.
-The amount of quality stuff... -Fan 2: Quality.
-is very little! -(laughter)
And if one of us is gonna bring it up,
-it might as well be the only female in the group. -(laughter)
(Na'vi words)
♪ ♪
Wilson: If you only think about stuff that already exists,
then the world you live in will never change.
So, even if you don't think
your dreams are that important,
there's always a good chance that you had them for a reason.
And so long as you find the right way to share them,
you might be able to bring other people together
in ways you never expected.
-I don't know nobody that got this shit! -(laughing)
-You're a genius, man! -That's a fact.
Yeah, you're a genius, in the hood with it!
I've been out here for 43 years,
and it took, it took this guy,
this fuckin' guy,
to come to the hood with some genius shit!
-Good fuckin' job, bro. -Wilson: Thank you, man.
I'm not the only one that dig it. A lot of people dig it.
-They just ain't got the balls to come and let you know. -Wilson: Ah, thanks, man.
-I'm letting you know. -Wilson: Well, spread the word
-that this idea is out there. -Nah, this is it. This is it.
-This is big, bro. You're onto something big. -Wilson: Cool. Alright.
♪ ♪
This is John Wilson.
Thank-- thank you for watching.
♪ ♪