▁Dark ▁A ges ▁of ▁American ▁Polit ics ▁[ The ▁Re agan / B ush ▁Years ] ", ▁R . E . M . ▁incorpor ated ▁more ▁polit ically ▁orient ed ▁concerns ▁into ▁his ▁lyr ics ▁on ▁Document ▁and ▁Green . ▁" O ur ▁political ▁activ ism ▁and ▁the ▁content ▁of ▁the ▁songs ▁was ▁just ▁a ▁reaction ▁to ▁where ▁we ▁were , ▁and ▁what ▁we ▁were ▁surrounded ▁by , ▁which ▁was ▁just ▁ab ject ▁horror ," ▁St ipe ▁said ▁later . ▁" In ▁ 1 9 8 7 ▁and ▁' 8 8 ▁there ▁was ▁nothing ▁to ▁do ▁but ▁be ▁active ." ▁While ▁St ipe ▁continued ▁to ▁write ▁songs ▁with ▁political ▁subject ▁matter ▁like ▁" Ign or eland " ▁and ▁" Final ▁St raw ", ▁later ▁albums ▁have ▁focused ▁on ▁other ▁topics . ▁Autom atic ▁for ▁the ▁People ▁de alt ▁with ▁" mort ality ▁and ▁dying . ▁Pre tty ▁t urg id ▁stuff ", ▁according ▁to ▁St ipe ; ▁Mon ster , ▁mean while , ▁crit iqu ed ▁love ▁and ▁mass ▁culture , ▁and ▁Re ve al ▁di pped ▁into ▁myst ic ism . ▁ ▁Film ▁and ▁television ▁work ▁ ▁In ▁early ▁ 1 9 8 7 , ▁St ipe ▁co - f ounded ▁C 0 0 ▁Films ▁with ▁Jim ▁McK ay , ▁a ▁mixed - media ▁company ▁that ▁was ▁" des igned ▁to ▁channel ▁its ▁founder ' s ▁cre ative ▁tal ents ▁towards ▁the ▁creation ▁and ▁promotion ▁of ▁alternative ▁film ▁works ." ▁St ipe ▁and ▁his ▁producing ▁partner , ▁Sand y ▁Stern , ▁have