movies
I am an Internet Explorer
Forget being a Mac or a PC. And forget that I use Firefox. We don’t give IE credit for its name.
Sure, the Internet (Google) is great for finding answers to very specific queries (which are getting longer and longer). But the real fun begins when you allow yourself to dive deeper into a story or explore tangentially related topics. When 5 or 15 minutes later you find yourself somewhere discovering something completely new (to you), asking how the hell did I get here and then tracing back your path. You surprise yourself.
You (movie, entertainment and pop culture junkies) have to love IMDB for this. I made a Ladybugs reference at work the other day (yes, I know, but we were talking about starting a co-ed soccer team and didn’t have enough girls so I told a male AD we call Jules that he could be our “Martha”), and it sent me on the hunt for a good still image from the movie during which I found this one…
…of JB and serious 7th grade crush, Kimberly Mullen, whose name I now know is Vinessa Shaw who I then realized was Josh Hartnett’s ex-girlfriend in 40 Days and 40 Nights (I should have realized - the bagel guy definitely knew that) which was home to my 10th grade crush Shannyn Sossamon (Shannyn with a ‘y’ just like Kiptyn from The Bachlorette)…and then I had to get back to work.
Which is actually a good segue to work we’ve done for ESPN.com. It was completely based on the personal journeys of sports fans. What goes through their minds, the connections they make, the paths they take and where they end up in the online home of sports. Here are a few of them.
Okay, now off to see where the search for little Josh in Big leads me.
M-E-T-H (no O-D), DAN
I’ve just about given up on putting a thoughtful or thought-provoking post up here. No time. (Oddly enough, the Old School line that went through my head — “I don’t know if we’ll have enough time” — would have been appropriate given I hit up Bed, Bath and Beyond on the regular lately.) So I’ve been reduced to what are essentially blown-out tweets. Slashies: Tweets-slash-Posts - and not the other way around! In case you’re not “following me,” this Bruno interview, Daily Show clip and a capella version of I’m On A Boat have been worthy of broadcasting to my 300 friends.
This guy, Dan Meth in case you didn’t click the link you lazy bassmaster, deserved a blog mention. (Mostly, I just wanted an excuse to write my witty title.) I saw this yesterday and immediately wanted to buy it and put it up on my wall.
So good. He also does “pop cultural charts” like one about the topics of early Early Beach Boys Hit Songs (cars, girls and surf) and illustrations like one of Ivan Drago and his four bad-ass lines of dialog (”if he dies he dies”).
My kind of art.
Dear Recruiters
If you’re calling or emailing me about a job and you don’t mention the password, “SWEATER!”, then don’t expect me to return your message.
I do not want to seem ungrateful, especially in this tough time. I feel fortunate to have attracted your interest. I appreciate that you (at least a one or two of you) want to understand my needs first - before telling me about the search you’re conducting for “award-winning agency with blue-chip clients.” And I even appreciate that you’re being upfront about “finding me on LinkedIn.”
It’s just that doing a search for planners/strategists on LinkedIn and blanketing us with half-assed “this could be a great opportunity for you…or if not, can your recommend a friend or colleague” messages, is lazy and insincere. Yes, I’m easy to find, and I don’t want to change that - though if you had checked a little farther down the page, I’m not open to being contacted about career opportunities or job inquiries. But I’m also pretty easy to find things out about, including hopefully (for you) a connection to make the introduction. While you weren’t looking at my contact preferences, you also seemed to miss the link to My Blog (that’s here). Admittedly it ain’t the most professional place; yet, you can learn more about me/how I write/what I think about/etc. than on that template page that you didn’t even bother really reading anyway.
Unlike Chris Mortensen, I don’t feel like it’s a privilege to chat with me. However, I do expect some level of working for it. I do expect you to care enough about knowing with whom you’re about to make unsolicited contact to do a little bit of research. Shit, this blog is the first result for a Google search of my name. I do more digging about people I may end up meeting through friends that than you have for a person you’re about to ask to consider making a major life change. Sure, maybe I’m a little weird but that’s just weak sauce.
In case you are wondering, I’m not looking for a new gig. I know, you “don’t care” since it’s about my future career path and potential. Sarcasm aside, I’ve worked with recruiters in the past and had fantastic experiences. I understand this may be a difficult time for you. But I do not believe desperate times call for desperate measures. I even hear what Paul is saying in his recent article in AdAge, “What to Do When a Headhunter Calls,” about recruiters vs. ’senders.’
But in response to his advice (and final sentence), “Answer the phone”…
Sure. Now, what’s the password?
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Eliminated passwords/passphrases:
- “Plethora”: It’s not inconceivable that you would start the conversation off by telling me about the plethora of opportunities you have available.
- “My Little Buttercup” (or “Rrrrraped de horses”): I’m not looking for a lawsuit.
- “Invisible Swordsman”: No fun, and I thought this (below) was a little too complicated…
When Everything Comes Together for Worse
Has anyone else had the distinctly awkward pleasure of witnessing a crowd of people respond to this Louis Vuitton advertisement at the movies?
There are so things I’d like to say this experience, but I’m trying to wrap things up) get out of here for the holidays. Thus, I want to make just one clear point: Sometimes when it makes perfect sense, you really lose. And sometimes when it makes no sense, you really win. And sometimes when it fits exactly or doesn’t fit at all, you actually tie.
No. Okay, well, here’s some advice for Louis V and other advertisers out there. Just because you make a cinematic ad (style and message), it doesn’t mean it’s right for the cinema (media). Furthermore, just because you think your target is “sophisticated and upscale,” it doesn’t make people at “more artsy theaters” the appropriate audience for your advertising. In fact, I’m really having trouble thinking of any theater or movie it would “work” for. Going to see a movie is social; it brings people (from diverse backgrounds) together for shared entertainment. (Not to sound like the speech given at every Oscars ceremony) Even someone who is compelled by the “journey” story (or even enjoys its music selection), is not going to do so in a crowd of strangers. Especially at this economically-difficult time, I can’t think of anyone who would self-identify as a fan of that brand.
I have been meaning to write this since seeing Slumdog Millionaire on Saturday night at the Angelika (highly recommended by the way) when after 4 indie previews were followed by the ad embedded above. It was met with an “Are you serious?” moment of silence, followed by a barrage of laughter and conversations (at least in rows near me) about the ridiculousness of LV’s communications. I can’t imagine the reaction would be any different elsewhere, so it’s crazy to think they’ve been running these since at least this May.
In fact, I would argue they actually disrupted my journey into a movie-going mindset (suspending disbelief, being open to being moved, etc.) with this unbelievably silly and self-important move.
Please tell me I’m not alone.
Foreshadowing Fun
Who would have thought that the event Eddie Murphy described just about 20 years ago in one of my favorite movies would take place in real life? Somebody call up David Sheffield and Barry Blaustein (the screenplay writers) for a statement or check their other movies for some more character soothsaying? (I’ve been a fan of the soothsayer since reading Julius Caesar in high school and have been trying to work it—and “aluminum siding”—into a post for a quite a while. Leap of Faith, anyone?) By the way, what team did St. John’s play in that sport where you can use your hands?