Five Observations About American Media
Land of the free, home of the brave. We are all aware about some key dates in the founding and history of America (I hope). Microsoft, baseball, McDonalds and Apple Pie describe many aspects of our country.
But what else characterizes our great nation in 2015? I've been compiling a list about what I've learned from observing the media.
1. The search for the next big thing.
Whether it's a Hollywood movie that doesn't have a "II or III" in the title or the next frisbee, we are suckers for new things that promise great results. Look at how many get rich now resources you can subsribe to, the latest trending game app or viral YouTube video. You only have to note the size of the latest versions of smart phones to see what it is that you simply have to have. Marketers capitalize on this consumer characteristic. There is something about that promise to look better or get it done quicker or have The Latest Thing that gets our attention. (Think E-cig pop up stores.)
2. The guilty pleasure in watching others.
Artist Andy Warhol once predicted that each American will one day have 15 minutes of fame. Some 40 years later, we see he was right. With the emergence of an abundance of reality shows, we can now peek in on a buffet of lives. Fishermen, hunters, nudists, little people, rich wives, cooks, designers and survivalists are just a few. Now we can see pregnant survivalists and other combinations of categories guaranteed to grab your attention from your living room couch. Cable is riddled with more reality shows than one person can watch. The most irritating to me are those about self-proclaimed celebrities who have become zillionaires with shameless self-promotion. People actually give away time from their own lives by following them on social media!
3. The need to impress others.
Not only to we want to show off our stuff to others, we want to share about the feats of our children or look good on a resume to a potential employer. Wall Street is banking on the desire for status symbols and is continually trolling for ideas. From cars to shoes and everything inbetween. It begins
when you first sit with other parents of babies and they start bragging about what their child can already do and then arch their brow when your child isn't doing that yet. It lives forever on Social Media as that unbelievable Christmas Letter we dread.
You know, the one where the husband was promoted to senior vice president, coaches soccer and got a patent and wrote a book? Where the wife started a new side business, teaches yoga, volunteers daily and makes pies for the seniors each morning before six all while homeschooling a bunch of kids and making curtains. And the kids? Honor roll, MVPs, traveling teams, scholarships internationally and able to help re-roof the house. One even invented an app and is earning money as a twelve year old. Another was on TV for their letter to the president. The other one got the lead in the school play and has to juggle rehearsals with their dance team. The family enjoyed several big trips and is working on a remodel. Their dog even wins medals. I know people who see status posts by their social media friends and get depressed because of how great their lives look. I remind them that it is how their lives look.
4, The obsession with age.
Notice how the news will always state a name and then comma age when reporting a story? Madonna, age 57 attended this party. Katy Perry, age 28 will perform at the Super Bowl. Child, age 4 can recite the name of every president. Everywhere we turn, someone's age is thrust in our faces. There is one celebrity who attended the college I did and was a year ahead of me. I chuckle that over the years, she has now become about five years younger than me according to the press.
Coupled with the need to know the age is the national shame about aging. Hollywood turns the other way when actresses hit their late 30s and routinely focus on younger versions. Very few actors are visible in movies once they pass 50 - unless they are Dianne Keaton or Harrison Ford. Where have the role models gone? This brings me to the obsession with youth. Creams, injections, diets and special wraps all promise to make us look younger. Youth. We must worship youth. We mustn't look older. Try shopping at Target if you are over 25 and you won't find anything you can wear if you are a woman unless all you want are yoga pants. The buyers target a small market of teens with
those micro shorts and skimpy tops that will soon be found on the markdown rack.
5. The need to have it now.
We are promised a college degree in months, guaranteed a loss of five pounds in a week and popcorn microwaved in under two minutes. Not only can you get drive-thru fast food, you can call a restaurant and have your order walked out to your car. In larger cities, you can call a delivery service that will go to any restaurant you desire and bring you that food you crave. We can get instant credit approval, bring home or have delivered pre-made food to warm. There are pre-packaged craft kits you can order that have everything you need at your fingertips. You can click on any song you want to hear and stream just about any show you'd like to watch. Thank goodness for fast-drying nail polish. Have question? Just Google it and you'll have answers in seconds. You can click and print photos or wedding invitations right now. There is just no waiting for anything anymore. And I haven't forgotten the 24-hour news cycle, instant messaging or texts.
Keep these observations in mind if you are looking to reach people. This is the world we live in and what we compete with in a sense - especially if you are trying to get people to think about big issues,
have more self control or patience.
But what else characterizes our great nation in 2015? I've been compiling a list about what I've learned from observing the media.
1. The search for the next big thing.
Whether it's a Hollywood movie that doesn't have a "II or III" in the title or the next frisbee, we are suckers for new things that promise great results. Look at how many get rich now resources you can subsribe to, the latest trending game app or viral YouTube video. You only have to note the size of the latest versions of smart phones to see what it is that you simply have to have. Marketers capitalize on this consumer characteristic. There is something about that promise to look better or get it done quicker or have The Latest Thing that gets our attention. (Think E-cig pop up stores.)
2. The guilty pleasure in watching others.
Artist Andy Warhol once predicted that each American will one day have 15 minutes of fame. Some 40 years later, we see he was right. With the emergence of an abundance of reality shows, we can now peek in on a buffet of lives. Fishermen, hunters, nudists, little people, rich wives, cooks, designers and survivalists are just a few. Now we can see pregnant survivalists and other combinations of categories guaranteed to grab your attention from your living room couch. Cable is riddled with more reality shows than one person can watch. The most irritating to me are those about self-proclaimed celebrities who have become zillionaires with shameless self-promotion. People actually give away time from their own lives by following them on social media!
3. The need to impress others.
Not only to we want to show off our stuff to others, we want to share about the feats of our children or look good on a resume to a potential employer. Wall Street is banking on the desire for status symbols and is continually trolling for ideas. From cars to shoes and everything inbetween. It begins
when you first sit with other parents of babies and they start bragging about what their child can already do and then arch their brow when your child isn't doing that yet. It lives forever on Social Media as that unbelievable Christmas Letter we dread.
You know, the one where the husband was promoted to senior vice president, coaches soccer and got a patent and wrote a book? Where the wife started a new side business, teaches yoga, volunteers daily and makes pies for the seniors each morning before six all while homeschooling a bunch of kids and making curtains. And the kids? Honor roll, MVPs, traveling teams, scholarships internationally and able to help re-roof the house. One even invented an app and is earning money as a twelve year old. Another was on TV for their letter to the president. The other one got the lead in the school play and has to juggle rehearsals with their dance team. The family enjoyed several big trips and is working on a remodel. Their dog even wins medals. I know people who see status posts by their social media friends and get depressed because of how great their lives look. I remind them that it is how their lives look.
4, The obsession with age.
Notice how the news will always state a name and then comma age when reporting a story? Madonna, age 57 attended this party. Katy Perry, age 28 will perform at the Super Bowl. Child, age 4 can recite the name of every president. Everywhere we turn, someone's age is thrust in our faces. There is one celebrity who attended the college I did and was a year ahead of me. I chuckle that over the years, she has now become about five years younger than me according to the press.
Coupled with the need to know the age is the national shame about aging. Hollywood turns the other way when actresses hit their late 30s and routinely focus on younger versions. Very few actors are visible in movies once they pass 50 - unless they are Dianne Keaton or Harrison Ford. Where have the role models gone? This brings me to the obsession with youth. Creams, injections, diets and special wraps all promise to make us look younger. Youth. We must worship youth. We mustn't look older. Try shopping at Target if you are over 25 and you won't find anything you can wear if you are a woman unless all you want are yoga pants. The buyers target a small market of teens with
those micro shorts and skimpy tops that will soon be found on the markdown rack.
5. The need to have it now.
We are promised a college degree in months, guaranteed a loss of five pounds in a week and popcorn microwaved in under two minutes. Not only can you get drive-thru fast food, you can call a restaurant and have your order walked out to your car. In larger cities, you can call a delivery service that will go to any restaurant you desire and bring you that food you crave. We can get instant credit approval, bring home or have delivered pre-made food to warm. There are pre-packaged craft kits you can order that have everything you need at your fingertips. You can click on any song you want to hear and stream just about any show you'd like to watch. Thank goodness for fast-drying nail polish. Have question? Just Google it and you'll have answers in seconds. You can click and print photos or wedding invitations right now. There is just no waiting for anything anymore. And I haven't forgotten the 24-hour news cycle, instant messaging or texts.
Keep these observations in mind if you are looking to reach people. This is the world we live in and what we compete with in a sense - especially if you are trying to get people to think about big issues,
have more self control or patience.
Love your writing and viewpoints!
ReplyDelete