Advertisement is something that all companies must work on to some degree. Whether they are selling shoes, life insurance, or comic books, producers need to find a way to get their potential buyers aware of their products. With the advent of television, commercials were born.
It seems like commercials have gotten much more tongue-in-cheek lately. Humor is being used to greater amounts than it used to. For instance, an advertisment promoting "safe drinking" used the following joke.
Man: if your friend has been drinking, then ask for his keys.
Drunk man: *refuses to give man his keys*
Man: If he refuses, then ask for his pants.
Drunk man: *removes pants and gives them to Man*
Man: You now have his keys, and his pants!
Where in the past this subject (safe drinking) would probably draw a much more serious style of commercial that focused on statistics and the severity of drunk driving, this newer commercial is approached with levity. I'm sort of curious as to why. Is it because, after so many advertisements bombarding us with slow music and horrible statistics, we just got desensitized? From a personal standpoint, I know that this humorous advertisement was far more memorable, and made a bigger impact on me than any serious one.
I've often thought that the best advertisment of all would be 15 seconds of a black screen, with plain white letters, simply saying "buy X". With all the lavish designs for ad campaigns nowadays, the starkness of such an ad seems like it would put it so far out there as to be very recognizable and memorable. And isnt that the point--to be memorable?
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Pokemon
Although Punahou’s a good school where a lot of the usual “high school stereotypes” don’t apply. However, a few are ubiquitous, and still persist even here. One of those is of course, th at people who play video games, specifically “anime/Japanese video games”, are nerdy. Normally “nerdy’ people then get harassed by “cool” people, presumably because they fail at life for playing “Japanese video games”. Yet, there is one video game that crosses all such boundaries. I’m of course talking about Pokemon.
Recently, the latest installments in the Pokemon line, Pokemon Diamond/Pearl were released. Since my friends and I are into that sort of thing, we had known about the release. A few of my friends got the game, and of course, since its on a portable system, played it at school. I saw a few other “nerdy” people playing the game as well. All in all, there was a marked increase in the number of Nintendo DS’s that could be seen around the campus, Pokemon games at the ready.
One of my more “nerdy” friends was playing Pokemon before class as other people filtered in. pretty soon, a “cool” person walked in, went up to him, and commented on the pokemon. Because my friend sometimes gets targeted by the “cool” people, I was getting ready to stand up and chew him out when something funny happened. A conversation began in earnest between the two over strategies for beating the game, different tricks to try, and whatnot. Pokemon was common ground.
Since then, I have been amazed by the prevalence of Pokemon. I’ve seen people who would never be caught dead with a gameboy in hand play pokemon between classes. It’s served as a common ground between the cliques that sometimes form, and gotten people who would normally ignore each other to start talking. All in all, its been a good influence on the school (not counting the people who play it in assembly and chapel).
I wonder if anyone’s told Nintendo about this.
Recently, the latest installments in the Pokemon line, Pokemon Diamond/Pearl were released. Since my friends and I are into that sort of thing, we had known about the release. A few of my friends got the game, and of course, since its on a portable system, played it at school. I saw a few other “nerdy” people playing the game as well. All in all, there was a marked increase in the number of Nintendo DS’s that could be seen around the campus, Pokemon games at the ready.
One of my more “nerdy” friends was playing Pokemon before class as other people filtered in. pretty soon, a “cool” person walked in, went up to him, and commented on the pokemon. Because my friend sometimes gets targeted by the “cool” people, I was getting ready to stand up and chew him out when something funny happened. A conversation began in earnest between the two over strategies for beating the game, different tricks to try, and whatnot. Pokemon was common ground.
Since then, I have been amazed by the prevalence of Pokemon. I’ve seen people who would never be caught dead with a gameboy in hand play pokemon between classes. It’s served as a common ground between the cliques that sometimes form, and gotten people who would normally ignore each other to start talking. All in all, its been a good influence on the school (not counting the people who play it in assembly and chapel).
I wonder if anyone’s told Nintendo about this.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Formalities
About a month ago, I was getting ready to go to my last debate tournament. Although I enjoy debate, there's a couple of things about it I just can't stand. One of them, of course, is the tie.
Don't get me wrong, I don't mind wearing "nice clothes". But a tie just crosses the line. Its uncomfortable and dangles all over the place. I've frequently referred to them as "stylized nooses". Now, I don't see what exactly makes wearing a length of cloth tied in a noose-like fashion about your neck "formal". For that matter, I don't understand why exactly anything is considered formal. What exactly makes ties formal? What makes coats and jackets formal? What makes putting the salad fork on the outside left of the plate, (with the bread plate and butterknife slightly to the left and up) formal?
I'm not sure. Somewhere back down the line, I'm positive (hope) there's a perfectly logical reason. But that reason doesn't really matter anymore, does it? For whatever reason, ties are formal. If you want to show that you're trying to put on your best face, you wear one. That's just the way things are.
I remember in 9th guide, way back when, the teacher likened the creation of social norms to a bunch of monkeys surrounding a banana. Problem is, whenever a monkey touched the banana, all the monkeys would receive a shock. Naturally, the monkeys soon learned to not touch the banana, even if they all wanted to. When one monkey is taken out and replaced with a fresh monkey who doesn't know the rules, he'll of course reach for the banana. The other monkeys, knowing that reaching for the banana causes pain, will stop the new monkey. This new monkey will then learn that he is not supposed to reach for the banana, without knowing the reason why. If you continually replace old monkeys with new ones, this pattern will extend, and soon you will have a bunch of monkeys who don't do what they want to (touch the banana) without knowing the reason why.
Don't get me wrong, I don't mind wearing "nice clothes". But a tie just crosses the line. Its uncomfortable and dangles all over the place. I've frequently referred to them as "stylized nooses". Now, I don't see what exactly makes wearing a length of cloth tied in a noose-like fashion about your neck "formal". For that matter, I don't understand why exactly anything is considered formal. What exactly makes ties formal? What makes coats and jackets formal? What makes putting the salad fork on the outside left of the plate, (with the bread plate and butterknife slightly to the left and up) formal?
I'm not sure. Somewhere back down the line, I'm positive (hope) there's a perfectly logical reason. But that reason doesn't really matter anymore, does it? For whatever reason, ties are formal. If you want to show that you're trying to put on your best face, you wear one. That's just the way things are.
I remember in 9th guide, way back when, the teacher likened the creation of social norms to a bunch of monkeys surrounding a banana. Problem is, whenever a monkey touched the banana, all the monkeys would receive a shock. Naturally, the monkeys soon learned to not touch the banana, even if they all wanted to. When one monkey is taken out and replaced with a fresh monkey who doesn't know the rules, he'll of course reach for the banana. The other monkeys, knowing that reaching for the banana causes pain, will stop the new monkey. This new monkey will then learn that he is not supposed to reach for the banana, without knowing the reason why. If you continually replace old monkeys with new ones, this pattern will extend, and soon you will have a bunch of monkeys who don't do what they want to (touch the banana) without knowing the reason why.
Routines
I always buy the same headphones. Not the cheapest ones, but one increment up. They're the blue sony ones (earbud style, that way I can wrap them up in my pocket) that loop around the back of your ears and fit in just so snugly that you get a good amount of sound, but not so tightly they're uncomfortable to use for long periods of time. They're pretty hardy and last a long time. Yet, I recently had my last pair break, so I went back to Longs to get a new pair.
I couldn't find them. I looked and looked, but there were none to be found. Finally, up on the top shelf, my eye spotted the Sony headphones. Just one problem--they were black, not blue.
I bought them and all, and theyre functionally the same headphones they always were. Yet, every time I pick them up to listen to some music, theres a brief nagging feeling. After years of having the same blue headphones, black somehow doesn't mesh, doesn't quite fit with the mental image I've made over all these years. It's interesting to think about how much you get used to a familiar thing, such as the sight of your alarm clock first thing in the morning, every morning--or the routine way that you put your cell phone in your right pocket, and your wallet in your left. Everyone has these familiar sights, sounds, and actions, and when they change they can be just a little uncomfortable, even if they're things as small as the color of your headphones.
I couldn't find them. I looked and looked, but there were none to be found. Finally, up on the top shelf, my eye spotted the Sony headphones. Just one problem--they were black, not blue.
I bought them and all, and theyre functionally the same headphones they always were. Yet, every time I pick them up to listen to some music, theres a brief nagging feeling. After years of having the same blue headphones, black somehow doesn't mesh, doesn't quite fit with the mental image I've made over all these years. It's interesting to think about how much you get used to a familiar thing, such as the sight of your alarm clock first thing in the morning, every morning--or the routine way that you put your cell phone in your right pocket, and your wallet in your left. Everyone has these familiar sights, sounds, and actions, and when they change they can be just a little uncomfortable, even if they're things as small as the color of your headphones.
Friday, May 4, 2007
Shaving the Legs
So, recently I had a talk with several of my friends on the subject of leg/chest hair. Many of the girls were of the opinion that chest and leg hair are now not "manly and masculine" as they supposedly were several decades ago, but now are gross. A couple of us guys looked at our legs for a second before coming up with a response. "Well, would you rather your boyfriend shaved his legs, since you think that leg hair is gross?" The answer was of course a resounding no.
"So we're not supposed to have much leg hair?"
"yes"
"but we're not allowed to shave it to make it the 'right' amount?"
"ewwww, no"
I'm sure you see the paradox.
In my opinion, it seems simpler for girls, who are simply expected to shave their legs. Yes, it is true that they have to put effort into it, but on the other hand, girls leg hair is standardized, and girl's are allowed the freedom to alter their appearance to the "right" one without ridicule. On the other hand, guys (with respect to leg hair), must innately have the "right" amount. If a guy decided that he didn't like the way it looked, he wouldn't have the freedom to change it (in this case, by shaving his legs), because of the general stigma. If I had to choose, I'd rather have the freedom to change my appearance, even if doing so was tedious.
"So we're not supposed to have much leg hair?"
"yes"
"but we're not allowed to shave it to make it the 'right' amount?"
"ewwww, no"
I'm sure you see the paradox.
In my opinion, it seems simpler for girls, who are simply expected to shave their legs. Yes, it is true that they have to put effort into it, but on the other hand, girls leg hair is standardized, and girl's are allowed the freedom to alter their appearance to the "right" one without ridicule. On the other hand, guys (with respect to leg hair), must innately have the "right" amount. If a guy decided that he didn't like the way it looked, he wouldn't have the freedom to change it (in this case, by shaving his legs), because of the general stigma. If I had to choose, I'd rather have the freedom to change my appearance, even if doing so was tedious.
Wind (in class)
Wind is one of those forces that you don’t realize. It can be a gentle breeze or a completely destructive hurricane that uproots trees and houses. In either form, the wind has one constant advantage—it is invisible. You cannot see the wind, only the effects it has. It’s always a surprise. If it’s a hot day and a breeze kicks up, you’d be pleasantly surprised.
***revised***
Wind has many forms. It can come as a slow breeze, languidly cooling, relieving, and refreshing you on the hottest of days, a constant comfort in the face of a harsh summer. But it also blasts in brief bursts, blowing all way. No matter the form, one thing remains constant. It is invisible. Surprising, always. You could look an approaching wind front head on, and not know its size, power, or temperament. You’d be left with clues to guess. Its howling and whistling might belie and angry and tempestuous nature, or a cloud of displaced dust and violent leaves might show its power. Yet just as easily, it could be a soothing, gentle wind, blowing softly on a muggy day. Once again, only one this is constant—the wind cannot be predicted.
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