Lost in Translation?

Last night I was intent on watching one of my favorite movies: “The King of New York,” starring Christopher Walken and Lawrence Fishburne. I went to Walmart, Target and Best Buy-all three of which did not have it. Determined to find the movie, I whipped out my smart phone and looked for a movie rental store in my area; according to Google maps, the closest movie rental store was three towns over-about a 20 minute drive. I took the journey to one of the few remaining movie rental stores in my state, and low and behold they had the movie which I so desperately sought! BUT, they only had “The King of New York” on VHS. VHS? Are you kidding me. I haven’t watched a movie on VHS in over a decade. The rental store seemed like a museum full of ancient artifacts. Dust ridden VHS movies lined the shelves; I felt like I was on an archeological excursion. The guy told me it would only cost me 5 bucks to become a member and the first movie would be free- my reply: “Dude how much to buy the movie?” I’m not proud to admit it, but I paid $14 for “The King of New York” on VHS. I got back to my car and a thought struck me like a lightning bolt: do I even have a VHS player anymore?

After perusing my basement and shed, I found the coveted treasure in my attic. The VHS player had to weigh 30 pounds. I hooked it up to the T.V. in my living room, changed the input, and turned it to “channel 3.” Remember Channel 3? Just to make sure the VHS player still worked after so many years of collecting dust, I put an old Disney movie in that was sitting next to the player when I found it: “Dumbo.” I threw in Dumbo, heard the VHS click and start to wind, and there came Dumbo the Elephant on my screen. I watched didn’t move or flinch at all as I gazed in amazement. I had some kind of indescribable nostalgic experience, with the lines running across the screen and a little fuzziness as the tape played. I immediately thought of a time when my father and I were having a hard time getting a movie to work when I was a child; we had to take the VHS out blow on it, huff and puff, and then put it back in with our fingers crossed. As I reminisced, I thought to myself- has something been lost in translation? Technological advances are beneficial right? Or do we lose something as technological norms are displaced?

Obviously DVD’s are indisputably superior technology to VHS. However, as rapid advancements in technology continue to displace the “old” with the “new” do we lose something, or are we only gaining? DVD’s are certainly more efficient than VHS, Blue Ray looks a lot cooler, and now most people don’t even bother buying an actual tangible product-they simply download it off the internet, or use their Netflix account. Of course things get easier and more efficient, but is that everything?

The other day, I was on the train reading my Kindle (by the way I’m not a Kindle kind of guy, but my Mom bought it for me so I feel like I’m obliged to use it from time to time) and I looked over at an attractive girl reading “The Great Gatsby.” I thought to myself, “that’s my type of girl.” She’s attractive and reading one of my all-time favorite novels. I learned something about her and her personality simply by looking at what she was reading. When she looked at me, (which she probably didn’t) I was just some guy reading his Kindle. She didn’t know what I was reading, what I was interested in or anything about my personality. Of course the Kindle is an amazing invention, but do we lose something when we discard real book? Does convenience and efficiency outweigh personalization? More and more people are using Netflix, on Demand and other ways of Downloading movies, instead of buying the actual DVD. Most of you probably forgot, but DVD’s have cases with the Title and usually some cool picture of the main character etc. I always love when I go to someone’s house and they have a gigantic DVD collection-you can learn so much about a person just by looking at it. I was at a house party once and there was a DVD case sitting on a coffee table. A girl that I had just met made a comment about the movie, which happened to be one of my favorite comedies. That started a conversation between the two of us, we related to one another, and as it turns out, we went on a few dates after. I guess preferences in movies are not the only criterion for a long lasting relationship, because it didn’t last. Anyway, I think I’m trying to say that technological innovation has a myriad of benefits. However, with that said, along with those pros come cons. If I go to someone’s house, I’m not going to check their Netflix Queue to learn about their tastes and preferences. But if I go to that same person’s house and they have a DVD collection, then we just might have something to talk about. Comments, disagreements hate mail?? Always welcome.

D. Spinelli

How to Create Cool in Today’s Marketplace

Today we live in a cluttered marketplace where producers and companies alike, compete with one another to claim the throne of whatever niche they are appealing to. It is no secret that major corporations hire “Think Tanks” and consulting firms in their quest to stand out, or rather create the next “Big Thing.” The reality is that today’s consumer is so savvy that these “hired hands” are somewhat trivial. Todays consumer can readily sniff out B.S. from the real deal. So, the real question is: how do you or a company create “cool,” or rather the next big thing. Is “cool” an entity that can be manufactured through research and field studies?-paying consumers to test products like lab rats, in order to decide whether or not a product, or nuance on a product will thrive in the contemporary market. When I say “cool,” I mean sleek, innovative, appealing-the next “Big Thing.” The next Ipod?

Before the ipod, there were a myriad of other listening devices. We had the cassette player, then the disc man, then the MP3 players. The MP3 players were the creme de la creme, right? Who would of thought that anything would displace these devices? Umm, Steve Jobs? In my mind, Steve Jobs was one of the most innately gifted visionaries every-yes I said EVER. He had the foresight to redefine the way the world listens to music. The ipod mixed a user friendly interface with unparalleled aesthetics. Steve Jobs was not concerned with what people would think about it, or if the ipod would be cool; Jobs had a vision and through that vision he made an everlasting impact on the world. He never stopped; he was always reinventing, redefining, and altering. Jobs never stayed stagnant, but rather constantly innovated. So I guess the real question is: how do you become the next ipod in whatever industry you’re in.

It is my belief that “cool” cannot be manufactured. Cool cannot be outsourced, or thought up by a bunch of executives in a boardroom. “Cool,” as I define it, is the byproduct of a vision, and it can be applied to any industry, product etc. Take for instance, Eminem. Before Em, white rappers weren’t accepted. Nobody thought they were cool, and the audience automatically rejected them. However, Eminem broke through because of his vision. He didn’t care about what other people thought about him or if he would be accepted. He simply put out his visceral music and let the hip hop culture decide whether he was authentic or not (It didn’t hurt that he is one of the most lyrically gifted rappers of all time and backed by Dr. Dre). Em opened rap to a completely new audience-white teenage kids-innovative?

I guess the point I am trying to make, is that a product will not be deemed “cool” unless there is a vision behind it. A company can throw all the money they want into advertising and celebrity promotions, but today that shit doesn’t fool consumers. Vision, constant innovation and the tenacity to never settle is the only way to thrive in today’s inundated marketplace. So what will be the next ipod? I’d love to hear feedback, because I sure as hell don’t know. Until next time.

D. Spinelli