A few years back a company was foolish enough to let me work in their marketing department. The fact that said company is now nearly bankrupt is probably not a coincidence. Seriously, given that all marketers think that their customers are precisely like them it is not entirely wise to try to build a campaign that would make me happy. If I am anything it is non-typical.
One of the things I did learn though is that everything sold is geared towards the needs and desires of males aged 18 to 34. When I was in marketing I was in this age range and therefore felt perfectly happy. As a 36 year old though I have begun to realize that I am no longer a target market. In fact, I have lost touch with the mainstream. Here are a few mainstream media staples that have no bearing on a 36 year olds life.
Saturday Night Live: Taylor Lautner hosted a few weeks ago. I don’t know who Taylor Lautner is. To be honest, I couldn’t tell you if Taylor Lautner is male or female. I know that Taylor Swift, who also hosted, is female and that one of the members of Hanson was named Taylor but I am at a loss here. January Jones also hosted and I know that she is in Mad Men in the same way that I know that the sled’s name is Rosebud: I’ve never seen it but that is what I have been told. It’s not as though SNL is cutting edge; it is about as far from it as is humanly possible. But if I can’t recognize a host I am in trouble. Also, it stopped being funny once they got rid of Adam Sandler and David Spade. And whatever happened to Ellen Cleghorne anyway?
(Oh and do you know who the musical guest was the last time Charles Barkley hosted? Nirvana. Alicia Keys: Definite downgrade.)
American Idol: The new season starts this week! I was vaguely aware of the show when it was that fat guy going up against the Barry Manilow impersonator but I’ve completely lost track of the show. Apparently we no longer have Paula Abdul to kick around anymore, which will cause the show to…to…ok, what was her job anyway? Other than act like a complete whack job? Basically, this show now consists of performers I don’t care about singing songs that I don’t like.
Prince’s 1999: Completely out of date yet no one has come up with another date that we are supposed to party like it’s. I guess I’ll stick with 1999 for the time being.
Two and a Half Men: Actually, this has bearing on no one’s life except for Charlie Sheen. If it wasn’t for his attorneys this show wouldn’t even be on the air.
Jersey Shore: I was remembering this week about the Real World: London cast in which the producers a) sent them on an Outward Bound style team building activity and b) took a safari trip to Africa. Fifteen years later we have the Jersey Shore in which, well, stuff happens. Take basically the worst people you knew in college and have them invite over their douchebag friends and watch the punches fly. This show doesn’t cast negative aspersions on the people of New Jersey; it passes negative aspersions on the human race.
Yes, I have now become a curmudgeonly old man. Sigh.
9th Best Album of the Decade: Josh Rouse “1972” (2003): I was completely unaware of Josh Rouse until a few years ago. Now he is bar none one of my favorite performers. There is just something about his voice that puts me in the right perspective. I can’t really explain it other than there are some performers who you just get. 1972 is his masterpiece with its lush, early 70’s inspired sound. Even in this clip with just Josh and his guitar you can get a sense of how full it is. “We’re going through the changes / and hoping for replacement / until we find a way out of this hole.”
The five random CDs for the week:
1) Bruce Robison, Charlie Robison, Jack Ingram “Unleashed Live”
2) The Subdudes “Behind the Levee”
3) Liz Phair “Whip Smart”
4) Gillian Welch “Revival”
5) Josh Ritter “In the Dark”
No comments:
Post a Comment