There’s been a great deal of discussion lately at the office around the topic of weekends. The prevailing sentiment is that inquiring about a coworker’s plans for their weekend is the ideal form of meaningless banter: a ritualistic set piece that allows for friends and acquaintances alike to share a few well-rehearsed lines and then move along once their coffee cup is refilled. At its most extreme position, this becomes “nobody cares what you are doing this weekend but hearing about it is not as bad as the otherwise awkward silence.” Personally, I prefer to see these interactions as a way to briefly acknowledge another person’s humanity and bond over the idea that we are all more than our respective job descriptions. If the substance of the conversation isn’t exactly Earth-shaking, well, that’s OK because the conversation itself is the important part.
Bradley’s Arms Are Long Enough to Wrap Around Us All
Sunday night’s four-hour Samsung commercial gave us breakout stars, half-baked montages, blah blah whatever ok fine.
Three million retweets later, this photograph will go down as the moment where it all came together for those who didn’t already understand the second-screen experience. What started as an obvious, manipulative ad for a giant phone became whatever the internet wanted it to be.
Not satisfied with being the butt of the joke in a typically lame Jimmy Kimmel skit, The People rose as one and spoke
and spoke
and spoke.
The idea that a cheesy moment in an award show full of them could become a touchstone is what makes this connected world of ours great. An individual mocking or appreciating that moment, when combined with the millions who had gone and done likewise, ended up redefining the entire evening. The objective quality of the photo matters not – the conversation itself has become the focus. Dollars to donuts, no one even remembers the stupid pizza stunt by this time next year.
So, What Selfies Are You Retweeting This Weekend?
If water cooler conversations help foster a healthy office culture, the second screen experience can do the same for live events. Simply by participating in those conversations, you are putting your stamp on the moment in a new and fascinating way.
Periodically yours,
Bob Sherron
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