Diagnosis: Olympic Fever

I have all the symptoms: Those familiar nervous sweats watching television, unexplained competitive edge for really non-competitive things (like walking up the stairs), and an urge to start chanting “U-S-A” at inappropriate times.

Yep, you guessed my affliction: Olympic fever.

As long as I, and a bunch of other people (a few billion), still have this affliction, advertisers will be using every single break in the action to sell us their products. As if the whole event were some drawn out Super Bowl, the same Olympic-themed ads keeping playing over and over.

So, what makes a good ad? Well, here is what I've got so far...

Visa:
When asked what ads they remember from the Olympic games, 2 out of 3 (67%) Brogan & Partners employees mentioned Visa’s “Go World” ad first. In these spots we get Morgan Freeman speaking about the wonders of Olympic glory as we see, what looks like old newsreels, of previous Olympics.

If there is one ad campaign that fully grasps the amazing feeling of human achievement and pride those who suffer from Olympic fever truly enjoy, it’s this. I’m not sure what Visa’s Go World thing is all about, but I just love how great these ads make me feel about humankind.

I posted one of the best below. Morgan Freeman talks about how Michael Phelps is like a dolphin. Just classic!



Coca-Cola:
As an official sponsor, no one business could possibly spend more than Coke on advertising on TV, and in Beijing. NPR reported last week that Coke has spent an estimated $70 million to be one of the top 12 Olympic sponsors — and perhaps $5 million to $15 million more sponsoring the controversial torch relay (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93389797&ft=1&f=1001).

The Coke TV ad we’ve been seeing most is one with people rollerblading around in, what looks like, southern California, drinking coke, and the music plays in the background: “Dance all night, we’re gonna dance all night, dance all night to this DJ.”

The ad might have nothing to do with the Olympics, and only a vague sport theme, but it is one of the most memorable ads because the song (Paul Oakenfold’s “Starry Eyed Surprise”) is catchy, fun to watch, and, most importantly, the ad is so short you aren’t worried that you are going to miss the next event.

If you are like me, and having a hard time getting “Starry Eyed Surprise” out of your head, just go over to Paul Oakenfold’s myspace page for a free listen: http://www.myspace.com/pauloakenfold

NBC:
As with any sporting event, the only way the station can actually benefit from broadcasting them, is if they advertise heavily for their own shows. One thing unique about all the ads for returning shows, like Chuck and 30 Rock, is that they are emphasizing NBC’s website and telling viewers to “chime in.”

Unsure of what that exactly “chime in” meant, I decided to investigate. I found nothing on NBC.com about chiming in and chimein.com does not exist. So, I checked out You Tube and found a longer NBC “chime in” commercial. The only clue I could find to the message’s meaning was the guy from The Office saying, “when you hear the chimes, you know it’s going to be good” in some apparent reference to the upcoming fall season.

Well, if anyone can tell me what this campaign is all about, I’d love to know.

AT&T Wireless:
In one of the funniest ads I’ve seen in a long time, a huge Michael Phelps fan, Mary, is seen walking around her apartment in a “Phelps Phan” T-shirt, kissing a huge Phelps poster, and watching him competing on TV. Mary’s phone (represented by the same actress) complains that it doesn’t get any wireless signal in her new town and, because of this, missed Phelps when he came to town and told funny stories about eating Chinese food. Mary’s phone then turns to her and says, “One day we’ll look back at this and laugh…or cry!”

Prepare to laugh:



McCain/Obama:

With the added exposure of viewers, it’s only natural that the wealthiest presidential candidates are spending millions on advertisements. Obama’s ads have focused on using the word ‘change’ over and over, showing him meeting with “real people”, focus on his plans for the environment, and pretty much bore you to death. His campaign would be better off playing the hit You Tube video, “I got a crush…on Obama”, by Obama girl (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKsoXHYICqU).

Taking the controversial route, McCain’s now famous (it’s been out for two weeks –so that’s like two years in political advertising), “Celebrity Obama” ad shows Paris Hilton and Britney Spears superimposed over Obama. The ad is supposed to use subtle clues to show that Obama is just another celebrity, and not someone you want as president. Well, the clues are hardly subtle, and the ad itself has been made into a huge joke - commented on by everyone for Brian Williams to David Letterman. Yet, McCain’s campaign keeps using it. Watch the ad here:



I know I’m treading dangerously on this topic, but I did find a Republican blogger, Richard Bliss, slamming the ad as “stupid” and benefiting Barack Obama (http://gwbliss.blogspot.com/2008/08/olympic-advertising-good-and-stupid.html). I can’t tell you exactly how effective or ineffective this ad is without a lot of market research, but I will say that it is my opinion is that people aren’t as dumb as an ad like this would have you believe; TV viewers know when an ad is trying to trick them and this one couldn’t be more obvious.

Well, that’s all for now. The Olympics aren’t over yet and I’m sure I'll still have a lot more to comment on before it is all said and done!

In Memoriam: Ms. Goodie

It was a cold, snowy December day when I first met Ms. Goodie .

I was to get dropped off later that day at Detroit Metro, for my return trip to San Francisco, but first, the family and I had to make a stop. We drove to Ann Arbor, MI to meet my new sister.

We showed up at a judge's house that was so huge I almost want to call it a mansion. He led us downstairs, pasted rows and rows of trophies, to see the cats. The judge had been breeding prize-winning Russian Blue cats for years and one of his award winners was getting a bit old (at four years of age), Ms. Goodie Blueshoes.

Goodie was a beautiful, gray, thin cat. She ran from my dad and the judge for about a half hour. She was so fast - and smart too! At one point the judge and my dad had Goodie trapped behind a cage and she somehow jumped and escaped past my dad.

In time, they caught the cat, dropped me off at the airport, and took Goodie home to St. Clair Shores. I eagerly kept up on Goodie's progress in SCS from my trailer in the woods; Goodie (as we called her, dropping the Blueshoes part) was scared to death of everything, especially our huge Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Dugan. She had spent her whole life (except for the occasional cat show) in the judge's basement, so naturally, she ran into our basement and didn't come out for a month.

As the months went on, Goodie got more and more brave; she started sleeping under my parents' bed, started showing up at dinner time, and took an exceptional interest in my mom, following her around whenever Dugan wasn't present.

When I first came home for the summer, Goodie had worked up to following people into their room and giving them a look, but that was about it. She didn't care much for cuddling, but she still would sit next to the bed, or couch, for hours just to be near us.

Some cats would be all over you the second you sat down - not Goodie; she just wanted to sit there and chill, and that was fine with us.

If that cat had one vice it would be water - Goodie was always thirsty as hell. I set up little water bowls all over the house and would drop some H2O in there whenever she was around. She would drink it all and stare at you, as if saying, "come on. Is that all you got?"

Over the course of this summer, she even started sleeping next to my mom (when Dugan was gone) and getting more adventurous around visitors, and I even caught her giving Dugan a few sniffs while he was sleeping.

Last Saturday, Goodie just stopped eating. She was never a huge eater, but it still was cause for concern. By Monday, she was just sitting in my room not moving, giving this end-of-the-world stare. My parents could tell right away she was sick and decided she needed to go to the vet right away.

The next day, my mom took Goodie to the Harper Woods Veterinary Hospital, to see our regular family veterinarian (Dugan is a regular). He examined her: He discovered the swollen areas on her, smelled her breath, and commented on how dehydrated she was - Goodie had kidney disease. She had lost a whole pound since her last visit, and was slowly dying.

We had to put her to sleep.

Our options were limited; If we would have caught it early, maybe we could have changed her diet, but that would only have slowed the process. The vet said she was probably born with the disease and would have eventually died, regardless.

The family misses Goodie. We had gotten so used to having Goodie follow us into a room just to hangout while we watched TV, or whatever. Well, I hope she is in a better place and we're all better for knowing her - even Dugan.

Summer Movies 2008, Part Two

As the summer rolled on, I eventually was hired at the marketing company I used to work at in college, got some money in my pocket, and prepared for New York City. With things looking up, I didn't go to as many movies, but I've still got three more for you!

Wall-E: B-

I caught Wall-E with Alex and his sister, Mary, at the midnight showing. I would have rather seen Wanted, but I was excited to get out of the house so I went.

Unlike other Pixar movies, this one took a bit of a departure from the usual because it has almost no actual dialogue until the last half hour or so (just a bunch of robot beeps). A robot, named Wall-E, is the last robot left on earth tasked with cleaning up a world full of garbage.

The movie follows Wall-E around as he cleans up, what appears to be an American metropolis, and collects little knick-knacks. Wall-E eventually falls in love with a robot sent to earth to find life, EVE. It all seems a bit ridiculous, but you really end up liking these little robots and hoping they succeed.

Eventually, EVE finds a plant. Wall-E, and EVE go on a space adventure, find the only humans left in the solar system, fight some evil robots, and save earth. Overall, I found the moving entertaining but was sort of confused by the environmental message. I know movies don't have to have a message, but it felt like the writers of the movie were saying, "don't worry if we completely destroy the earth, once we find a new plant growing in 900 years, everything will be fine."

The Dark Knight: A+

Well, I obviously loved this movie based on two previous posts (http://mid20.blogspot.com/2008/07/nobody-gets-me.html & http://mid20.blogspot.com/2008/07/bat-mia-hollywoods-huge-weekend.html).

Because of all that I have written on the subject, I will keep it short. The Dark Knight was an amazingly complex, challenging, and action-packed film. It didn't treat the audience like a bunch of knuckle-dragging retards (like the next movie down), stayed true to the story of Batman, and proved comic movies can be something more than what they have been.

If you want a longer review, I dig what this person wrote: http://obsidiantempest.blogspot.com/2008/08/dark-knight-review.html

Mamma Mia: F

So, apparently, I told my mom that I just liked going to see movies at the theatre because I enjoy the atmosphere – despite whatever movie was playing. Well, I sure take that back after she dragged me to this load of garbage.

I knew I wouldn't like this movie, but never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined how vomit inducing it would be. Whereas Dark Knight challenged the audience with intense plots and subplots, Mia played to the lowest common denominator.

I know it was a hit play before, but that doesn't change the fact the ordinary people aren't as dumb and boring as this story would have you believe.

The basic plot (as I touched on in a previous post, http://mid20.blogspot.com/2008/07/bat-mia-hollywoods-huge-weekend.html) involves a pretty white girl with blond hair trying to figure out who her father is. She has three possible candidates. That's it. It never gets anymore complicated or interesting than that.

Sure, if you like Abba, the music might make you want to see the movie/play. But, come to think of it, if they wrote a play with all Of Montreal songs (one of my favorite bands), I don't think I would feel like sitting through it if the story sucked.

This movie is an insult to every person on earth. You could be an ape and still understand what's going on. Actually, an ape would probably be bored too.

Summer Movies 2008, Part One

I'm in the middle of two of the most amazing experiences of my life: working in woods of Northern California for five months and starting the most challenging and, hopefully, rewarding experience of my life at NYU.

During this strange period of time, I am back living with my parents in St. Clair Shores, MI. It hasn't been easy; two days after arriving home- with the car I drove all the way from California - I hit a pot hole and sent it to the scrap yard, I couldn't even get a job as a busboy, a credit nightmare prevented me for almost a month from getting a loan for grad school, and, basically, was reminded of why I left.

To deal with this lull period I indulged in pure, unhinged, escapism.

I filled my Michigan sorrows with mounds of comic books, NYC travel guides, and lots of movies. Anytime someone suggested a movie, I was there. What follows is my account of the biggest movie summer of my life. For kicks, I graded the movies.

Iron Man: A-

I started my summer with Iron Man in Santa Cruz, CA with my mom. The movie is about weapons maker Tony Stark's transformation from US military arms dealer to super-hero. Tony Stark is played by Robert Downey Jr. and the role couldn't have been better cast. In the comics, Tony Stark has been plagued with personal problems like alcoholism, loosing his company, and, recently, blaming himself for the death of Captain America. Downey's own career has been filled with ups and downs and substance abuse. Downey is Tony Stark and Tony Stark is Downey.

Iron Man starts out with Stark supporting the US government's terrorizing of the Middle East through his weapons, but after he is taken hostage, he has a change of heart. Stark's eyes are open to the world and he no longer wants to be involved in the killing of innocents and becomes a full-blown hero for the entire world.

The best parts of the movie are when Tony Stark is creating his Iron Man costume. He starts off from a relatively simple design to something out of the distant future. The mishaps in creating the costume are hilarious (this fire extinguisher robot keeps spraying him) and, when he finally gets it right and flies through the sky, it's like you're really with him in the clouds.

Iron Man is really fun, simple, and has an anti-imperialist message that I loved. Also, if you get a chance to hangout after the credits, there is an extra scene with Stark and Nick Fury – It is every comic fan's dream come true.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: B+

I have always loved Indiana Jones. I'm a big enough history nerd and adventurer to daydream about chasing down lost tombs and artifacts even without the help of this film franchise. Regardless, Indy's adventures have expanded my imagination and joy for archeology. On our stop in Chicago, Morgan and I saw this movie with my friend Augustine.

In Crystal Skull, we catch up with Indy after his dad died and he is reaching the later years of his teaching career. The United States is also fully embroiled in McCarthyism at this point and the government is targeting anyone that might have a difference of opinion.

The plot of the movie is that the (evil, of course) Russians are trying to find the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull that, apparently, has a bunch of riches and knowledge. Indy, and his son, go on an adventure to find the Kingdom and try to thwart their enemies.

The movie is action-packed, the stunts are amazing, the story is enjoyable, and Stephen Spielberg seems to be at the top of his game. I have heard the critics say that the "alien plot" (they are inter-dimensional creatures, people!) is too far-fetched, but does anyone remember the previous movies? Yeah, you're right Joseph of Arimathea being alive and still having the Holy Grail isn't far-fetched. Jeez.

I could have done without some of the cheesy CGI and the "Russians = bad" theme, but I loved how the movie addressed how even someone like Indiana Jones could be targeted by the government as a "red" just for not approving of something he was doing.

Also, during my last week at San Joaquin Outdoor School, one of my students told me that if we don't find the twelve crystal skulls hidden all over the world by 2012, the world will end. So, um, keep that in mind.

The Incredible Hulk: B-

This was the first movie I saw with my cousin Alex and it was the start of an exciting movie going relationship.

Well, it was sure a lot better than the Hulk movie from a few years ago. The addition of Ed Norton (my favorite actor) was also a fantastic choice. The movie cleverly tells the origin story of the Hulk during the credits so faithful fans wouldn't have to sit through it again.

The Incredible Hulk follows Bruce Banner (Ed Norton) as he runs from a U.S. government weapons program, tries to figure out a cure, and tries to win back the heart of his love, Betty, played by Liv Tyler. I usually can't stand Tyler, but as Alex said, "she was less offensive in this movie."

One of the coolest scenes is when the Hulk goes toe-to-toe with his arch-nemesis, the Abomination, in a crowded street. The action and effects feel so real it's like there is no CGI at all.

The Incredible Hulk was entertaining, much better than Ang Lee's movie, but also forgettable. There wasn't anything about this movie that made me think after or really care about the character. Sure, the scenes with Banner trying to figure out a cure were interesting, but besides that, it was mostly just a bunch of hitting and yelling. I'll be interested to see what they do with a sequel.

Advertising Your Blog

Today I decided to advertise for my blog a bit and have been using a list of websites I found on Yahoo Answers.

The process has been frustrating because almost every site has you sign up on their site first, but I have found a few helpful sites that are easy to use for advertising a blog. They are all free:

Bloglines http://www.bloglines.com/register/
Blogstreet http://blogstreet.com/
boingboing http://boingboing.net/suggest.html
WeBlogALot http://www.weblogalot.com/Ping/
Globe of Blogs http://www.globeofblogs.com/register.php
Blog Universe http://bloguniverse.com/
The Truth Laid Bear http://www.truthlaidbear.com/addtoscan.p...
BlogHop http://www.bloghop.com/account/index.htm
Blogarama http://www.blogarama.com/index.php?show=...
RDFTicker http://www.anse.de/rdfticker/addchannel....
BLOG’z http://www.sarthak.net/blogz/add.php
http://publisher.yahoo.com/rss_guide/submit.php

Sometimes the directories want you to link back to their site. Then, they put something like this in your profile.
(ooooOOOOOoooo aaaAAAAAaaa)



{Search with Blogz}



I'm not sure how helpful putting my blogs on these sites is, but I don't think it can hurt. Hopefully these links can help someone else too!