music, media & other random musings

Do We Vote Or Something?

I admit it, I wasn't as drawn into this season of Mad Men as I was with the first two. I also admit that last night I watched the final episode twice, in a row. As close to perfection as one hour of TV gets.  

It finally happened, Don's life completely crumbled. And he was called out by pretty much everyone around him for being the unemotional, detached, ungrateful bully he is. He could have lost them and he knew it. Knew that if he going to win this time, as he always does, he had to actually put himself out there, admit to them - and maybe to himself - how and why he values them. So he did, with Peggy, Pete and even Sterling. Even giving the nod to the squirmy Pryce. (Classic Sterling line - "You're not good at relationships because you don't value them.") They all may hate the way the Don Draper treats them (maybe not Sterling who could care less), but they still want to be noticed by him and crave his attention and respect, as much, if not more than he could stand losing them. Even in the end he had to give into Betty, but her, he had to let go. 

Don's personal life may have ended - or at least it appears that way for now. But his business life is starting anew, and he may be on the threshold of creating something he actually wants to be a part of. Being forced to put into actual words what it was that made each of these people valuable, he's also empowered them, made them stronger (witnessed in Peggy's adamant, yet nonchalant - and hilarious - no to Sterling's request for coffee) and is a great set-up to the office dynamics in Season 4. 

Don has always been alone and has never connected to anything, or anyone. But in the last shot, as he looked across the hotel room filled with the group chosen to be part of the new agency, he looked somewhat satisfied, like me might actually have found a a place that makes him feel at home. 

Sometimes patience pays off. Slow start to the season, but a perfect finish. 

Hark! The Voters Speak!

Another great piece of satire - this time from Gail Collins' op-ed in the NYTimes this morning - perfectly and sadly, illustrating the inanity of the news media & pundits as they desperately and pathetically spin the "meaning" of Tuesday's election results. 

If it wasn't for the media satirists, like Collins, Stewart, Colbert, etc., I might just have to sink my heavy head into my hands and weep..  

The Daily Show

I haven't posted a clip from the Daily Show for a while, but this is well deserved. They skewered the ridiculousness of the 24-7 cable news reporting perfectly. Sadly, Comedy Central didn't provide just the bit I wanted. Not that it's not all hilarious - but starting at 3:50, when Stewart does the set-up for "the best fucking election panel ever assembled." Classic Daily Show.  

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Bored to Death

HBO's Bored to Death is finishing up its first season next week, with Sunday being the conclusion of their final 'caper,' The Case of the Stolen Sperm. 

It is a small show, one that hasn't bored me exactly, but one I can't say I've been completely drawn into either. Yet, of course, that hasn't stopped me from watching every episode... (which says more about me than the show probably.) At times I feel the series is lite and can't seem to find its center, where at other moments I find the effect deliberate and am drawn in by its quiet quirkiness. But I'm a total sucker for stoner comedies, and much of the humor is centered on this - and Ted Danson - who is far and away the best thing about the show. Although I like both Schwartzman and Galifianakis, Danson is the anchor, and without him, the show wouldn't be anywhere near as weighty, or funny. 

The series has gained momentum with each episode though, and this past episode might be one of its tightest yet. With cameos from Samantha Bee and Oliver Platt and the always funny John Hogman - a cornucopia of pure New York talent. Although I had some laugh out loud moments in the previous episode, The Case of the Beautiful Blackmailer, this was certainly the first episode I'd watched that made me want more. (OK -except for the first, which segued into viewing #2....) Being it was part one of a two part episode, it's clear they did their job.... And as HBO picked up the show for renewal, next week they'll have another opportunity to deliver an episode that makes me laugh & keeps me more curious about next season than, well.. bored.

Obama's "Narrative"

It's comforting when one of your go-to op-ed writers writes about something you've been chewing on for a while. Well, it is to me...

Today, Thomas Friedman wrote about why it is people are unsure about where Obama stands on many of the issues currently facing America, reasoning that Obama's problem is not his lack of eloquence or his stand on the issues, but that he hasn't clearly articulated his "narrative." That in order to get support from the people who voted for him, to help him execute on the campaign promises he made, he needs to provide an understanding of - and a reminder - as to why they voted for him in the first place. And with that, to re-explain how and why all of the issues on his agenda are intrinsically tied together, and each one a necessary building block to making America stronger. As Friedman wrote today, 

"He has not tied all his programs into a single narrative that shows the links between his health care, banking, economic, climate, energy, education and foreign policies. Such a narrative would enable each issue and each constituency to reinforce the other and evoke the kind of popular excitement that got him elected."

During the election, and soon after he won, the great hope from Obama supporters was that he would be able to capitalize on the grassroots support and excitement he built during his campaign in order to push through the legislation those voters supposedly wanted. And part of the reason that Obama was able to build that grassroots network - aside from excellent campaign management - was that he made people feel they could be part of the process, part of the solution. Just as Obama was able to explain that although each of the challenges facing us were important in and of itself, it was vital to tackle them simultaneously in order to build the necessary foundation for us to move forward, he made each of us individually feel empowered, while also reminding us that it was only through universal sacrifice that we would really be able to affect change. Yet that hasn't really happened. 

Quoted in Friedman's article was Michael Sandel, author of "Justice: What's the Right Thing To do," 

“You can’t get nation-building without shared sacrifice,” said Sandel, “and you cannot inspire shared sacrifice without a narrative that appeals to the common good — a narrative that challenges us to be citizens engaged in a common endeavor, not just consumers seeking the best deal for ourselves. Obama needs to energize the prose of his presidency by recapturing the poetry of his campaign.”

Naturally, some of that passion was going to wane. But what can't stop is Obama's constant drumbeat. He must continue to remind us what he stands for, why last November we stood by him and why now, we all have to stand together.

Central Park in Fall

A great chance to get out of the city, going right to the center of it. 

 

Old But Still New

Last night I went out with my old friend Jane. She's not old - well, actually we both are - but I just mean we've been friends a hell of a long time, since college. We both lived in New York in those early 20's years, overlapped in Los Angeles - she living there much longer than I did - and crossed paths there in the music industry. While I was working at labels, Jane was working with Don Was and her husband, a drummer played for years with successful bands, is now at EMI. (So, while I'm out of the biz, Jane is 'half-way' in...)

Now coming up on a few decades of friendship, we sat at the Spotted Pig and somehow discovered mutual connections we never knew about. Which we both found somewhat shocking. Dan worked closely with bands I had also worked with in the early 90's, which of course led to conversations (and gossip) about all the other people connected with those bands. I also heard for the first time he toured with Pete Droge. Not an artist I worked with, but listened to tons. His first record, Necktie Second, was a big hit and in heavy rotation with me and the rest of my family - brother, sister and brother in law. But I couldn't remember the last time I heard his name, let alone listened to that album. 

So, as I was on my way uptown to visit with Jane again, for a good dog walk in the park (a rare pleasure to see Jane twice in one week), I put Pete on my ipod and immediately hit play on Northern Bound Train - seemed appropriate. I can't say I was in love with the record like I was back then. But it was fun to rediscover it again, felt very familiar, but also not. 

Nice when you can find the new in old - music and friends. 

Glue

My brother in law, Fred Wilson, wrote a post a few days ago about a new service launched by one of his portfolio companies, Adaptive Blue. I was familiar with the company and their Glue plug-in, but as Firefox isn't my browser of choice anymore, (I like Chrome), I haven't used the tool for quite a while. But in reading about their new web service, as one does, I clicked through, signed up, created my profile, and played around with it a while. To my surprise, within minutes of signing up, I had three friends following me, which out of curiosity, kept me on longer.  But something pulled my attention away and I never fully dove in to fully appreciate or utilize the service. And I forgot about it, until today.

This morning I received an email from Glue with the subject line reading: How are you enjoying Glue suggestions? With the text, as follows:

Hi, I'm Laura the Community Analyst for Glue. Could you answer the question below?  It would provide us with helpful insight. After unlocking my personal stream, my experience was: 

1) Great, I loved the suggestions and explored right away

2) Ok, I would have liked some more info on the service

3) Not good, I was confused about what to do next

Thanks!

Not only did I reply to the email (with answer #2, due to my own lack of focus), but I also went back to the site to play some more. I've always put a lot of weight on customer service. If a company or store or individual doesn't or can't deliver, I move on. The competition and number of choices are too great to settle. In the past, of course, any decisions or judgements made about a company's service was based on the proverbial one-way street of communication - I reached out to them, they either performed or didn't. But now with FB and especially twitter, I love that companies are now reaching out directly to their consumers to find how how they're doing, if they're happy with the service, or just to acknowledge they're paying attention. For a good number of consumer brands- both large and small - this is definitely the trend. But I especially love that this was from a digital service. Quite frankly, many of the digital services out there aren't all that user friendly. (Which I find shocking, but that's another story.) But that this one, Adaptive Blue, is asking their consumers about their new services from the start, and asking the right question, is well, just good customer service. Makes me want to stick with them...