CULTURE DUNK: Knicks vs. Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv

Basketball is a sport I genuinely love to watch. I attribute it to the fact that I used to dance for the UofR Spiders SpinnURs dance team at every home basketball game and not to my 6th grade bench sitting days. I loved the energy (even though UofR is a small school) of the game and really felt it as a result of the up close and personal relationship I had with the sport. I was court-side every game, had spirit in the face of major exam crunch times, and got to see and feel the sweet, sweaty determination, competitiveness and camaraderie of the team.

That's why I went to see the Knicks play pre-season. I had NO idea what I was in for. I knew they were playing another country but I obviously had no idea the implications or what that meant.

The game wasn't that good but the atmosphere definitely was. I was completely out of my element which always leaves me inspired and awe-struck. There were more Isreali fans than otherwise and the rabbi that gave a speech during half-time lead the congregation of sports fans in a traditional song. I have never been to synogague and grew up with ZERO Jewish friends so all of this was new to me (Where did I grow up? Think more along the lines of Southern Baptist Small Town Sit on Your Hands and Shut Your Mouth South). The stadium was ready for their consumers and had kosher meals to replace the typical concessions. For perhaps the first time in my life (with perhaps the exception of the symphony/gamer event I went to... maybe), I felt like the minority, the outsider to the odd man out. What an incredible gulp of reality and opportunity to gain empathy and insight.

It made me think about culture and more specifically about creating culture. Some culture is so old, so ingrained, so loved, so big that it cannot be compromised. It is meaningful and a wellspring for identity with true depth and layers. Can we as marketers ever really create that kind of culture? Maybe, I don't know... Is that what the green movement and mentality is inspiring? Or are we just creating trends that at minimum tack themselves onto existing culture and at best help propel it along instead?

CULTURE DUNK: High Art Society

The Dia: Beacon

Located on the banks of the Hudson River in Beacon, NYC. this museum houses 1960's to the present major collections. I didn't really know I would be going here and it wasn't my idea but it was a great escape from the concrete anyways. My oldest brother was a successful and very talented fine artists (before he opened his own business that dabbled in a separate hobby), so I have an appreciation for the craft and a fascination with the history and concepts that revolve around it all. 

However, in all honesty, I sometimes have a hard time really understanding the kind of art that is more about the process than it is about the piece. It's so important to read the pamphlets at that kind of museum to understand the significance of the work because so much of it is about how it was done. It's a bit easy to make fun of because it stems from such lofty, esoteric ideas but as a philosophy minor in undergrad I suppose I find the mental exercise just enjoyable even if tinged with a bit of, "I could have done that too." I suppose the point is, I didn't do it, huh? 

Anyways, there is one great room with a series of similar (difference caused by contrasting colors) paintings by Warhol (not pictured). There were 4 big smooshy sofas in the middle of this huge, great, open room and I have this fond memory of all the natural light coming in through the ceiling while all the people in the room sunk into the sofas to think about or not think about who knows what. It seemed like soothing place to be quiet, to stop, to hold time still for a couple of minutes and to smell the roses (or just soak in the color and the paintings). Serenity!

The New York City Ballet: Romeo & Juliet

I've danced my entire life and I worked at a ballet company. I love dance. I understand the dedication, the way the body marries itself to the music, the adrenaline, the beauty, the work ethic, the practice, the hours, and everything else in between. I'm fascinated, moved, and enamored by the poetry, the story, and the beauty that takes place on stage- usually to the point of tears. It just moves my soul and I crave dance as corny as that probably sounds.

But the point of this post is that i finally got the chance to see the world renowned New York City Ballet. I've never seen Romeo & Juliet performed and it was spectacular! The Lincoln Center is gorgeous and I loved seeing all the people dressed to the 9's in honor of this art form. The night was clear and it felt like I was in the middle of some fabulous 1950's movie. 

Thinking about the Romeo & Juliet story, I realized for the first time that it must have been so new and so incredibly moving to see it performed back in Shakespeare's day (even if not ballet). It's complex and it's heart-wrenching! And it's amazing that without words, a story, drenched in poetic descriptors and known for its iambic  pentameter can be conveyed in an equally as compelling way without using any words at all and replacing it with expression and movement instead. How cool! That's the power of a good story and I think it says something about the importance of good stories- it doesn't matter how they are told as long as they are.

Anyways, seeing the crowd at both of these places was yet another reminder that while newer, bigger, better, and faster is certainly good and often sought out, there are still people out there that crave history and appreciate the stories of a yesteryear retold from occasion to occasion. I guess some things just never get old!

CULTURE DUNK: Gamer Enthusiasm

For me gaming was something that I did when I was 8 years old in my brothers room on a bean bag in front of his play-station. It was my sole goal in life to beat Sonic the Hedgehog and I must admit, I wanted to be Chun Li. In fact she made her way into my third grade novel where a prince had to choose between a princess and Chun Li. He picked Chun Li. Obviously. But that's another story. 

Since the 6th grade or so my only interaction with gaming was buying Christmas presents in the form of video games for my 30 year old brother. I neither understood nor empathized. 

That's why, when I heard the Richmond Symphony was playing a special show of only video games called Video Games Live, I jumped at the opportunity to attend and understand once and for all the fascination. Its original intent was to attract a different audience, including young kids, to help them appreciate the symphony. As a person who already appreciates the symphony, my intent was to appreciate gaming and gamers instead. They are an important segment and gaming is an important, growing, media channel. 

The crowd was full of children, pre-pubescent boys, and also, a lot of other more middle aged couples. The show was a bit interactive. There were projectors that showed the video games, a chorus and the symphony that played popular scores. I have NEVER seen the Landmark Theater so packed in all the different shows I've attended. 

I've actually never been around such an energetic, enthusiastic, participatory crowd. I had no idea what was going on but there was humor and drama and stories and nostalgia and innovation. I enjoyed the music and the energy from the crowd was infectious. I actually almost cried once. It was really incredible. 

I won't be a gamer anytime soon but I will be able to appreciate this important segment a bit more. 

Culture Dunk.

In the creative industry you always hear how important it is to stay on top of culture. To engage in, to immerse yourself in, or to simply observe culture. 

I think it's best to do that with culture outside the one that you call your own. To make yourself uncomfortable in one situation just to learn how to be more comfortable in all situations is an incredible exercise in developing and cultivating empathy, a must for strategists. 

I've decided to include culture dives, immersions and observations I conduct like the aforementioned in this blog in a series called Culture Dunk. 

Be on the lookout!