Playground Politics

This article could easily be about the election. But who wants to hear more about polls? The only conclusion that has been reached is that the results are inconclusive. Surprise, surprise. The best advice is to ignore the media, do your own cross-referenced research on each candidates' web site, and don't believe your neighbor's misinformed conspiracy rant. We will know who the next President is when they are elected. Onward.

The cool kid on the blacktop

The truth behind big business and branding is this: sometimes, it really is about being popular. We all love to think that we are far more mature that our colleagues and classmates. Popularity and social drama? We left that behind in high school! Not so fast, Mr. Rogers. As society becomes adults, we have simply learned to streamline popularity contests, manipulating our chosen industry to show our best side. Case and point:

1. Media - How much explaining is necessary? There are hundreds of dissertations that can qualitatively demonstrate how credible publications such as The New York Times and even the The Wall Street journal use propaganda. Actual CNN headline in February: "Will Hillary's shorter hair attract the mommy vote?"

2. Retail - Gucci, Brooks Brothers, Tiffany's. Quality, yes. In most of the world, with money comes social status. With social status can come popularity. The irony we ignore is that consumers want your brand to be popular to they can be popular with you. It's the ultimate buy-in. Don't stop at retail - this applies to any tangible product or service sold in a capitalist market.

3. Schools and education - The academic standard has long since stopped being the primary motivation for attending an institution of higher education. A great football team with a mediocre curriculum can sadly trump some schools with the opposite traits. Attended an Ivy League school? An employer may not know many facts about the institution. You may have earned a degree in South Indian Basketweaving. Regardless, you can rest easy knowing your portfolio will still be near the top of the stack of candidates. I already feel smarter by association.

Social Media

Ask yourself: what is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word social?

Friends? After-work gatherings? Dating? You might even think of one person in particular who you see as exceptionally extroverted or introverted. Regardless, life is more about the popularity contest than we want to believe. Most people will never be able to admit it, even to themselves.

1. Facebook & Myspace - How would describe someone who has 20 friends and 3,000 wall posts? What about a person who has 4,000 pictures tagged of themselves?

2. Twitter - How many updates do they have? Here's an actual friend calculator that will measure your popularity on the micro-blogging site.

3. Blogs - Don't pretend that you're not more interested in a web site that has been read several thousand times. If you come upon an article that has only been read 12-13 times on the internet, you're ten times more likely to continue surfing.

Our failed mentality is this: "Everyone else didn't think it was important, so why should I?"

Read this carefully: To everyone else, we are everyone else.

The bottom line

Only your educated opinion matters!

Cutting through the social clutter isn't easy, but instead of ignoring it, learn to face it and demand transparency. George Bush has low polls again? Find out who was called and surveyed. Nike comes out with a new amazing running shoe? Check their competitors (same shoe, better deal. Always).

Love or hate what you've read, leave a comment or feel free to send me an email at pauljmatson@gmail.com.

Down the drain and back again

Let me begin by saying that the United States still fares far better than the rest of the world in public water (both in quality and availability). Just ask anyone who's taken a trip down south. Far south. Water is so easy to get that most of us just take it for granted; which is why it's no surprise this recent study has been receiving national attention. Better go get your Brita filter now before they sell out tomorrow.

The study maintains that the city water distributed to more than 40 million Americans has traces of everything from "medicines used to treat anxiety, epilepsy, asthma, angina, and in some places, traces of a sex hormone." No, seriously. That's quite a cocktail. Fortunately, the research states that each drug is found only in the parts per thousand and would take massive amounts of consumption to yield any undesirable effect. Unfortunately, most people won't pay attention to that part.

Long live the bottle.

So after reading several articles similar to the one linked above, I began to wonder what the ultimate response will be to all these shenanigans. Bottled water, anyone?
By coincidence (or not), Pepsi & Starbucks have recently gotten a little smitten with one another, launching a new bottled water campaign.



I'm not necessarily implying that all of this media is premeditated, but who's to say it isn't? Bottled water has long been on the rise.

And to think I drank out of the garden hose as a child.

America's affair with sex scandals

In you've been able to evade recent political scandals, here's your official update.

New York Governor, Eliot Spitzer was recently implicated on charges regarding his involvement with a high-class prostitution ring. The guy was caught on a federal wiretap. If this goes as expected, his PR team will be spending the remainder of his term (which will probably be his last) recovering from the embarrassment he has brought to himself, his family, and the New York legislature. Good goin', Eliot.

Now take a moment to get beyond his sleaziness. Everyone, to some degree has some skeletons in the closet. Spitzer's case, however, surfaces after he gained some national attention for his work fighting corporate money scandals and indicting prostitution rings. No joke. Loads of people undoubtedly feel some outrage, especially since his salary is paid with New York tax dollars. But here's my question:

Are the sexual endeavors of politicians, no matter how twisted, the biggest issue concerning voters? Should they ever be?

Of course, everyone would like to see a squeaky clean JKF take the stage. But in the light of the Moncia Lewinsky 'blow job in the Oval Office' scandal, Jerry Springer's removal from mayor of Cincinnati (he wrote a check for a prostitute), and countless other American political sex scandals... what purpose does the prosecution of these individuals really serve? Without a doubt, Spitzer should be punished, just like Bill Clinton was for lying. At most, though, this news should be given a day to live and should die.

Spitzer is going to get what's coming to him, one way or another. There are far more important issues that deserve the media spotlight, though.

Here's the bottom line (pay attention MSNBC, CNN, C-SPAN, and FOX):

Leave the social drama for E! and MTV to make a reality show. Let's keep American media classy while we still have a fighting chance.