I have just spent 30 minutes or so playing on Coca-Cola.com. No wonder Jenkins introduces this idea in one of the earliest chapters of his book. Go to Coca-Cola.com. Select which of the six regions you are currently in. Listen to new up and coming music. Design artwork with cool vintage logos. Rainbows appear on every page and I feel that I am taking part in the NOW. This is American culture. A little bit of the past (1970's owl stickers) combined with a splash of color provided by rainbows (seems to celebrate alternative lifestyle) and great new music that makes me feel completely wrapped up in it all. I am at this very moment, as I type this blog, participating in modern convergence culture (and possibly saving a polar bear as well). All the while, I am wanting to drink a Coke!!!
I don't mean to sound insincere. I truly believe that this is it. This is convergence culture. I see a commercial for Americal Idol, "brought to you by Coca-Cola. The Coca-Cola side of life!" and immediately I change my browser to find out more at Coca-Cola.com. Once I am there I design a background for my computer, e-mail it to myself (for later retrieval), and listen to music that I will later pick up on limewire. I can rate the music here also. Coca-Cola really wants to know what I think! Sure, some guru is sitting on the other side of the world reading my review while on the phone with Simon Cowell discussing ways to better reach my audience. Sure the Coca-Cola website asked for my permission to access my computers microphone and camera, but this is a new age!
I remember now that when I was in high school I use to stay up one night a week to watch PEPSI LIVE. It came on the WB and showed all my favorite bands: The Ataris, Blackeyed Peas, etc. I remember thinking how kind it was for those nice folks over at Pepsi to care enough about the youth that they would "sponsor" a concert like this once a week. They knew that kids like me were sitting at home between school work and needing some musician to look up to. They worried about my well-being.
I think perhaps now I have a better understanding of the word "sponsor" and maybe it's not quite as philanthropic as I once thought.
I don't mean to sound insincere. I truly believe that this is it. This is convergence culture. I see a commercial for Americal Idol, "brought to you by Coca-Cola. The Coca-Cola side of life!" and immediately I change my browser to find out more at Coca-Cola.com. Once I am there I design a background for my computer, e-mail it to myself (for later retrieval), and listen to music that I will later pick up on limewire. I can rate the music here also. Coca-Cola really wants to know what I think! Sure, some guru is sitting on the other side of the world reading my review while on the phone with Simon Cowell discussing ways to better reach my audience. Sure the Coca-Cola website asked for my permission to access my computers microphone and camera, but this is a new age!
I remember now that when I was in high school I use to stay up one night a week to watch PEPSI LIVE. It came on the WB and showed all my favorite bands: The Ataris, Blackeyed Peas, etc. I remember thinking how kind it was for those nice folks over at Pepsi to care enough about the youth that they would "sponsor" a concert like this once a week. They knew that kids like me were sitting at home between school work and needing some musician to look up to. They worried about my well-being.
I think perhaps now I have a better understanding of the word "sponsor" and maybe it's not quite as philanthropic as I once thought.
No comments:
Post a Comment