Filed under: COOL SHT, Feature | Tags: anti-gravity ball, Bill Cunningham, Brooklyn, Donna Summer, e-commerce, Facebook, Fashion, Graffiti, IPO, Kent, LA, Los Angeles, MIT, MOCA, NY Times, NYC, Pinterest, Retna, Robin Gibb, South Bronx, Street Styles, Wild Style, Williamsburg, Zuckerberg
THIS WEEK: GRAFFITI NYC & LONG LIVE THE IPO
.
LA Artist Retna at the corner of Bowery/Houston
.
NY artist Wane along Kent Ave in South Williamsburg, Brooklyn
.
Kent Ave under the Williamsburg Bridge/ Brooklyn, NYC
Photo Credits: Daily Marauder
.
This past week, I spent some time in NYC. During my walking trips around the city, I took a few snaps of some incredible street art from Manhattan to Brooklyn. Street art holds quite a bit more worth to me than anything hanging in a gallery because of the circumstances surrounding its viewing. Much in the way Bill Cunningham chronicles street style in the NY Times to show what real (or somewhat real) New Yorkers are doing with the latest runway pieces, street art is built for everyone. Cunningham remarked that “The best fashion show is on the street” and I would add that the best art show is in the same place. No admission fee. No thoughtful head nodding or crowds of people. Just art. Unexpected and there whenever you want it.
.
It still strikes me as incredibly odd that LA brought the first street art exhibit to creation at the MOCA Los Angeles, while NYC snubbed its nose in Brooklyn. Between the two cities, street art certainly has its place where it is fostered. In NYC, that’s usually the outer boroughs and in LA that’s Hollywood or downtown LA.
.
I tried to track down the artist behind the bottom piece in Brooklyn but wasn’t successful. If anyone has the information, please leave a comment or email me.
.
This past weekend, I also watched the 1980’s film Wild Style all about graffiti art culture in the South Bronx, the birthplace of hip hop. It’s not a well-acted film by any means but it’s got a realness to it that’s fascinating.
.
In other news, Facebook’s IPO finally goes live and experiences some growing pains, the Zuck gets married, the queen and king of disco, Donna Summer & Robin Gibb, passed away, and Pinterest continues to show strength in pushing e-commerce.
.
Some more Cool Sh-t:
Filed under: COOL SHT, Feature | Tags: Adam Yauch, Android, Apple, Art, Beastie Boys, Coldplay, comScore, Discovery, Draw Something, Facebook, Hollywood Bowl, MCA, Mike D, MOCA, Nielsen, Revision 3, Sothebys, Tagged, The Scream, Transmission LA, Turntable, Zynga
THIS WEEK: REMEMBERING MCA
.
.
“as you can imagine, shit is just fkd up right now. but i wanna say thank you to all our
friends and family (which are kinda one in the same) for all the love and support.
i’m glad to know that all the love that Yauch has put out into the world is coming right back at him.
thank you.”- Mike D
.
Coldplay Tribute 5/4 at the Hollywood Bowl “Fight for Your Right to Party”
.
It is with great sadness that I dedicate this post to one of my heroes, Adam “MCA” Yauch from the Beastie Boys. He died last week at 47 years old from cancer in his salivary glands. Yauch co-founded the Beastie Boys with Mike “Mike D” Diamond and Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz in 1979, one year after I was born. The Beastie Boys started as a punk rock group and quickly merged over into hip hop. Paul’s Boutique defined my college experience and laid groundwork for a connection to music which has motivated and pushed me forward in the darkest of times. He was one of my heroes. He will be missed.
.
For more videos to remind you of the Beastie Boys genius, click here.
.
.
In other news, Nielsen reported another drop in TV viewers, the Apple OS vs. Android deathmatch continues, The Scream sells at Sotheby’s for a cool $120MM, Turntable tries to get its mojo back, Facebook sets its IPO at $28 – $35 a share, Discovery buys Revision 3, ComScore names Tagged as the most engaged social network, and Zynga sees massive decline from its recent acquisition Draw Something.
.
Some more Cool Sh-t:
Transmission LA: Mike D Curated Art
Photo Credit: Daily Marauder
Filed under: COOL SHT, Feature | Tags: Ashton Kutcher, Boardwalk Empire, Coachella, Emmys, Facebook, Hologram, Instagram, Lori Schwartz, Lucy McRae, McCann, Prometheus, Steve Jobs, TECHNOLOGY, TED, The Academy of TV Arts & Sciences, The Walking Dead, Tupac, viral
THIS WEEK: TUPAC BECOMES THE WALKING DEAD
.
Photo Credit: Daily Marauder
.
This past year, I joined the Academy of TV Arts & Sciences (The Emmys), at the urging of my former colleague Lori Schwartz, Chief Technology Catalyst at McCann. I had worked on the live show last year, helping to craft the social media story from the red carpet and backstage. It seemed a natural extension at that point.
.
Its Emmy season and a cavalcade of TV series have been arriving at my doorstep. From watching a mountain of DVDs to going to the Academy Theater itself to watch a panel of producers and cast of The Walking Dead & Boardwalk Empire, I feel fully immersed in the script to screen process.
.
In watching the somewhat awkward exchange between my digital/tech co-horts and my entertainment friends, I’m continuously reminded of what causes the disconnect. I’ve been somewhere between both worlds for the last 6 years, first working at HBO and then for Lionsgate in digital marketing & R&D. It appears to me that Silicon Valley/Alley doesn’t seem to fully understand the massive undertaking involved in creating quality content. Their arrogance in thinking that they can either cut costs seamlessly and/or create better content, is simply ridiculous.
.
By that same token, many in entertainment diminish the power of those in the digital and technology sphere, simply because, in many respects, some may not understand the technology or may believe the young and sometimes green chiefs of these companies don’t understand their business. Therein lies the rub of many misunderstandings. The truth of the matter is this; entertainment needs technology as much as technology needs entertainment. One without the other is irrelevant and the man that mastered this relationship is unfortunately gone, replaced by Ashton Kutcher in an upcoming biopic. So perhaps, the best method to move forward, is a reaching across the aisle for all of us.
.
Photo Credit: High Snobiety
.
In other news, Coachella brings Tupac back from the dead in Hologram form, the Prometheus team brings forth another viral campaign, and many weigh in on the Facebook/Instagram deal.
.
Some more Cool Sh-t:
The Body. Transformed Through Technology. Beautiful.
Filed under: COOL SHT, Feature | Tags: Adam Driver, Architecture, Augmented Reality, Bravo, Carrie, Culver City, Facebook, Girls, Google, Hannah, HBO, hipsters, Instagram, Jimmy Choos, Lena Dunham, Los Angeles, Marnie, Monolo Blahnik, NYC, Project Glass, Reality Series, Samantha, Samitaur Tower, Sex and the City, Silicon Valley, Star Trek, SXSW, Williamsburg
THIS WEEK: OVER VAGINA’D HBO & INSTAGRAM GOES INSTABOOK
.
Lena Dunham in HBO’s Girls
© Jojo Whilden/HBO. All rights reserved.
.
The new series, Girls, comes to HBO this Sunday and I couldn’t be more ecstatic. I watched the first two episodes in Austin at SXSW spawning my lady crush on its writer/creator, Lena Dunham. The show follows a group of NYC Williamsburg hipsters through their daily machinations focusing on the somewhat unglamorous side of their romantic transgressions. I spent my 20’s living in NYC, the latter half in which I was working at HBO, and hence, was especially excited to see this story unfold.
I’ve been watching the critical reviews come across the internet wires and they all boil down to one thing: sex. The sex in Sex & the City was glamorous Jimmy Choo-laced fantasy, thick with witty Samantha-isms and adorable recaps from Carrie. The sex in Girls is uncomfortable to watch and ‘real’ in a way I’ve never seen on screen before. Slate Magazine describes this realness as the “chronicling of bad sex” whereas New York Magazine raves that the sex “isn’t a reward, it’s a revelation.” So which is it? Lena Dunham writes, stars, and partially directs this series. She plays Hannah, a post-collegiate brutally torn from the parental financial purse strings to go out on her own for the first time. The first sex on screen carries out between Hannah and her sex buddy Adam, and while not ruining anything, I’ll just say, that I would never tell a friend about sex that bad.
That said, it wasn’t only the sex that I found so intriguing. It was the comfort level by which these girls interact with each other and by which Dunham herself is comfortable exposing the world to. There is one scene in particular that I have obsessed over, obsessed because I think it indicates some lack of cool on my part and therefore has been a conversation piece for weeks. Dunham’s character, Hannah, takes a bath with her towel-clad roommate Marnie chatting about their lives, a pastime which in most respects would be done over breakfast or perhaps, any other place with clothes on. I’ve obsessed because I’ve wanted to know if this happens in real life. Do women get together naked and talk about what’s going on in each other’s lives? I don’t even like to look people in the eye in the women’s locker room, let alone sit naked in a bathtub and talk about my sex life. Does this make me uncool?
Lena Dunham, as Hannah, with actor Adam Driver.
(Photo: Jojo Whilden/HBO)
.
Back to the sex. The attempt to categorize this show at the ‘everygirl’ story would be dangerous. In the same way that Sex & the City did not translate to the lives of most American women at the time it debuted, I don’t think Girls has the intention of direct translation. How many women buy Jimmy Choos on a Monday and Monolo Blahniks on a Tuesday? In the same respect, how many women catch up on their day with their best friend sitting naked in a bathtub and then have discussions about how maybe they really do want AIDS at the doctor’s office? Here’s where I had to reel myself in. Being that you, the viewer, are presented with a woman (Dunham) who looks more real than the skinny plastic surgery-disfigured faces of so many Hollywood actresses, the viewer immediately thinks that what happens on screen will look more similar to their own world. In my case, even though I spent some time living in Williamsburg, the attempt at direct correlation was lost in translation. Frankly, that’s not the point. I think Dunham’s intention is to entertain with her own story and hope that each viewer draws inspiration in whichever way makes sense. Whether that’s making one person feel less embarrassed about their own bad sex moment or more comfortable in simply sharing something with a friend, so be it. So, I’ll attempt to stop thinking about how uncool I am for my lack of bathtub friend time…but seriously, does this make me uncool?! Maybe not, but quotes like this one, make Lena Dunham fresh to death.
.
In other news, Facebook acquires Instagram for $1 Billion (scaring the sh-t out of this Instagram user right here and this one over there), Google busts out some augmented reality glasses which sadly bring on the Star Trek jokes, and Bravo announces plans to bring a Silicon Valley reality series to screen.
.
Some more Cool Sh-t:
Architecture Meets Outdoor Art Projection
Photo Credit: Designboom
Filed under: COOL SHT, Feature | Tags: Angelina Jolie, Billy Crystal, Brad Pitt, Facebook, Gizmodo, Glasses, Google, HBO, HTC, Jean Dujardin, Roberto Benigni, Samsung, The Artist, The Oatmeal, The Oscars, Whitney Houston
THIS WEEK: THE ARTIST MEETS ONE RIGHT LEG
.
Monica Almeida/The New York Times
.
Is it just me? I can’t be the only person alive who doesn’t understand the intrigue of The Artist…can I? It’s a silent film with a sickly sweet message crammed with actors pouring their emotions out like water from an unbridled hose. Simply stated, I’m not a fan. Clearly, the Academy does not agree; the Artist picked up 5 wins last night at the Oscars. At the very least, actor Jean Dujardin could have given us a throw-back to Roberto Benigni Oscar mayhem, but apparently Italians have a bit more joie de vivre. The Artist aside, the Oscars along with Billy Crystal, just felt a bit washed up last night. I enjoyed the 4 hours of Whitney Houston’s funeral the weekend before far more than the night honoring a bunch of films that, for the most part, were mediocre.
.
Maybe the solution is to crowd source the nominees rather than giving the power to the Academy. Maybe then, there would be some actual surprises outside of Angelina Jolie’s right leg. Speaking of that, please Ms Jolie. PLEASE EAT. Till next year I suppose.
.
In other news, the Samsung Galaxy Beam projects on walls, Facebook plans to release premium ads, The Oatmeal puts HBO on blast, and HTC releases the One X prompting Gizmodo drool.
.
Some more Cool Sh-t:
Nerd Alert: Smartphone as Glasses
Filed under: Feature | Tags: Facebook, Jeep, Physical Media, Social media
Last week, I returned from 10 days on the east coast to the note above on my car asking if I’d like to sell. As it happens, that’s exactly what I want to do. I hadn’t had the chance yet to post the car on the obligatory online sites or social networks. I simply had one note from a stranger asking if I wanted to sell. So, of course, I turned to social media next posting the note on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for my social networks to revel in the amazing timing and coincidence. As it turns out, another friend who saw the note on Facebook was also interested in buying my Jeep for his teenage son.
That afternoon, Kevin came by to test drive the car and offered to buy it immediately. Who knew selling a car would be this easy? The ease to purchase got me thinking about interplay between social media and physical media. In this case, the physical media left on my car, in the form of a note, posted to social media networks generated two potential buyers. Fascinating.
.
At SXSW this March, I will be speaking on a panel entitled, “Are We Killing Social With Social?” taking a hard look at the ways in which social media can affect our physical relationships. Think back to a moment when a friend ignored your conversation to check in on Foursquare or post a picture on Instagram. While we fuel our social networks with content like programming a television network, we sometimes forget that physical interaction can solve the challenges before us.
.
In my case of selling my car, the combination of physical and social led to the sale. Without the note on my car, I would have never posted on my social networks and my Facebook friend wouldn’t have taken interest in the Jeep. The note itself turned out to be an intrigue-driver demonstrating that the car was in good shape. A stranger had passed by and stopped to show interest, writing a note which served as a physical word-of-mouth review more powerful than a Facebook like.
.
Of course, Kevin’s lack of punctuation and general affection for capitalization brought him to task on my Facebook page, but that aside, Kevin’s note helped sell my car. In short, physical media should not be sacrificed by the bedside of social media. Social media should serve as a springboard to empower our daily lives. I only fear that for some, the empowerment has turned to addiction and physical media and interaction are being ignored. Let’s face it — Without the note, would a link to the online posting of the car sale be as effective? Perhaps, but physical media sure helped in this case.
Filed under: COOL SHT, Feature | Tags: Angelino, Apple, Beauty, ESPN, Facebook, Foursquare, Glamour, iPad 3, Jeremy Lin, LA, Linsanity, Mountain Lion, New York City, NY Knicks, NYC, Pop-Up, Twitter, Whitney Houston, WhitneyHoustonRIPocolypse, Winter
THIS WEEK: HOUSTON, WE HAVE LINSANITY
.
Stan Honda / AFP / Getty Images / February 18, 2012
.
Whitney Houston’s funeral Saturday drew more star power than the Grammys the weekend before including Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keyes, R Kelley, Bobby Brown, and Aretha Franklin. Wait, those last two weren’t there. Bobby Brown left because of a “seating incident” and Aretha Franklin had leg issues even though she performed in concert that very night. [raised eyebrows] I thought Kevin Costner’s words concerning his work with the star on the Bodyguard were intriguing. Not only were they clearly heartfelt but they demonstrated the challenges of being a worldwide star. Incidentally, both the Grammys and Whitney Houston’s funeral both clocked in at 3.5 hrs.
.
After being in NYC for 10 days, I attempted to mimic that city’s RIPocolypse love. From snow storms to Whitney’s death, everything on Foursquare is a RIPocolypse in New York City. I also wanted to see if a location of this nature would trend in Los Angeles like it trends in NYC. One problem. It never showed up in search results. I contacted one of the co-founders of Foursquare who told me the search results take a bit to update. 3 days later. Same issue. I know we’re on the opposite coast and a little bit farther south than where digital hearts show their affection, but damn it, we Angelinos are digital nerds too. Where is the love?!
.
Apart from the digital snafu, I also noticed how polarizing Whitney Houston was when I asked friends to check-in to my newly dubbed WhitneyHoustonRIPocolypse. Some were eager to jump on and some simply flat out said no, not because they didn’t want to break out Foursquare, but because they didn’t “feel the love” for Ms. Houston. I do find it intriguing that certain folks feel so negative towards the pop singer because of her demons with drug abuse. I certainly don’t condone it. That said, entertainers, while making a ridiculous amount of cash, are owned by their audience, incapable of living away from prying eyes. Entertainers have the ability to inspire so many but they are human beings like all of us. Let’s be honest, we all have our demons. So, with that, I will continue to want to dance with somebody and yes, my love is your love.
.
Along with the pop star’s farewell, the din of Linsanity, an homage to the popular NY Knicks player Jeremy Lin, has been reaching fever pitch. Unfortunately, ESPN made the mistake of running a racially fueled headline on Friday bringing Lin fans to punches. Thankfully for the fans, the Harvard alumnus finally joined the social network and took the dive into his first public Facebook page.
.
In other news, a warmer winter has slowed sales of typical winter purchases, gossip surrounding the coming iPad 3 announcement on March 7th has erupted, and Twitter gets yet another boost from Apple, this time with the release of the Mac operating system Mountain Lion. Take that, Facebook overlords.
.
Some more Cool Sh-t:
Beauty on the Go: Pop-Up Shopping Wall
