Privilege Blog

In Which We Salute Mohawk Guy, Or, Saturday Morning at 9:39am

For anyone wondering what I was talking about in last night’s post, let me explain. Sturdy Gals can’t keep secrets.

On Thursday I was emailed by a PR rep to say that Sodastream was going to hold a real-time, videostreamed, press conference on Friday,  announcing their new celebrity spokesperson. She indicated that if I were willing to watch, and post about the announcement, they’d send me a Sodastream unit. I knew the product because my father and step-mother have one, and love it. I thought, “Hey, a good giveaway for my dear readers.”

But when I, and ~49 other bloggers, signed into LiveStream to watch, it turned out that the webcam was broadcasting to us without sound. And was pointed at an empty podium. Well, empty except for a plant, an urn, and some Sodastream machines. The video feed ran like this for over 1o minutes, in which all sorts of random events transpired, and we bloggers chatted in a chat window.

Some of us were kind of irreverent.

Then the actual conference began. Then it ended. Then I wrote my post. We shall see what results.

The thing is, this event was much more fun given the apparent failure of organization. More authentic, certainly. And in this day of technological creation of self and brand, a few guys in mohawks rushing randomly by were a good thing. A boom mike pointing at a cast concrete urn, as though we were about to hear an oracular plant predict, was a good thing

Each generation wonders how the next deals with so much change. We often look back with nostalgia on our youth, and see the era as innocent. I have vowed not to indulge in Our World Is Going To Hell In A Handbasket aging, but I do wonder about where and how this generation will find authenticity.

Authenticity is one of human’s deepest needs, once we are fed, housed, and given a little company. The very next question after “What’s for dinner,” is often, “But do you love me for who I am?” And the more time spent constructing an identity, the more sophisticated our tools, the more important becomes the raw. Hence the High WASP love of rough travel, for example. The tarnish more beautiful than the sheen.

So, on Super Bowl Sunday, the apotheosis of American branding, a commercial is scheduled to air. Scarlett Johansson will talk about Sodastream. But we, we fortunate few, we’ll be thinking about Mohawk Guy. We’re going to wonder if he’s married, whether he enjoys his job, and especially whether he likes having part of his head shine like that.

Have a wonderful weekend. Scarlett, that goes for you too.

 

16 Responses

  1. “I do wonder about where and how this generation will find authenticity.”

    The hand that rocks the cradle, iow authenticity of self must be cultivated as a value early on. As authenticity is held in value/validated over time, it seeks itself. Look at your children, they have it in spades. And from you I’ve learned about authenticity of hair! Yes! No more marching to the salon every time a new 1/4″ of silver appears at my scalp, no more! I’ve gotten to 1 1/2″ of silver so far. So here’s to you LPC, your cultivated authenticity of self has raised 2 great kids and one brown-and-silver-haired commenter!

  2. Love my Sodastream and have almost since they were introduced. What a huge relief it was not to have to cart home cases of bottled seltzer (not to mention the huge cost savings). Another stock I should have bought but did not….

  3. You did a good job of wringing a post out of dead air time. I’m still thirsty for a fizzy slightly grapefruit flavored drink.

  4. Sounds like you had a fun time watching the videostream I went to the mall yesterday and saw a lot of mohawk-ed and bushy-full bearded men. What is up with that? lol

  5. Interesting – but sorry, I will not be authentic enough to let my gray grow out, and I will continue to get my roots colored when the gray shows.

    I will find authenticity in other ways…I will be 63 in May, but I will not be gray.

    1. Hello Bisbee. Such an unusual name, so I MUST respond to you because my middle name is Bisbee. I’m the one deciding to let the silver show, I just want to see it, I really want to see if I could possibly be as lovely as my mother [whose middle name was also Bisbee] was at this age [not a chance, she was breathtakingly beautiful, but still…]. I’m 67 and if silver isn’t going to work on me, then I’m back to the salon.

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