#57: On that BK ad, fake news and the flu, a brilliant book award, and hilarious POV about disruption
January new-year-new-me goals have me at the gym like:
In edition #57 of the World's Best Newsletter:
1. Riots, Fake News, And The Flu - Going Viral!
2. Social media as a threat to society and democracy
3. 15 Ways to Catch Up with Friends That Aren't Grabbing Coffee or a Cocktail
4. The MOST Unexpected Net Neutrality Ally - Burger King!?
5. An Award Recognizing Thrillers That DON'T Include Violence Against Women
6. I'm a Disruptor
7. How We're Trained to Think Sexual Assault is No Big Deal
8. Quote of the day - my internal monologue
First...
Happy days for my friends at Allocadia for reaching a huge company milestone - $25B in marketing budget has been managed in their platform. They've put together a really clever video about what $25B can buy you. Watch it here.
1. Riots, Fake News, And The Flu - Going Viral! (American Council on Science and Health)
"Do ideas and actions spread like an infectious disease?" asks the author of this piece.
"It turns out you can explain the spread of rioting as well as fake news by understanding the spread of a communicable disease, such as the flu. Both actions and ideas spread like a virus; you need both an infectious idea and a receptive audience."
The key here is susceptibility - "When we create like-minded communities on the internet, we experience the joy of belonging and feeling at home. But at the same time, we are grouping ourselves by our susceptibilities. Facebook creates susceptible populations."
2. Social media as a threat to society and democracy (The Verge, The Economist)
Related to susceptibility, I'm sharing this article again.
Chamath Palihapitiya, who joined Facebook in 2007 and became its vice president for user growth, said he feels “tremendous guilt” about the company he helped make. “I think we have created tools that are ripping apart the social fabric of how society work."
“The short-term, dopamine-driven feedback loops we’ve created are destroying how society works,” he said, referring to online interactions driven by “hearts, likes, thumbs-up.” “No civil discourse, no cooperation; misinformation, mistruth. And it’s not an American problem — this is not about Russians ads. This is a global problem.”
The Economist also shared a piece recently "Once considered a boon to democracy, social media have started to look like its nemesis" summarizing the problem with this pithy line:
An economy based on attention is easily gamed
Welp.
3. 15 Ways to Catch Up with Friends That Aren't Grabbing Coffee or a Cocktail (YesandYes)
I found this helpful. Read the full piece.
4. The MOST Unexpected Net Neutrality Ally - Burger King!?
OK so the trend of companies using hot-button societal issues in their ads to stay relevant and earn brand affinity is nothing new. (And when it's hypocrisy in action, you all know my feelings...)
But I'll admit, net neutrality was not an issue I thought a burger brand would take on. Did anyone else see this coming? I guess after last year's anti-bullying spot, we should have known Burger King was investing heavily in PSA ads instead of those inexplicably slow falling burger tropes.
If you haven't seen the ad where consumers are outraged by waiting for access to the same burger (a metaphor for the impact of a Net Neutrality repeal on consumer internet) this AdWeek article explains the campaign. It's received a ton of additional press - some like Bloomberg focusing on the sheer incredible fact that BK has an opinion on Net Neutrality.
I commend BK & the agencies involved for having a POV - this is, in some strange way, a brand showing us leadership in thought and reaping the benefits of the ad reaching far more than their media spend through the controversy/discussion.
But I can't help but file this under "ploy cashing in on a very serious issue," after all, what does BK have to do with Net Neutrality? On the other hand, is this helping the cause by stoking conversation and educating many about the confusing issue itself?
Love to hear your comments - Let me know on Twitter.
Your move, Ronald!
5. An Award Recognizing Thrillers That DON'T Include Violence Against Women (The Guardian)
SO this is a thing now. In response to the overwhelming number of books in the thriller category that include a trope of a women being "beaten, stalked, sexually exploited, raped, or murdered" author and screenwriter Bridget Lawless has started an awards program recognizing those that choose, I dunno, LITERALLY ANYTHING ELSE.
"As violence against women in fiction reaches a ridiculous high, the Staunch book prize invites thriller writers to keep us on the edge of our seats without resorting to the same old cliches – particularly female characters who are sexually assaulted (however ‘necessary to the plot’), or done away with (however ingeniously).”
"It echoes, exaggerates, fetishises and normalises what happens to women in the real world."
This is clever. The winner is to be announced on November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
And for the #NotAllMen folks who are now going to think #NotAllBooks... "Lawless acknowledged that not all thrillers depicting crimes against women are gratuitous or exploitative. “Of course, there are [good thrillers tackling this topic] but they are not for this prize,” she said. “How we see women depicted and treated in fiction does spread out to the wider world and how women are treated there. That battle is far from won, but there is definitely a climate change. People are fed up with it. Here’s my alternative."
Get it, girl.
6. I'm a Disruptor (New Yorker)
This New Yorker humor piece is well-worth the easy skim. It asks... are you a disruptor, or an asshole?
"Me being awful is what’s hot right now."
It's silly, just read it. You need the levity.
7. How We're Trained to Think Sexual Assault is No Big Deal (Cracked)
This article is an easy skim, and a helpful shot of empathy into pop culture's effects on our toxic attitudes toward sexual consent. Thank you for Jill for passing it along.
Note: While the author points his article at other men, I believe the impact of movies, TV, etc affects both men and women. It's why both men and women often question why a victim of sexual assault didn't "just say no" or "speak up sooner" or "walk away" or "quit that job," we've got to understand they too have seen these same movies and tropes year after year.
This is definitely one to share, or at minimum, read to consider the ways in which you've been influenced.
8 Quote of the week - keep it weird.
Is actually a comic from the Awkward Yeti
This is remarkably close to my day-to-day internal monologue.
One more thing!
Hey! Come to this Boston Content event February 22nd!
Hear what it's REALLY like to work in copy and content, and check out Wayfair's awesome office in Boston. Tix start at only $5 and Ann Handley is signing books. WHAT COULD BE BETTER?
Have a fab weekend,
Katie