That Good You Need Part VI
July 14th, 2016
From Pokemon
“Rejected…by the only girl I ever loved!” — Brock
“That’s ok, Brock — you’ll find lots of other girls to reject you!” — Ash
While this week’s That Good will not include any of the multiple stories about how awful ‘Pokemon Go’ can be for your health, I certainly can’t ignore the nostalgic sensation.
I dislocated my shoulder in Ocean City, Maryland this weekend while playing Spikeball, which is a game so awesome that I must endorse it even after the punishment it dealt to me. I had to go to the hospital to have my shoulder fixed, which meant we had a bit of a car ride back to the beach. Riding in a car, as many of you surely know, is an incredible way to catch Pokemon (Note: Please do not play while operating the vehicle). About every two minutes we would pass a one, some of them fairly rare, and I would gasp with excitement. While I knew I was only expressing childlike exuberance at finding a Grimer, the others in my car worried my shoulder had suddenly popped back out of place. I’d like to take a moment to formally apologize to them for the repeated heart attacks they experienced on my behalf. That said, I was crushing it, so I don’t really feel that bad about it.
Without further ado, it’s That Good you’ve been waiting for.
The People Making Money off Your ‘Pokémon Go’ Addiction
With every “thing” there come many multiple 2016-related consequences and repercussions. There are thought pieces, extremely long Facebook threads, and more recently Snapchat filters. If we’re (un?)lucky, we get an opportunity to capitalize on a micro-economy! The latter is discussed here by Molly McHugh, who has already been featured repeatedly in this space.
WTF with Marc Maron: Jeff Goldblum
I typically enjoy WTF, but I think a decent amount of that has to do with the fact that I also typically skip right to the interview portion of the show. Jeff Goldblum, beloved in many roles, seems to shine brightest when he’s simply being himself. That’s certainly the case here.
Inside NBCUniversal’s content studio
There seem to be two camps forming in the world of advertising. One of them is working to put every ounce of somewhat relatable content in front of you at all times with intense levels of automation. The other is focusing more on what exactly is being put in front of you. While it is true that both are necessary, it probably comes as no surprise that I’m a believer that quality content is the more important of the two. This talks a bit about how one large company, NBCUniversal, is taking advantage of its resources and getting into the ad game.
(Takes long drag from vape pen) Not a bad play, especially when one considers that diversifying your entertainment business is wise in a society where cord-cutting is becoming more and more common. (Disappears into a puff of…smoke? Idk? Is it smoke, technically?)
FiveThirtyEight 2016 Election Forecast
This isn’t something for this week so much as it’s something to keep an eye on as the election draws closer. Nate Silver and FiveThirtyEight have distinguished themselves as the premier publication when it comes to forecasting elections. When you’re wondering what to think of polls, the state of the election, and how things are likely to turn out, this is a great resource.
Frank Ocean is Back?
Is Frank Ocean back? Is he releasing that library card? Why is he in Calvin Klein commercials? Does Justin Bieber know about this? Does Frank Ocean smell like the beach? Channel Orange came out FOUR YEARS AGO?!?
Here’s to hoping that next week I can write about how awesome Frank Ocean’s new album is. Per usual, please feel free to comment, suggest, and recommend.
