Will This Help? 08/25/23

There was a time when every generation seemed to surpass the previous generation, in terms of education and success. Lately, that has slowed down or even reversed. You hear of 30+ year olds still living at home. And we made a character, Sid, Al and Joanne’s son, who lived in his parents home past the ripe old age of 30. What was he doing in his room all day? Why didn’t he go out and get a “real job?”

As it turned out, he was developing an app (of course he was) and he became an overnight internet multi-millionaire (of course he did). And what do internet multi-millionaires do with their money? As I wrote last week, there’s a famous story about how one of these newly minted internet zillionaires actually got NSYNC to perform at his daughter’s bat mitzvah. Not sure if they played the have negila, the traditional Jewish celebratory dance, but that’s beside the point. The point is (is there a point?) that if this internet guy can get NSYNC, then our Sid can have Hootie and the Blowfish. Take that, nameless Internet millionaire. Okay, okay, I know Sid’s band doesn't include Justin Timberlake but it’s still pretty impressive (and it didn’t cost John or me a dime). When Al sheepishly offers to pay for one of the Blowfish, it becomes apparent how wide the financial gulf has become between father and his previously ne’er-do-well son.

In our previous lives as ad guys, the last agency we worked for was undergoing a digital transition. The then Chief Creative Officer kept talking about developing apps and something called “utility.” I didn’t get the part about utility until he revealed the agency’s proudest digital accomplishment to date: an app for a toilet paper manufacturer that told you where the nearest public bathrooms were in whatever area you happened to be standing in; a hotel lobby, a restaurant that didn’t first require you to buy an $8.00 venti latte before revealing the 5-digit code to their restroom, those kinds of places. For somebody who spends a good deal of time walking around NYC, I can tell you, that app had utility.

But back to Hootie for a minute. With our half of the New 60 Comic’s revenue, my wife and I are thinking of hiring the Eagles for our 40th Anniversary…what’s that? One of them recently passed away? Alright then how about Steely Dan…oh wait them too? Then let’s do Tom Pett…you’re kidding… I guess we’ll just go with the “dad rock” station on Spotify.

Have a great weekend and we will see you next week for Labor Day.

Party on.

Andy and John