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	Discuss: Asimov Moment -- hints of the new, observed Topic: The Shoeless Revolution

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philhood

Member Since:
19 Dec 2005
Posts:2

25 Mar 2006 12:54 AM

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When the women athletes wore flip flops to the White House last year in July, I thought, "Wow, we've crossed some kind of threshold, either in informality or lack of concern for authority." Jessica Simpson's "sort-of snub" of the White House last week confirms it.

chrismeyer

Member Since:
20 Dec 2005
Posts:33

05 Apr 2006 5:37 AM

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The U.S. culture seems to have been going steadily in the direction of informality (compare the world depicted in "Good Night and Good Luck"). perhaps in part as a veneer of egalitarianism Is this happening in other geographies?

Frymaster

Member Since:
23 Mar 2006
Posts:32

05 Apr 2006 2:01 PM

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This is the second FM topic that makes me connect to another FM topic, and that's a good thing. -----> Here, The Shoeless Revolution looks to me like the Generational Chasm from this IBM projection referenced in the The Day TV Died discussion. -----> Shoot me for making generalizations, but...this generation's attitude toward authority - which is more than just Government, it's also the Media, Business, and, for lack of a better word, Squares in general - is "if you say it's bad, I know it's good." -----> A certain portion of those people - the entrepreneurial portion - will find creative ways to make a living outside the mainstream. These are the people who will create the next breakthrough. Neither Steve Jobs nor Bill Gates had much use for Business as an employer, and neither seemed particularly bought into the late-industrial, three TV channel, Ma Bell America of the Ford administration. -----> Ultimately, it's about control. With IBM's Kool Kids/Gadgetiers group, it's about taking control of the elements of mainstream media and using them as the base material for another statement. (Click "Watch This Movie") It's much like sampling was to the Hip Hop revolution of the 80's. -----> Regarding the women athletes at the White House, I have a hard time believing that they a) didn't care or b) forgot that they were going to the White House that day. So it's not informality as in "oh, whatever, I don't care." It's disregard for authority along the lines of "these flip-flops were made for walkin." -----> Don't think that we don't care. We care a lot.

Frymaster

Member Since:
23 Mar 2006
Posts:32

07 Apr 2006 11:08 PM

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Univ of FL national championship basketball team were honored at the Whitehouse today. Star player Joakim Noah wore his shirt untucked and flashed the peace sign. He was taking some heat from commentators on a sports talk show on TV, when my 14 yo son, without any other provocation, said, "I like that he dressed like that."

Frymaster

Member Since:
23 Mar 2006
Posts:32

11 Apr 2006 4:36 PM

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Stumbled across this article from a January Fast Company that lays out how Millenium/Gen Y/Gen Why is affecting the workplace. Very much on topic here. Also makes an interesting point about how molly-coddling Boomers have created a generation of cry-babies -- parents calling HR reps to complain about their kids' reviews. LMAO!

Long story short: try to understand where young people are coming from. Instead of shutting them out, lend them an ear. It could save you millions.

My 3rd post in a row. Makes me wonder which is the generation that doesn't care...

07174705

Member Since:
11 Nov 2007
Posts:1

11 Nov 2007 10:55 AM

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In the scheme of things does any of this matter? The respect shown to the Whitehouse is based on the respect the Whitehouse shows to its citizens. One of the fortunate aspects of american culture is that its norms are often based on its historical migrant communities, so informality and the passion to challenge staid and archaic rituals is not frowned upon, but often celebrated. However, like any country, the US has its snobs, and one can see demarcation lines much more clearly in the USA than in other developed countries!

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