The Future, Today
August 26th, 2008 – 4:19 PM by James Lileks . . . which would make it the present, I guess. I was talking with a photographer who’d covered a few conventions, and he noted how the March of Technology hadn’t changed the size of his gear. The camera was the same size; the lens were just as big - and now he had to bring 16 different battery chargers, plus a computer. His backpack looked like something sherpas would bear to the summit of Everest. “Hands free!” he grinned, bent over with the weight. Poor man. Everyone else has it easier. At my first convention the bureau chief had to go to the site well in advance and supervise the installation of all the computers - rows of 386s with ten-ton monitors. Now? Laptops. My entire studio fits in a backpack. Then there’s this, which we didn’t have a few years ago: YouTube’s Instant Video Endorsement Salon. 
 Step up, speak your own endorsement, and it’s on YouTube.  In olden times, people’s TV exposure at a convention was limited to the obligatory pan of the cheering throngs, or perhaps a moment with a local reporter. Now anyone can get on the planet’s most popular video distribution platform, for free. At this moment, one of the Ordinary Folk who made an endorsement has six fewer hits than Dennis Kucinich’s endorsement. Democracy in action! Powerful and meek together, battling for views and ratings!The most anachronistic thing here? The giant media tents. There’s simply too much media here. The Boston Globe sent so many people I think the reporter - reader ratio is close to 1:1, which makes for personal service but gets expensive, eventually. Â
24 Responses to "The Future, Today"
Why did the media bother to send anyone when all we need is James Lileks and an iPhone? No, really. I’m serious: I wouldn’t be reading about this convention nonsense at all if Lileks weren’t covering it and in the way he’s covering it.
No doubt Kevin of planet Elmhurst, what’s to see? Maybe if Hillary and Michelle mud wrestle that would get some ratings.
So James, did you see any of the USSR flag waving throngs? The Marxism is so thick you could cut it with a knife, but of course if you had a knife they’d have to confiscate it and throw you in the Gulag, so better just wear your Che bandanna over your face so the patchouli oil doesn’t asphyxiate you.
I think I heard that the delegates are outnumbered by credentialed media types, something like 7 - 1? Can that be? Of course, if the sherpa has a llama or a sub-sherpa, more credentials would be needed, eh? So maybe it’s not as off-balance as I thought…
Just curious, but what if you wanted to give your utoob opinion on Obama being a stealth Communist? Do you think the utoobers would allow it?
Kevin, I’m with you.
A few minutes of Hewitt, a few screen shots of the actual convention and every word Lileks writes - that’s all the coverage I need. : )
I’m a big fan of Microwave Media as Lileks practices it; lean, quick & self-aware. I really do think it’s the way forward into the Post-Broadsheet era. Boston Globers take note….
I sure be glad when we can get back to good tv. Conventions are a waste of goo entertainment. Maybe we can take the convention and move it to daytime television. All I hear from this convention is like soap box shows. Blah Blah Blah
Hey RD, Your typo says it all (and I’m not being critical)
“goo entertainment”
heh!
Lilek does his job and he does it well!
Cuts to the chase. Great work.
What time does Lileks get out of bed???
I know he’s on Mountain Time, but I’d expect some Wednesday coverage by now!
(Addiction? What addiction? I can stop anytime… anytime!!!)
Frog
I know, he’s slacking again. His last Twitter message was about 9 hours ago, so I’m guessing he will re-surface soon. Maybe he was partying with Dave Barry till the wee hours.
RE: Nicollet Mall
Relatives of my husband’s from ND came to Minneapolis specifically looking for the Nicollet Mall. Expecting an actual enclosed “mall” they were unable to find it. So even those who have heard of it don’t necessarily know what it is.
Cyndi,
Your relitives sound really smart.
Hope they don’t expect too much if they dine at Wildfire.
The convention would be a lot smaller if all the media coverage was just one blogger, wouldn’t it? The media is basically the whole reason they do these conventions.
frogpuddle, if you’ve watched any coverage on TV, you know that there really isn’t much of anything to cover until at least late afternoon.
Maybe James’ stomach couldn’t handle the free ceramic cookie he ate last night.
And Frog isn’t the only one who wondered where James was this morning - it’s 0930 in Denver, do you know where your blogger is? : D
If I can’t have Lileks with my coffee it ruins the morning.
James is probably feeling the lack of oxygen and surplus of alcohol. It can creep up on you.
I’m glad Denver seems to be coming off ok. A lot of people here were worried. A couple of items that may interest some of James’s readers. The Pepsidrome is owned by Stan Kroenke, a staunch republican. (He also owns the Nuggets and Avalanche. Source of money: Married a Walton)
Also, the weapons the police are carrying that look like automatic weapons that Rambo would use are actually pepper guns. Kind of a paint ball gun with a little spice.
Other than in the downtown area, the metro area hasn’t really felt too different. A few protests, some strange people (not anything you couldn’t see on the hill in Boulder on any day of the year), lots of celebrity sightings and very thick newspapers.
Tom,
Thanks for the description - it looked like a military operation with all those guns! : 0
Sounds like Denver was ready and prepared.
James, are you there? Wake up, James!
Uh-oh. Drunk again.
GardenStater, something new is up at twitter so we know he’s not comatose…at least not anymore.
Society has long persecuted and discriminated against us night owls. And what is our crime? Is it wrong to hate mornings and want to sleep through the worst part of the day? Let the man sleep!
We’ll see how many reporters the Boston Globe sends to the Republican convention. Methinks ’twill not get the same treatment…
neoalec, he IS a night owl, that’s for sure. Denver’s also a couple hours (& a few thousand feet) off his regular plot of land, nothing really interesting happens in the mornings at ANY convention (with a few minor exceptions I can think of), unless you want to talk to the maids who can’t get in to clean the rooms of the nightowls!
Check Dave Barry’s blog for his view of yesterday’s jaunt with Lileks, and a good picture of our man James filming away with his teensy vidcam.
I love that stopbirdporn campaign. Next we need to bring back the skirts to hide the legs of sofas and chairs as per the Victorians.