“Everybody wants to get
in on the act.” -- Jimmy Durante. Everyone today wants to make money by
doing ...um… nothing. They want to be in videos hawking products. Or
themselves. Or each other.
A Bloomberg survey reported
by People Magazine says 86 percent of young people want to make Big Bucks on
line by being no more than their lovely and talented selves.
People Magazine?
You remember magazines, right? They used to be places that were, well,
influential. Maybe that was before your time. If you’re reading this,
maybe not.
It’s pretty easy
work. All you need is 10-thousand or more followers on You Tube or
Facebook and -- at least if you’re President the United States --
Twitter. Maybe make some test runs on WhatsApp or Instagram, just to get
the hang of things. Later, you’ll be
ready for the big time.
Here’s how to make the
video. Do something ridiculous and film it. Try to subject your viewer(s)
to some product
placement.
You know… stick a big
Wal-mart sign behind you. Or be holding a can of Bud Light. Or be swinging a
bat at an Amazon box that is hanging from a rope.
If everyone becomes an
“influencer,” then no one is one. Or even worse, you’re only influencing other
influencers. What you really want is your 15 minutes of fame and maybe a
few extra bucks to pay the light bill you just raised while using all that
fancy and expensive video equipment and editing software.
Everything old is new
again. This whole thing to become famous was nicely summarized in the 1954
movie It Should Happen to You . In it, the main character, Gladys Glover,
played by Judy Holliday rents billboards all over town with her name in huge
letters. It worked 65 years ago, without any “social media.” It probably
will work now. And it’s a lot easier,
though more expensive than thinking up and then actually making a catchy video.
But don’t worry all that
much about the expense. Just max out another credit card. It’s what we do.
TODAY’S QUOTE:
-“No.” -- Attorney
General William Barr when asked to declare that the president has committed no
crime.
SPOILER ALERT:
-There isn’t a whole lot
in “Anonymous’” book about the White House that you haven’t heard already
except that the author is a pretty standard-issue conservative about tax cuts
and shady Supreme Court nominees.
SHRAPNEL:
--Mike Bloomberg filing
for a spot on the Dem primary ballot? Guess the thinking is “If a 77-year-old
Jewish guy from New York can make it in a state like Alabama, he can make it
everywhere.” But please remember that filing paperwork is not the same thing as
actually running.
I’m Wes Richards. My
opinions are my own but you’re welcome to them. ®
Comments? Send ‘em to wesrichards@gmail.com
© WJR 2019
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