#while nostalgia itself is a good and healthy thing (shows a person/community is growing and changing)

[losticaruss]

alright first off disclaimer that i'm not a professional in anything so this is all just speculation.

i genuinely think this is because of the internet? like. people have said before that the cycle of creation and virality has been condensed so much that any sort of trend is over in days, instead of weeks or months. so there's this sort of hyper-cycle of 'create, trend, fading into the background' that a lot of media seems to fall into (which is partially because of the trend for companies to drop media seasons at a time, rather than the classic week-by-week). and someone else, can't remember their username, has brought up that the season-binging that netflix brought on has significantly hurt the cultural effect that, tv shows specifically, have historically had (a good example is. unfortunately. supernatural simply because the episode-per-week style that was common until the late 2010s gave the audience time to connect with the characters and form a distinct community- best displayed in the extra 10 seasons that the show got after the s5 finale because of how much the fans loved the series). because of this lack of impact from shows and movies, a lot of pop culture has begun to lean back on the trends of the 80s, 90s, early 00s- i mean, even now the early 10s are beginning to see a renaissance! so Big Media has begun to see this and, rather than go to the source of the issue (what i've written earlier) they've decided to capitalize on the nostalgia-fed monster that the internet and pop culture has become. and unfortunately, it works. media corporations can make a massive profit from rebooting something from zoomer's or millenial's childhoods, put in mediocre effort, and be almost guaranteed a massive box office win, or a top 10 spot on netflix. so the cycle feeds itself- like a tornado, hollywood can made a huge profit by making passionless movies and shows, and their audiences will eat it up because of the ~nostalgia~, hollywood sees that massive profit, and they're suddenly disinterested in pushing out new media because it's become a "risk".

(but also there's something to say about the sudden explosion of 'aesthetics' as the modern day personality quiz, it's caused people to attempt to fit themselves into this one specific lifestyle, and never try anything different (see: the secret history by donna tartt). people will create new "aesthetics" built on older media, (ex: "hackercore" has a main inspiration of 90s hacker movies, specifically the matrix) and as the aesthetics rises in trends, that nostalgia is created, causing the cycle that i mentioned above).

fucking constant reboot remake reboot remake reboot remake reboot remake!!!!!!!!!! the tv has only been around for like a century you literally cannot be out of ideas already

[bizmediaweb]

10 Reasons Celebrities Are Better at Instagram Than Brands

The 25 most-followed accounts on Instagram are, more or less, what you’d expect. There are quite a few familiar faces: Selena Gomez, Taylor Swift, Beyonce Knowles, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry—the list goes on.

And, of course, the ubiquitous Kardashian-Jenners make a good showing. The alliterative sisters Kim, Kylie, Kendall, Khloe, and Kourtney all rank within the top 20.

It’s hard to deny that celebs are good at social. And why is that?

There are a few things that they get about Instagram that brands just don’t.

Bonus: Download a free checklist that reveals the exact steps an adventure photographer used to grow from 0 to 110,000 followers on Instagram with no budget and no expensive gear. Plus we’ll show you how you can use Hootsuite to grow your own following on Instagram and other platforms.

1. They get internet humor

The internet is a vast place, full of disparate people voicing a cacophony of opinions. There’s very little that can typically be attributed to the culture of the internet as a whole.

Except maybe humor.

The internet at large, and social media in particular, is home to a particular sense of humor—a unique constellation of memes, clever hashtags, and puns, mixed with a healthy dose of nostalgia. Add in a dollop of self-deprecating jokes and you have internet culture.

And celebs get it. They get it in a way that brands just don’t.

Kylie Jenner pokes fun at herself in this Instagram post where she wears a t-shirt featuring an unflattering photo of herself that’s been circling the internet for years.

A post shared by Kylie (@kyliejenner) on Apr 18, 2016 at 12:44pm PDT

This shot of Kylie Jenner is a great example. She’s showing that she can laugh at herself—it’s goofy and self-deprecating in a way that the internet loves.

2. They’re so relatable Not only do celebs get internet humor, they also get what works online: nostalgia (the #tbt is alive and well). Specifically, they get that their primarily millennial audience responds to 90s references.

🦋🦋#Butterfly is my favorite album, it's the most personal work I've ever done and will always be a defining moment in my career and in my life. I'm so happy to celebrate this anniversary with a special picture disc vinyl release – link in bio. Stay tuned for more surprises!🦋🦋

A post shared by Mariah Carey (@mariahcarey) on Sep 16, 2017 at 2:36pm PDT

So when celebrities post throwbacks—like this one from Mariah Carey—to 90s moments from their own lives, it’s very relatable for their audience.

But the relatability of celebs—that authenticity that people love to describe as ‘so real’—goes beyond embracing nostalgia. It’s about sharing moments from their lives that are a tad less glamorous than the usual red carpet shot.

In a way, the content that celebs now share on their own Insta timelines is reflective of the kind of material that paparazzos once doggedly pursued. But they’ve realized something fundamental about it: if they post it themselves, they control the message.

And, on a less cynical note, these down-to-earth, ‘authentic’ moments give them the opportunity to connect with fans. It’s precisely this relatability that explains why followers love celebs’ bathroom selfies.

A post shared by Demi Lovato (@ddlovato) on Feb 15, 2017 at 5:32pm PST

And the oh-so-relatable moments they share with the mini-humans in their lives.

Love u so much x kisses @Cruzbeckham X ✨

A post shared by Victoria Beckham (@victoriabeckham) on Feb 12, 2018 at 8:43am PST

Or their relationships with their parents.

Bonnie and Clyde

A post shared by chrissy teigen (@chrissyteigen) on Aug 5, 2017 at 5:18am PDT

Or those moments of uncontained, bona fide joy.

THE TRAILER IS JUST EEEEPPPPPPPIIIIICCCCCCC! Star Wars is back! gaaaaaad laaaaard! You know what! Let me just relax because this kind God oooo! Lmao! Seriously congrats to everyone ! December 18th!

A post shared by John Boyega (@johnboyega) on Oct 20, 2015 at 12:02am PDT

John Boyega’s reaction to The Force Awakens trailer is so utterly relatable, because his excitement reflects that of the franchise’s fans. It’s the sort of over-the-top, genuine, unabashed enthusiasm that spawns reaction GIFs—the kind people share with the comment, “Same.”

3. They get that the caption can make or break a photo

I think we can all agree that celebs have great photos. They’re often glossy, professional images that beat the average snap. But it isn’t just their photos that make their Instagram feeds stand out from the crowd. Celebs get that Instagram captions can be just as important as the image they’re attached to.

When you could go anywhere for your bday dinner but you're so OG that you go to OG with all your OG's. 📷 by @ronyalwin #thosebreadstickstho

A post shared by KATY PERRY (@katyperry) on Oct 27, 2015 at 12:37pm PDT

This Instagram from Katy Perry is the perfect example. The photo itself is nothing special, just another group photo at a restaurant. What makes it special is the caption, which cleverly plays on ‘OG’ as short for ‘Olive Garden.’

I'm up at 4am everyday to work extremely hard BEFORE I go into work, not because I'm bat shit crazy (well maybe a little;), but because I know my competitors are not paying that price and sacrificing to that degree – and that will alway give me the edge and anchor for an opportunity for success. You don't have to get up at 4am, but I encourage you to find the thing that gives you the edge over everyone else around you. Once you find it, let it be your anchor. Then you've just created an opportunity for yourself to succeed. And that's all we ever want to work hard and create for ourselves.. opportunity. #GainTheEdge #FindYourAnchor #ButForTheLoveOfGod #YouDoNotWantToWakeUpAt4amEveryday 🖕🏾😂

A post shared by therock (@therock) on Apr 12, 2016 at 2:14pm PDT

In this shot, The Rock goes beyond simply posting a photo from the gym. Instead he gives his followers a behind-the-scenes glimpse into his routine and his motivation. It’s the details around it that make the shot special.

When brands post to Instagram, their captions are often short and unexpressive—they lack personality. But personality is something that celebs have in spades. And when it comes to Insta, it not only shows—it pays off.

What many brands fail to recognize is that they need to go beyond the image. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but a great Instagram caption can be worth so much more.

4. They get that people connect with faces

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, celebs have selfies down to an art. And while selfies may be considered narcissistic, they’re based on a fundamental truth—people respond to faces.

A study by Georgia Institute of Technology and Yahoo Labs found that Instagram photos that feature human faces are 38 percent more likely to receive likes than photos without faces. They’re also 32 percent more likely to get comments.

The study’s lead, Saeideh Bakhshi, theorized about why this might be: “Faces are powerful channels of nonverbal communication. We constantly monitor them for a variety of contexts, including attractiveness, emotions, and identity.”

The researchers also found that the number of faces in a photo, their age, or gender didn’t make a difference.

We would like to share our love and happiness. We have been blessed two times over. We are incredibly grateful that our family will be growing by two, and we thank you for your well wishes. – The Carters

A post shared by Beyoncé (@beyonce) on Feb 1, 2017 at 10:39am PST

This shot of Beyonce announcing her second pregnancy proves that faces work—it was the most-liked photo on Instagram in 2017.

5. They understand that cute animals win on social

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that the internet loves a good cat photo. Or a snap of a cute puppy. Or basically any warm fuzzy thing. (Chewbacca aside, though the internet certainly loves him as well.)

Taylor Swift gets this.

Some real tough questions I had for Olivia.

A post shared by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift) on Sep 7, 2017 at 8:05am PDT

She incorporates her adorable felines, Dr. Meredith Grey and Detective Olivia Benson, into her feed, with excellent results.

Mary Jane ❤️

A post shared by Miley Cyrus (@mileycyrus) on Dec 2, 2017 at 11:18pm PST

Miley Cyrus is no stranger to this tactic either. Her feed boasts snaps of her own pets, puppy Boomerangs, and a personal tattoo commemorating her dog Mary Jane—effectively taking her ‘cute animal’ game to the next level.

Thankful for @beaglefreedom and their mission to free captive pups from inhumane animal testing labs! Without BFPs work I wouldn't be falling asleep next to Little Dog, being lulled by the sound of her heartbeat …. #whosavedwho #myrescuerescuedme #fucktestingonanimals ❤️💙💚💜💛 @happyhippiefdn

A post shared by Miley Cyrus (@mileycyrus) on Jul 22, 2017 at 9:41pm PDT

How can brands make this work for them? Think beyond your product and get right into your customers’ lifestyle. Might that lifestyle involve pets? Insta ‘em. Hootsuite does it with our #HootDogs hashtag.

Building friendships 👫 Some new #hootdogs getting aquainted with Owly over lunch 🐾 Welcome to the team! #lifeofowly 📷: @evarobin

A post shared by Hootsuite (@hootsuite) on Mar 31, 2017 at 1:46pm PDT

6. They go Insta-first for big news

Something that celebs do often that brands rarely emulate: they announce big news on Instagram.

Taylor Swift did it with a music video. Beyonce did it with an album.

Surprise!

A post shared by Beyoncé (@beyonce) on Dec 12, 2013 at 9:12pm PST

Others have gone Insta-first for more personal news, like engagement and pregnancy announcements.

Like Kylie Jenner did with the first shot released after the much-anticipated birth of her first child.

stormi webster 👼🏽

A post shared by Kylie (@kyliejenner) on Feb 6, 2018 at 1:14pm PST

Or Danneel Ackles did with the announcement of hers and Jensen Ackles’ twins.

Yep! Doublemint here we come! http://celebritybabies.people.com/2016/08/10/jensen-ackles-danneel-harris-pregnant-expecting-twins-son-daughter/

A post shared by @ danneelackles512 on Aug 10, 2016 at 11:31am PDT

Or this heart-melting post from Michael Phelps on his engagement to Nicole Johnson.

She said yes😁😁😁 @nicole.m.johnson. (Photo credit to @arschmitty )

A post shared by Michael Phelps (@m_phelps00) on Feb 21, 2015 at 10:49pm PST

When Disney employed this strategy it was massively successful. They released the much-anticipated Star Wars teaser trailer on Instagram first and fans went wild.

There has been an awakening… #StarWars #TheForceAwakens

A post shared by Star Wars (@starwars) on Aug 27, 2015 at 10:00am PDT

7. They don’t shy away from taking a stance

Leonardo DiCaprio’s Instagram feed is a mix of beautiful landscapes and endangered animals, accompanied by fact-filled captions urging action on climate change, environmental, and humanitarian issues. Nearly all of them are Regrams.

DiCaprio uses his Insta to amplify the images, causes, and work of activist organizations. The few original posts he shares are still clearly focused on his overall message of environmentalism.

Last night’s win at the #Oscars was an incredible honor – but it was also an important opportunity to bring even more attention to #climatechange. Last year was the hottest in recorded history. Climate change is real, it is the most dire crisis our species has ever known, and it is happening right now. We must empower leaders who don’t speak for corporate interests but who speak for us, our children’s children and those whose voices cannot be heard. Take action now: LCV.org/act

A post shared by Leonardo DiCaprio (@leonardodicaprio) on Feb 29, 2016 at 7:53am PST

This dedication to his core message gives his feed a consistent focus that fans can connect with. It also tells the world what he’s about, giving him a chance to do good.

#Regram #RG @nrdc_org: Anti-environment members of Congress are trying to weaken the Endangered Species Act, effectively declaring it open season on imperiled species like the gray wolf. Visit the link in our profile to help us defend the Endangered Species Act before it’s too late.

A post shared by Leonardo DiCaprio (@leonardodicaprio) on Feb 12, 2018 at 5:43pm PST

DiCaprio isn’t the only one doing this. His single-minded focus is similar to Emma Watson’s commitment to gender equality, as she often shares posts on her talks and appearances. Like DiCaprio, Watson uses captions as a call to arms for followers to learn more and take action.

Marai- what can I say. You were the best date on the most meaningful red carpet I have ever walked. Thank you for being so darn articulate and fun. Thank you for the trust, care, compassion and solidarity. I am so proud to say I work with #Imkaan and the End Violence Against Women Coalition and to be learning from you. Emma 💪 @jusmarai

A post shared by Emma Watson (@emmawatson) on Jan 14, 2018 at 11:41pm PST

While companies don’t necessarily need to transform their feeds into a list of social justice issues, it can be beneficial to declare public support for causes about which the brand feels strongly. For example, Hootsuite is a B Corporation. B Corps use business as a force for good to solve social and environmental issues.

8. They shoot for a consistent look and feel

Celebrities are excellent at creating aesthetically-pleasing feeds. Whether they’re filled with vibrant colors, muted tones, or black and white, celeb feeds are typically identifiable by a distinctive look and feel.

Kourtney Kardashian has mastered the art of the #triplegram—a series of three related photos posted to Instagram consecutively (something that any pre-Instagram photographer would identify as a triptych).

      Image via People

    On the other hand, Joe Keery is all about creating consistency through the look and feel of his overall feed. Joe’s photos typically have a matte-finish look with muted tones reminiscent of film photography. Wherever you land in his feed, it’s clear whose photos you’re looking at.

9. They talk up their friends

Who do you see most often in celebrity photos (other than the celeb you’re following)? Their friends and family of course, just like anyone else.

Except for them, those people just happen to be other celebs.

Gettin advice. From da GOAT.

A post shared by Samira Wiley (@whododatlikedat) on Dec 14, 2017 at 3:08pm PST

They’re all about the casual name-drop mention.

Happy Birthday to my work sister #JenniferAniston !! 💕🎂 Wishing you a day filled with lots of love and laughter ! 🎊 #HBD

A post shared by Reese Witherspoon (@reesewitherspoon) on Feb 11, 2018 at 1:38pm PST

And the birthday wishes.

You might be thinking: my brand doesn’t hang out with celebrities, how is this useful to me?

The key, you see, is in the mentions. Brands should mention their friends, influencers, people they admire, and customers in posts. Tag people to show a little love and increase the potential reach of your content. After all, if you mention them, maybe they’ll mention (or even Regram) you!

10. They get that it’s all about the fans

Celebrities are only famous because of their fans. But some of them are better than others at recognizing this crucial fact.

Selena Gomez is the queen of this.

Just look at how she shows off her appreciation for her fans on her own feed.

I have a lot to be thankful for this year.. My year has been the hardest yet most rewarding one yet. I've finally fought the fight of not 'being enough'. I have only wanted to reflect the love you guys have given me for years and show how important it is to take care of YOU. By grace through faith. Kindness always wins. I love you guys. God bless

A post shared by Selena Gomez (@selenagomez) on Nov 24, 2016 at 6:21pm PST

One of the best ways for brands to show appreciation for their fans on Instagram is, of course, engagement. Like and comment on photos that have to do with your brand or your business. Emulate Selena Gomez and make your interactions personable.

Due to safety I couldn't go outside tonight in Winnipeg. That did NOT stop me from gettin my pic tho 💘

A post shared by Selena Gomez (@selenagomez) on May 20, 2016 at 8:40pm PDT

Whether you follow celebrities on Instagram or not, there’s a lot that brands can learn from them.

Follow your favorite celebrities on Instagram. Schedule posts, manage, and publish directly to Instagram with Hootsuite. Try it today.

Learn More

The post 10 Reasons Celebrities Are Better at Instagram Than Brands appeared first on Hootsuite Social Media Management.

10 Reasons Celebrities Are Better at Instagram Than Brands published first on https://themarketingheaven.tumblr.com/

[ddrkirbyisq]

A friend of mine recently showed me a prompt about core values that I thought might be an interesting exercise to go through myself.  Here's the prompt: Across cultures, religions and time itself, people have admired and aspired to the same universal values--among them integrity, generosity, courage, humility, compassion, loyalty, perseverance--while rejecting their opposites--deceit, greed, cowardice, arrogance, callousness, disloyalty and sloth. To begin to explore more deeply the values that are most compelling to you, we suggest that you set aside uninterrupted time to respond to the following questions: - Jump ahead to the end of your life. What are the three most important lessons you have learned and why are they so critical? - Think of someone that you deeply respect. Describe three qualities in this person that you most admire. - Who are you at your best? - What one-sentence inscription would you like to see on your tombstone that would capture who you really were in your life? The end goal of all of this was to sift through and realize what "compelling values" you hold, but let's first sort through these bulleted questions, as they are not only related but also interesting in their own right. - Jump ahead to the end of your life. What are the three most important lessons you have learned and why are they so critical? Already a tough one to answer!  I think the first and most obvious one that pops into my mind is one that I feel like I've been explaining and talking about with others a bit more nowadays -- that of my relationship with the past (of course, you know it had to be something to do with the past).  Specifically, what I learned through several life experiences -- that a lot of the time I cannot move forward in life if I feel that I am leaving something behind.  And moreover, the fact that I *need* to pay my respects to the past and feel connected to it.  This is something that I've struggled with my whole life because somehow the idea of change and loss is really hard for me to cope with, and I think things became a lot easier for me once I realized that even though nothing lasts forever and I will always lose things, it is still necessary for me to hang onto rememberances and try to retain what I can, as a coping mechanism.  And that to do otherwise casuses me great emotional distress.  This is basically the Kiki lesson, as she is the presence in my life that I associate most strongly with this question.  You could also call it the "Star" lesson. I guess second would be that it's important to put yourself in healthy environments and good situations.  More specifically, that you don't have to (and shouldn't) subject yourself to suffering and sacrifices in order to do things that are worthwhile.  This one is the Marching Band lesson, basically.  I think growing up there were many many times when I was put into situations that were really toxic to my well-being, including but not limited to "bonding communication time" when I was at my most introverted and withdrawn states, being super super stressed out about band, and in general just dealing with a whole host of people who were not supportive to me.  I think with Marching Band in particular it was such a meaningful and important experience to me that I was totally willing to put myself through a lot for the sake of it.  However, later on in life it became apparent to me that there are many other things in life that are just as good without being toxic at the same time.  Basically, this lesson boils down into "treat myself right" and don't be in unhealthy relationships. A third one?  I guess I would say just in general how to try to sympathize with others and not just see everything from my own point of view.  Basically...human connection.  I was terrible at this because I was always a super loner and really introverted as well not to mention I had a bit of a pride issue and stubborn streak.  So I think I was really judgmental and bad at seeing things from other points of view or even just respecting other people's different opinions or ways of being.  Part of this was also my upbringing because the examples that I grew up with did exactly this so I'm glad that I was able to realize that it is actually a big problem. - Think of someone that you deeply respect. Describe three qualities in this person that you most admire. All these multi-part questions!  I don't think this will be a single person but rather, spread across multiple people, as a more general thing. I think one is the ability to be an "anchor" (no, not in the West Coast Swing sense...), or rather, that quality in people where no matter how many years go by it's still the same thing.  That seeing them again almost brings a sense of nostalgia, because they still are who they are.  Of course everyone has this to some extent -- it's not very often that people change in a very core way.  But certain people really make me feel it very clearly, and it feels super refreshing and actually gives me a really hopeful feeling, that something can stay so untouched amidst a world of such sweeping changes. I think another is open-mindedness.  I think seeing people embrace new things and create meaningful life experience because of it is really inspiring to me, in large part because I prioritize comfort and routine so new things are really deprioritized in my life...so when I see other people having such success with them it sometimes really makes me think and make sure that I'm not just being complacent.  New things (Ne) is my weak point and I'm really bad at it but I'll never grow as a person without it. Also, empathy and being able to understand, connect with, and help others.  As I mentioned above I am not really good at this but I actually value it a lot and I think it's really really inspiring when I see certain people being a positive presence in others' lives. - Who are you at your best? Comfortable and at peace!  I am living in my routine and doing the things that I am always doing.  Everything is "in its place" and because I feel so comfortable and "in my element" I actually feel more willing to try one or two new things.  Basically I am at my best when I feel like I am secure in my comfort zone and that is the time when I am willing to see what is outside of it. At my best I think I am proactive in reaching out to people, 100% dependable, always following through with everything that I planned, and taking care of everything that needs to be taken care of.  I am reaching towards achievements and goals while at the same time being happy.  I am "in the zone". - What one-sentence inscription would you like to see on your tombstone that would capture who you really were in your life? I donno...something about the past.  Or something artsy that has to do with the fact that I have finally "moved on" from life.  Like, "Always" was what you said. Except... you also didn't stay. You, who longed to be with the stars. No...that's probably bad to put as an epitaph, huh. xD  Yeah, probably just something about the past.  But you know, as my best friend pointed out recently -- when I do have a tombstone, it will mean that I am part of the past, too.  I will finally be a part of that "past" that I am always looking back on.  If my soul still exists at that time, I feel that my entire perspective about everything will change so much.  But I guess that would be true for anyone. To bring this back to core values, I think it's no surprise that the thing I value most in general is dependability, persistence, and loyalty -- or more specifically, a resistance to change.  Since a large part of my life seems to be centered around trying to keep things the same while coping with necessary change, it's extremely important for me to be able to stay the same as I once was, and to have people around who also would not change as well.  I think it is this value that drives many facets of my personality.  For example, one reason I seem to have such a diverse set of hobbies (music, games, dance, writing, art, blogging, calligraphy...) is because I don't want to drop any of them.  A lot of the time when I talk about being "true to myself" or "being Timmie" what I actually mean is staying consistent with what I have done in the past.  Not just because the past is important in an abstract sense, but because what I was in the past was =known to be good= and thus I begin to question any deviations from it. The second thing that I seem to value is comfort.  This usually goes hand in hand with being consistent because for the most part what is consistent *is* what is comfortable.  But in general, making sure that one is taking care of themselves and putting themselves in good situations, as well as making time to stop and smell the roses. A large part of my life actually revolves around finding a balance between persistence and comfort.  As I mentioned earlier the two are often synonymous, but oftentimes persistence dictates that I make sacrifices because keeping up a pattern can be difficult given varying circumstances -- after all, that is the whole reason why keeping patterns is hard in the first place! For the most part I try to defer to remaining consistent, but I have definitely gotten into trouble with this and have needed to take a step back and recenter myself, especially when my persistence goals are unrealistic (writing Christmas letters to every single person I've ever written to???).  This is one of the reasons I value my best friend's company so much; because she helps me be more balanced in terms of letting go of my consistency in favor of comfort. On the flip side, though, if I don't adhere to consistency enough it really does come back to haunt me.  I think this comes up in two main ways.  The most obvious one is that if I don't feel connected enough to the past, I just start thinking about it more and more and eventually become depressed and have to lose myself in it for awhile.  I think at its core this is just because I look backwards to the past to make sure that I am going in the right direction at the present.  If I find that I have strayed from the course drastically, it's really unsettling for me because I won't be able to stop looking at the path that I was on previously and remembering how good it was, and I'll really question everything I'm doing currently and why I gave up all that I had before.  The second way that consistency comes back to bite me is if I haven't been keeping up with a given thing -- like for example if I haven't worked on any game dev in a week or two, maybe because I'm feeling lazy or something.  When that happens it keeps on bugging me and if it continues you'll often hear me write about it in my blog or letters over and over again that I haven't done it in a while and need to get back to it.  Even when it's not something that I "have to do", it still feels like a responsibility to me because I don't want to drop anything. And then I guess my third core value would be empathy and caring for others.  This is more of an aspiration than something that I actively feel like I have, but I think that when my first two values of consistency and comfort are in a good balance, that is usually when I start thinking more about my connections with others in a more truly empathetic way (or at least attempting to).  I think by far and large I actually defer to consistency in maintaining most of my friendships -- which basically means writing letters and messaging them with the same sort of small talk initiation all the time, for better or worse.  But I think there comes a point when I need to be a little more proactive and focused in order to really connect with people. So there you have it: my three values are consistency, comfort, and empathy, in that order (not sure if those three words are the exact correct ones, but you get the idea).  In terms of MBTI, the first two are definitely my Si (introverted sensing) at work (consistency more than comfort) and empathy is my Fe (extraverted feeling).  Ti (introverted thinking) didn't really make an appearance at all, but Ne (extraverted intuition) actually did come up, because I mentioned I admire open-mindedness.  I don't think that's a core value for myself though.

[sumukhcomedy]

As Days Go By, “Family Matters” Was Better Than You Think

Some of my comedy involves talking about being an Indian kid in a predominantly white suburb in Cleveland. The experiences that I had created a lot of comedy but they also created a lot of my interaction and perceptions of myself and my race. When you end up being one of the few racial minorities in a community, you're saddled with a certain perspective and a feeling that you want to learn and see the advancement of other people of color like yourself.

I always enjoyed pop culture so when it came to entertainment that was no different. There were few Asian faces on the screen when I grew up so even a TV show like Margaret Cho's All-American Girl may have not been a darling of critics and audiences but was still groundbreaking and meaningful to me simply because there had never been such a presence on network television sitcoms. With little Asian representation, I often turned to sitcoms of the Black community both for education and to also champion and be entertained by shows written and starring people of color. I already related to white America because I had to live within it every day. I now wanted to relate to the groups of people that white America had designated me as looking more like.

By the time I was growing up, there were a healthy dosage of reruns or current quality shows with black casts such as The Cosby Show, A Different World, Good Times, and The Jeffersons. As time passes, we can respect these shows but still hesitate with them. The Cosby Show and A Different World are difficult to wrap our heads around given Bill Cosby's horrible behavior off-screen. Good Times and The Jeffersons were developed by Norman Lear and criticism of the show (even by its cast) for white writers or for a certain stereotypical depiction of Black America are worthwhile points now 40 years later. But, their impact can't be ignored. Here were black faces being funny and talking about issues that impacted the black community and it was reaching all of America. It mattered even to a little Indian kid in suburban Cleveland.

By the 90s, the family sitcom was shaped differently and likely only two shows featuring a predominantly Black cast gained network success and reached mainstream America: The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Family Matters. The rest were relegated to the WB and UPN and left to be the punchline for white America's opinion of those networks. We look back with a certain degree of respect towards The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air likely because of the wildly popular success Will Smith has had since the end of the show. The show tackled tough issues at times but still arguably is best remembered for Carlton's dance. Family Matters is probably looked back with even less respect possibly because the Carlton-esque character of Steve Urkel came to the forefront.

My friend Laura Sanders brilliantly created my dream of being a member of the Winslow family. 

Family Matters was a spin-off of the show, Perfect Strangers. The show was supposed to follow the family life of Harriette Winslow, the elevator operator at the Chicago Chronicle where Larry and Balki worked. But when Urkel made his first appearance and became a hit, producers ran with it, and the character began to overshadow the family aspects of the show. As seasons wore on, it became more absurd as to how Family Matters had become The Steve Urkel Show and then The Stefan Urquelle Show and then who the hell knows what was even happening. Urkel had his impact and got his laughs but the great sadness of it is that it took away from the compassion of Family Matters which, when revealed, was pretty powerful and important even today.

Such an example was in the January 1994 episode, “Good Cop, Bad Cop.” After getting a speeding ticket earlier in the episode, the Winslow's son Eddie gets pulled over again by police for a traffic violation. He tells his father Carl that he was pulled over because he was black. Unsure whether to believe his son or not, Carl chooses to confront the two police officers. Carl was the consummate father and respectable police officer and it maybe shows through no better than ever on the show than in this scene.

This episode aired 2 years after the L.A. riots. It aired 5 months before our country would get embroiled in the O.J. Simpson murder saga. Both of those incidents were very surreal in America but even more so surreal for a young child trying to grapple with race in this country. My family was in L.A. just a week before the riots happened. My cousin attended USC so we went to see her there. It made no sense to me that the same area we visited was now in chaos. I also didn't fully understand the chaos. But, even as a child, it made some sense. A man is getting beaten on video by police. That's not easy to watch. And this happens often? Well now even I understand as a kid where if someone gets pushed enough or bullied enough then that person can go over the edge. And that's happening to an entire group of people? So as complex and as difficult as this topic can be, in trying to sandwich it into a 22-minute sitcom episode and make it understandable even to a 9-year-old kid in the suburbs like me when I watched it air, Family Matters did an amazing job.

Reginald VelJohnson steals the scene. Time looks back on the character of Carl Winslow as more of a joke and a sidekick to Urkel's absurdity, which is a shame because it doesn't give credit to how really good VelJohnson was in this role. For as much fluff as a 90s sitcom can be, VelJohnson really conveys the difficulty of his circumstance as a father, as a police officer, and as a black man. He weathers through the self-control that he needs to have as all three duties when dealing with a colleague that is racist. It's a wonderful performance and with his mix of familial love, humor, and anger, Carl Winslow was the TV dad I could probably most connect to with my own father.

“Good Cop, Bad Cop” is the best and most meaningful episode of Family Matters. And while the show touched on other issues with race early on, it frequently reverted to being Urkel's show and following the dynamic that came with being the leader of ABC's TGIF lineup. In another prescient moment, the show tackled the issues of guns in schools. And, while a meaningful episode for a sitcom in how it was constructed, its final 2 minutes fall back into the type of 90s era cheesiness that undermines the drama built from the episode. In just 2 minutes, Urkel's rapping leads into an appearance from a then-unknown Freddie Prinze, Jr. to then a sentimental moment with a child to then a PSA from the cast. It's as if they wanted to sandwich everything possible in a “very special episode” because they didn't know how else to provide a resolution to such a serious topic.

Over 20 years later, America is still coping with the issues brought up in Family Matters from police brutality to gun violence in the city of Chicago. Yet, there are still plenty of people willing to dismiss the reality of these issues or defend the other side on the matter. This is strange given that Family Matters provided one of the most accessible means for understanding these issues to an entire generation of children. Whether their parents get it or not is one thing, but when even I, a brown kid under the age of 10 living in the suburbs, could understand, learn, and relate to the issues brought up by this sitcom, one would hope a large majority of my generation would be capable of feeling the same way. This was a show that was more than just nostalgia if we allowed ourselves to peel back its layers of 90s sitcom humor, absurdity, and cheesiness.

Family Matters will likely go down in history as nothing more than a generational family sitcom. It appealed to the kids of the 1990s and that was about it. It was the stalwart of a lineup that made many people's Friday nights for years. It will always seem connected to Step by Step especially since CBS swooped in to grab both shows for their final respective seasons. But, in my mind, Step by Step may be the worst show to ever have enough seasons for syndication. The show was the essence of lame 90s family humor and often found itself stealing from far more popular comedy of the time period.

Sadly, Family Matters, as a result of some of its producers' decision making and some of the shows it was surrounded by, will never be looked at in the same way as a Lear show or a Cosby show even though it had its moments and its potential to be one. Some of the issues that the show brought up still resonate today and it's as if no one recognizes that they appeared on a Friday night two decades ago and had an impact. When Family Matters was allowed to broach its title of “family matters,” the show could have tremendous heart. It never truly got the opportunity to be that. And, while still a popular show, it won't be regarded as being as groundbreaking or evolutionary as it possibly could have been. That should leave the producers and the decision makers of it asking one question now: “Did I do that?!”