We live in a World of experience inflation.
Everything and everyone is trying to make things bigger.
Better.
Louder.
Scarier.
More exciting.
Thrilling.
Dangerous.
Extreme.
Of course there are 2 main reasons for this.
1. New quickly becomes the new normal, so to keep business going, you have to keep evolving.
2. In such a demanding and stimulating society, people need greater extremes to make an impression on their feelings and emotions.
3. Companies can charge more money for what they’re doing.
Which is why, when I was in the UK recently, I was charmed by this:
Funny thing is, it was simply a guinea pig enclosure.
About 4 or 5 guinea pigs running [well, running in the guinea pig definition of the word] around.
And you know what? I loved it.
OK, I didn’t spend long there and yes, it was inside a garden centre rather than a theme park [and I’m still trying to get over the fact I went to a garden centre] but there was something magical about its simplicity.
We all rush along at 100mph looking for things to grab our attention but often it’s either right in front of our eyes or located in places we have pre-determined we wouldn’t want to visit.
Sure, I’m not going to go back anytime soon, but I can honestly say it made more of an impression on me than most theme parks.
Talking of theme parks.
I was once told this story by ‘virtual reality guru’ Jaron Lanier, that he had been hired by a rollercoaster owner to create the ultimate ride.
Months passed until he finally was satisfied and showed the owner what he had done.
The owner looked on before asking, “How many times will people throw up on one of these rides?”
Jaron responded by saying, “We’re working on ensuring that doesn’t happen”.
To which the looked on and said,
“Son, you may know a lot about technology but you know nothing about the entertainment business. Vomit sells seats. Make it worse, not better”
And right there, you see why rollercoasters will always have more visitors than the Guinea Pig World in Nottingham.
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Walt must be shitting himself.
Comment by Billy Whizz May 26, 2015 @ 6:27 amonly if they defrost the fucker first.
Comment by andy@cynic May 26, 2015 @ 6:37 amyour winter evenings must fly fucking by.
Comment by andy@cynic May 26, 2015 @ 6:33 amGuinea pig farms and listening to Queen. Rock and roll.
Comment by DH May 26, 2015 @ 7:24 amNottingham nights. ha.
Comment by Rob May 26, 2015 @ 8:30 amyou do realise what a hypocritical fucker youre being with this bollocks dont you campbell. going to a shitty guinea pig extravafuckinganza once doesnt suddenly make you mr fucking pure, even more so when your home is fucking stuffed to the rafters with the latest must have absofuckinglutely pointless technology. if they had a fucking wifi guinea youd of bought that and dont try and fucking tell me you wouldnt. sad fuck.
Comment by andy@cynic May 26, 2015 @ 6:35 amI am sorry Robert, but I have to agree.
Comment by George May 26, 2015 @ 7:01 amExcellent story on Lanier though.
Gold.
Comment by DH May 26, 2015 @ 7:22 amWhat’s worse is I hadn’t actually seen the irony until you so kindly pointed it out to me. Bugger. To make it worse, I just checked products I’m waiting to be delivered and rather than anything simple and beautiful, it’s a wi-fi coffee cup, a wi-fi suitcase and a wi-fi bike lock. Oh dear.
Comment by Rob May 26, 2015 @ 8:32 amyou sad fucker. and what the fuck is a wifi cup? what does it do, tell you what the fuck youre drinking? look in the fucking cup you sad bastard.
Comment by andy@cynic May 26, 2015 @ 9:02 amWhere were you when I was buying the bloody thing. Why? Because what you say is pretty much what it does. Uh-oh. https://www.myvessyl.com
Comment by Rob May 26, 2015 @ 9:15 amDo planners always provide three reasons when they originally promise two? Is it their version of under-promise and over-deliver? Lacking the joyful surprise obviously.
Comment by John May 26, 2015 @ 6:39 amYou have identified a quirk about Robert that makes him Robert. He has always talked in 3 points. Not 2, not 4, 3. It has been that way since I have known him and I have witnessed him frantically revisit research reports and annual reports to identify a third point to make in a presentation even though it was excellent already. Worse, his obsession has rubbed off on me which does not bode well for my children.
Comment by George May 26, 2015 @ 7:00 amInteresting. What was his motivation?
To make the other two look even more convincing? Or is there some mystic persuasive quality to threesomes? And did he always say he was going to give two reasons and then provide three like he did here?
Comment by John May 26, 2015 @ 7:11 amWell said George. The tyranny of the Rob 3.
Comment by DH May 26, 2015 @ 7:22 amI talk/write in groups of 3 now as well. #therobeffect
Comment by Pete May 26, 2015 @ 7:38 amYes I made a typo, sue me.
[I’m blaming it on a typo, but the reality is it’s probably the early signs of dementia]
As for the ‘list of 3’ … it’s not entirely my fault, I was brainwashed into thinking that way by an old boss of mine, Andrew Sargant. Everything was always in three’s and because I was young and naive, I embraced it wholeheartedly.
On the positive, I’m very impressed my “quirk”, as George so kindly put it, has influenced so many others to be as stupid and sad as me. That means a lot.
Comment by Rob May 26, 2015 @ 8:34 amA post that starts with recognising the beauty in simplicity and ends with the fun in the manufactured. That’s impressive even for you Rob.
Comment by Pete May 26, 2015 @ 7:39 amThank you. I think.
Comment by Rob May 26, 2015 @ 8:36 amI’m still trying to wrap my head around you visiting a garden centre Robert.
Comment by Lee Hill May 26, 2015 @ 8:45 amyes campbell, what the fuck is that all about?
Comment by andy@cynic May 26, 2015 @ 9:01 amApart from there not being much to do where I grew up, I was at a low-point and wasn’t really sure what I was doing. Don’t worry, I’ve not suddenly become Mr Middle-Aged responsible.
Comment by Rob May 26, 2015 @ 9:10 amIf, despite being a father, you are still spending money on items such as wifi mugs, then we have no concern about you becoming into Mr Middle Aged Responsible. Maybe that is the real concern, especially for Jill and Otis.
Comment by George May 26, 2015 @ 9:24 amTouche.
Comment by Rob May 26, 2015 @ 10:26 amReblogged this on The Bella Luna Blog by Sherry Carroll.
Comment by Sherry Carroll May 26, 2015 @ 10:00 amhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ymgPYkdSIg if you are too lazy to watch the whole thing … http://i.imgur.com/sTfV6nn.jpg
Comment by Bryan May 27, 2015 @ 1:51 amI don’t know anything about your wifi cups or your vomit..but Robert this was a wonderful post. Thanks for sharing.
Comment by catdaddae23 May 27, 2015 @ 4:47 am