The Silence of the Lambs

I'm 26 years old and watched The Silence of the Lambs for the first time last night. Yeah I know, but I was a very protected kid forced to watch PG-13 movies until I was 18. So my excuse for waiting 9 years to watch this thriller is fear. I was very afraid of this movie until I sat down and watched it.

It was tastefully done meaning the acting was good and the graphic scenes weren't that graphic. Check out CSI: SVU and tell me that's worse. And when The Silence of the Lambs came out back in 1991, graphic displays were a HUGE deal. People weren't used to seeing or imagining that kind of disturbia, now you can't watch your local news without going into shock mode.

TV desensitizes our minds. Radio rapes our ears. YouTube viloates our souls. Yeah yeah...life's full of smut. If you haven't watched The silence of the Lambs in a while, you should. Takes us back to simpler times. Times when people could be canabals and gentlemen. But that's another topic for another post.

Degree of Separation

As temps outside heat up. Temps inside go down. Makes sense. Does it make sense to fight about a thermostat degree? Probably not, but inside our house it's the different between an igloo or a hot box. We translate that into a happy house and a not-so-happy house.

Enter ringside weighing in at 160 pounds - Lincoln "I hate air conditioning" Kathner (aka my husband). He sleeps in sweatpants in 90 degree weather. His internal thermostat is a thing of wonder.

I enter opposite ringside - weighing less than Lincoln but trust me, I'm ferocious. My internal thermostat is programmed to go into shock if our house temp climbs above 73 degrees. Trust me, it's hot.

Nevertheless we compromise. Meaning I'm dressed in a tank top and shorts while Lincoln looks like a human snow globe. It's go time.

I set the temp to 73 and walk away. An hour passes - it's now set to 74 and I'm getting red in the face. Literally, I'm getting hot. I gaze down upon a snugly wrapped up Lincoln sitting on the couch. I ask myself if it's worth the fight - the lousy one degree of separation!

If you're living in a one degree of separation battle with your significant other, roommate or life partner please, let me know how you solved it.

Sioux Falls Airshow Excitement

Chiropractors in the area cleared their schedules Monday, July 27. Why? It was the first Monday after the Sioux Falls Airshow where regional spectators tilted their heads to the sky for two full days of high-flying excitment.

Check out the very awesome website here. Advertising was done by local SF agency, Fresh Produce.

I'll Have a Box of Water, Please.

The new 16.9 oz plastic Aquafina bottles suck.  They’re made with 50% less plastic and are extremely thin.  When you go to open the bottle, you can’t get a solid grip and end up squeezing the bottle forcing water out the top. 

This is just to say that I love the environment, but I’m sick of having water spilled on my desk.  Whatever happened to the idea of boxed water is better?  That was a sweet design, check it out here.

And if you’ve become a victim of these new water bottles stay strong.  Unlike the bottles (Awww BURN).

Topic of Being Cryogenically Frozen Heats Up.

Walt Disney once said, "All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them."  

There's a myth out there saying that Walt Disney was cryogenically frozen.   It's not true.  It's actually the opposite.  He was cremated in 1966.  He died of lung cancer.    

I listened to the latest This American Life podcast where they turned up the heat on cryonics.  It has inspired me.  Not because I want to be a popsicle when I die, but rather the possibility of achieving eternal life.   

As I got deeper into the podcast, the issues of being cryogenically frozen evolved into writing a "This is Just to Say" poem (kind of like a fake apology before we die).

If you haven't listened to the podcast, go ahead.  Do it now.  

I'll wait. (Click here to listen).  

Powerful stuff.  If you could come back in 50, 100 or 200 years after dying...what kind of world would you awaken to?  

Well.  Perhaps this is a bit heavy.  But it makes you think.  Going back to fake apologizes.  

If Walt Disney made a "This is Just to Say" poem for Mickey Mouse, it might have gone something like this:

While I created you,

I'm sorry I didn't make you anatomically correct.

What can I say.  

I was so young. Innocent.

You probably cursed my name after meeting Minnie.

But forgive me,

because your offspring would have been creepy.

Walt Disney left us with words of wisdom saying our dreams can come true if we work hard enough.  Maybe this phrase inspired the brains behind being cryogenically frozen.

A Copywriter’s Checklist: Seasoning Salt. Fire. Check.

“But this is only the first round, ok,” I said.   

“Jeeze, how much time do you need to drop it like it’s hot,” he said.  “And don’t forget your seasoning salt.”  

“Fine. You want salt,” I asked.  “I got so much salt it’ll give you a heart attack.”

No reaction.  I scuff.  We move on.

Shake the seasoning salt.  Shake it good.  Because when you add flavor, you add a little something extra.  And extra is better. 

Point and case.   

Picture being stranded on the freeway with a sharpie and a piece of cardboard.  What would your sign say?

Tasty:  Going to Kansas City.

Real Tasty:  Need a ride to Kansas City to surprise Mom for her birthday.

What a difference right?  The message isn’t lost – you still need a ride to Kansas City.  But you’ve added some seasoning salt.  And it’s better. 

We go to work.  We sit at a computer.  And we pound on a keyboard.  If you’re lucky, your boss will let you go on a creative excursion – like to the nearest vintage shop.  And if you’re real lucky, (in regards to your work) you’ll have a boss that says it’s your best piece of work yet.  Then demands a complete rewrite.  I’m lucky like that.

It’s so easy for me to call up a blank page, pound out the creative brief and start.  

Enter the world of copywriting.  We can’t just touch the flame - we must have a reason for burning ourselves.  Our reason can be found in The Copywriter’s Checklist.  

It’s the list I use after the prepping phase before concepting.  It’s like a prayer.  Only it’s to Ogilvy.

• Does the copy fulfill the promise of the headline?
• Is the copy interesting?
• Is it easy to read?
• Is it believable?
• Is it persuasive?
• Is it specific?
• Is it concise?
• Is it relevant?
• Does it flow smoothly?
• Does it call for action?

There you have it – Big 10 for copywriters brought to you via The Copywriter’s Handbook by Robert W. Bly. 

In conclusion, copywriting is a technical art.  It’s about the seasoning salt.  The spice.  The something extra. 

But remember, you’re not changing the world.  You write ads.  Season salt it up.  Then set your work on fire. 

 

Super Fresh Business Cards

Check out my new business cards for Fresh Produce - an ad agency in Sioux Falls, SD.