SOCK IT TO ME

As 3d televisions are moving off the shelves and iphone production fails to keep up with the stampede of demand, something very simple and ancient refuses to give way to all things new. Hand puppets. Pictured right is Warren the Ape. He's the star of a new show on MTV by the same name. Furthermore, he's not much different than the stinky sock puppet you put on your hand as a kid. This show does not attempt to reinvent the puppet or fuse it with modernity. It's a fist shoved into a fuzzy wrag which is then pumped full of the wit and bite of Triumph the Insult Comic Dog.

Perhaps the point is, everything can't be Avatar. We need contrast. And so it is with radio stations and their imaging. Some resemble the complexity and too cool for the room vibe of the iphone and some are more like the unfiltered crudity that comes from making a dirty sock that smells like stale Dorito's do an imitation of your uncle Bob. Yes, crudity is a word. The internet says so.

Both are equally entertaining. Both clearly have a place in media and society. What's better, you can increase their effectiveness and entertainment value by cleverly squishing them together. Remember Dennis Miller Live on HBO? That show seemed to smoothly shift from insightful political and social commentary to rampant eff bombs in 0.0 seconds. John Stewart, Steven Colbert and Bill Maher have a similar formula. Now, they have more credibility than network news.

What we're saying is, it pays to know that your audience has more than one dimension. Soccer moms can have a great sense of humor. Political junkies sometimes talk about who is the better draper on Project Runway. Soccer fans have been known to hold jobs and be productive members of society after intense anger therapy. If you want to prove to your audience that you really understand them, go beyond the obvious. A well thought out sweeper can do it quickly at no cost.

The young, text-crazy, iphone obsessed, video-game-addicted, hi-tech generation loves the oldest trick in the book. A dirty sock. So, what's the dirty sock for your audience? There's a good start to your next brainstorming session.