Modern art: a collection of spheres that--no matter how hard you look at them--seem like any other circles you've seen in a kindergarten classroom? Or, perhaps, is it a clump of mangled metal on a college campus? Maybe it's the difference between Jay-Z's rap and Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.
My answer: none of the above. It's pancakes. And potatoes.
Well, sort of.
In this day and age, anything can be considered "modern culture." In my opinion, though, that phrase is just fancy wording for a fad. A trend. Whatever happens to be popular at the moment. I think we can all agree that the Backstreet Boys are not popular in 2015, but they were in 2005. One Direction has now stolen the hearts of teenaged girls, but they, too, will eventually meet their predestined fate.
My point? Things go out of style. Culture is never confined by guidelines. Fashion changes. Politics change. Entertainment changes.
There are a few things that we know never go out of style, though, and we like to think that those give us hope. You know: Love. Family. Friends. Faith. Happiness. All that sappy stuff. History has shown, however, that the vast majority of things surrounding our daily lives do change.
And that's okay.
One anomaly in this scenario, though, is the human's love for a good laugh. I have to believe that everyone has a propensity for humor, somewhere deep inside. Humor never goes away. From civilization to civilization, history through history, culture to culture, a smile is the same in every language.
It's true that humor never leaves. But it definitely changes. Generational gaps tell us all we need to know to prove that statement (I mean, really. Who laughs at Gary from The Tonight Show's EW! sketch's jokes?). Today's teenaged, Twitterfied comedy scene is shining with sassy comments, daring puns and anti jokes. It's what our "modern culture" has become. And I commend some people for recognizing its legitimacy.
@DennysDiner is the famed Twitter handle of the almost equally famed restaurant, Denny's. Unlike many of its competitors (@WaffleHouse, for example), which microblog standard contest entries or promotional ploys, @DennysDiner is practically an ongoing Tumblr stream, in the form of a Twitter account... nicely punctuated with emojis, mentions, sarcasm, and running commentaries on entertainment events from the Super Bowl to #snl40.
And don't forget the never-ending devotion to potatoes & pancakes. They're just in a league of their own.
In fact, @DennysDiner has started a trend. Their humor and customer interaction has certainly served to benefit business, and other chains want in on the bargain. If you were to observe @BurgerKing or @IHOP on Twitter, you'd see similar styles.
One thing is certain: Denny's Twitter account is not synonymous to traditional acceptances of what's considered "professional." But it's definitely relevant. With 12.9K tweets, 194.3K followers and counting, the small-business-turned-chain has reached a new level of success. Way to go, @DennysDiner. You've won the marketing game.
I am not a businessperson. But I am a teenager, and I'm an observer of people and culture. I really appreciate what Anne Curzan said in her TED Talk about what makes a word real; she knows that human beings guide culture. Human beings are culture.
Human beings change. So why are we so averse to culture changing?
Maybe it's just human stubbornness setting in; maybe we all depend on routine more than we care to admit. Either way, @DennysDiner has broken the mold. They've "embraced modern culture," whatever that means.
And--to most tweens, teens, and young adults out there (maybe even a few parents, too)--that makes them cool.
My answer: none of the above. It's pancakes. And potatoes.
Well, sort of.
In this day and age, anything can be considered "modern culture." In my opinion, though, that phrase is just fancy wording for a fad. A trend. Whatever happens to be popular at the moment. I think we can all agree that the Backstreet Boys are not popular in 2015, but they were in 2005. One Direction has now stolen the hearts of teenaged girls, but they, too, will eventually meet their predestined fate.
My point? Things go out of style. Culture is never confined by guidelines. Fashion changes. Politics change. Entertainment changes.
There are a few things that we know never go out of style, though, and we like to think that those give us hope. You know: Love. Family. Friends. Faith. Happiness. All that sappy stuff. History has shown, however, that the vast majority of things surrounding our daily lives do change.
And that's okay.
One anomaly in this scenario, though, is the human's love for a good laugh. I have to believe that everyone has a propensity for humor, somewhere deep inside. Humor never goes away. From civilization to civilization, history through history, culture to culture, a smile is the same in every language.
It's true that humor never leaves. But it definitely changes. Generational gaps tell us all we need to know to prove that statement (I mean, really. Who laughs at Gary from The Tonight Show's EW! sketch's jokes?). Today's teenaged, Twitterfied comedy scene is shining with sassy comments, daring puns and anti jokes. It's what our "modern culture" has become. And I commend some people for recognizing its legitimacy.
@DennysDiner is the famed Twitter handle of the almost equally famed restaurant, Denny's. Unlike many of its competitors (@WaffleHouse, for example), which microblog standard contest entries or promotional ploys, @DennysDiner is practically an ongoing Tumblr stream, in the form of a Twitter account... nicely punctuated with emojis, mentions, sarcasm, and running commentaries on entertainment events from the Super Bowl to #snl40.
And don't forget the never-ending devotion to potatoes & pancakes. They're just in a league of their own.
In fact, @DennysDiner has started a trend. Their humor and customer interaction has certainly served to benefit business, and other chains want in on the bargain. If you were to observe @BurgerKing or @IHOP on Twitter, you'd see similar styles.
One thing is certain: Denny's Twitter account is not synonymous to traditional acceptances of what's considered "professional." But it's definitely relevant. With 12.9K tweets, 194.3K followers and counting, the small-business-turned-chain has reached a new level of success. Way to go, @DennysDiner. You've won the marketing game.
I am not a businessperson. But I am a teenager, and I'm an observer of people and culture. I really appreciate what Anne Curzan said in her TED Talk about what makes a word real; she knows that human beings guide culture. Human beings are culture.
Human beings change. So why are we so averse to culture changing?
Maybe it's just human stubbornness setting in; maybe we all depend on routine more than we care to admit. Either way, @DennysDiner has broken the mold. They've "embraced modern culture," whatever that means.
And--to most tweens, teens, and young adults out there (maybe even a few parents, too)--that makes them cool.