This article is going to come out a few days after the odd phenomenon that is Star Wars Day. A holiday that seems to exist partially because the “May the 4th be with you” pun is funny.

I bet historians never saw that coming. 

And this is an interesting example of how the marketing and advertising landscape affects us as a society, isn’t it?

Because people are observing this holiday.

I saw people I know posting it on social media like they might “Merry Christmas.” There were deals going on in Clearwater. Apparently places like Barnes and Noble on Sunset Point and Target in Clearwater Mall were having Star Wars themed sales. Some may still even be going on as you read this.

And, I am a bit baffled. But I guess the answer why is obvious: people like Star Wars. We don’t need an excuse to celebrate it. But since we do have an excuse, and our social media flares up with it anyway, we will celebrate.

And in a way this is a cool new trend for us as a culture. An internet-obsessed, nerdy, and a tad goofy culture. We have all the old holidays, held in place by tradition. But we can also have our own. Add our own. 

Media is becoming a part of us, in ways that are strange and curious and going to only become more prevalent as the lines blur: so let’s celebrate. 

I’d love to see what new holidays we get to have. What new traditions we get to see grow around us.

And I wish you a belated “May the 4th be with you.”

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If you liked this article, you can read more of Brandon Scott’s work over at The Hive, or on his website: www.coolerbs.com.

So, back when I lived in Chicago, I used to eat at this fast food chain called Culver’s. I often got these spicy, breaded chicken strips. It was normal fast food fare. Should have been barely a blip on my mental landscape.

But, somehow, even years later, I still remember it. Even living in Clearwater, it still took up a piece of my mind.

However, I moved on, and thought now that I lived here I would just have different restaurants available. Places like Five Guys, Chick-fil-A, or Checkers.  

Franchises have a tendency to march on though, always in search of customers. And a larger pool of people to market toward is something a business will always want.

So, on Gulf-to-Bay it appeared: A Culver’s. Ripped straight from my memory and placed, brick and all, inside Clearwater. Ready to serve its touted frozen custard. Ready to market themselves as a new fast food joint on the block, with a parking lot massive enough to hold lunch rushes.

And they work fast there on advertising. I mean, I’m already hearing commercials for it during car rides.

Nostalgia is a strong thing. And it’s sitting there with the promise of a memory, and food I haven’t had in a long time.

I’m a different person now. But Culver’s is the same. And it might sound silly to talk so dramatically about a fast food joint, but, still, it would be nice to go back, at least once more.

For old time’s sake.

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If you liked this article, you can read more of Brandon Scott’s work over at The Hive, or on his website: www.coolerbs.com.

I cannot believe I need to talk about this. I can’t believe I need to say it. Socialism is a bad thing!

How long have we Americans spent fighting against communism and socialism and all the other economic models? How long?

And now suddenly when someone markets the idea of college being free people just jump into the new boat? Really?

Like, I get it. I do get it. Capitalism is not a great system. It has a lot of flaws. In fact, it’s messed up in twisted, convoluted ways. But it’s also the best option we have.

The best system we have.

Yes: college is too expensive. Wealth inequality has horrible effects. Medical emergencies bankrupt people.

But you can’t just make things free. It doesn’t work that way. And even if we can find some workaround that makes it so socialistic taxes don’t either destroy lives or bring down some of the most successful citizens of America—there are still problems.

“Free” removes incentive. It removes quality. If all colleges have to only go off the money given by the government, then why would they even bother to try to outclass each other? Money breeds competition. And you can talk about honor driving it, but that does not last long when there’s no benefit.

If I may make a comparison: imagine this system anywhere else. Where you walk into a restaurant on Gulf to Bay, like Chipotle or Hungry Greek, and they give you free food. Now, that may sound good at first...but why would they ever serve food that was anything above just edible? They have no reason for doing so.

They have no reason to do a lot of things. No purpose for marketing. No reason for good employees. No reason for any benefits of service that capitalism enforces by its own existence and function.

And sure, you could say the government would regulate quality, and force everyone to not cut corners...but yeah, good luck with that.

Now, this may sound like I’m being dramatic. And to some degree I am. But, I guess I have to be dramatic to show the inherent flaws that come after the word “free” explodes inside the mind. It’s a good buzzword, but the quality of a product is as important as the marketing that pushes it along.

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If you liked this article, you can read more of Brandon Scott’s work over at The Hive, or on his website: www.coolerbs.com.

I’m about to let you in on an issue plaguing parts of the otaku community: the rampant adaptation of light novels and manga without finishing the storyline.

Now, for those of you who are not inside some of the deepest and most convoluted parts of nerd culture, what I just said may appear as absolute gibberish. So let me unpack some terms here in the simplest way I can.

First off, I need to talk about anime, which is Japanese animation. And unlike American animation it is often not just for kids. You’ll find stories of violence, war, romance, religion, or philosophy—everything and possibly more than what you could get from Western television.

And “otaku” basically just means a fan of anime and related media. Though the term has other contexts and sometimes negative connotations.

And some of those other otaku materials are manga and light novels. Which though a shallow comparison, are like comics and novellas—respectively.

Which finally brings me to my point. Because those types of stories are frequently adapted to animation. But, the stories are also often not finished. In a lot of cases, long-running series receive only the first few parts of the story adapted. And will often cut before coming to full plot resolution.

And while this can be quite annoying to Clearwater anime fans because they don’t get to know the end of the story unless they feel like going to Barnes and Noble at Sunset Point and buying the rest…it’s also a good marketing technique. Similar to free samples at a supermarket.

And, since, in America at least, most translated anime is available for free on websites like Crunchyroll.com, the comparison is even more apt.

But, this tactic is certainly not limited to Japan, and even in America we are seeing similar methods of cross-media marketing popping up, especially when it comes to young adult literature, in the last decade.

And American media could do more of this sort of thing. I’m not sure everyone would be happy about it, but it would probably work.

Just saying.
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If you liked this article, you can read more of Brandon Scott’s work over at The Hive, or on his website: www.coolerbs.com.

Every time I think they’ve reached the height of what’s possible for a high school stage show, they prove me wrong. Clearwater Academy International’s newest performance Aida, is perhaps the most ambitious and mature outing from the now venerated cast and crew.

The play itself is about love and war in Ancient Egypt—with music by Elton John and Tim Rice. And because of this, the music is phenomenal and varied in its intensity, length, and genre. Beginning with a slow build to a rock song, and later on containing both a haunting and spectacular group number with “The Gods Love Nubia,” and my favorite slow song in a play since I saw Phantom of the Opera with “Elaborate Lives,” performed by the two leads.

And while I’m on them...just...wow. Those two, are incredible. Awe-inspiring at what they are capable of. The actress playing the titular Aida’s singing alone makes the play worth seeing again, and again, and again. As does the stage presence and acting of the male lead playing Radames.

But they weren’t the only one’s worthy of pages of praise. The actress playing Amneris, in her senior year performance, showed that not only is she capable of playing a crowd-pleasing comedic character, but also a striking and tragic one. Balancing so effortlessly on that knife edge that it was a seamless transition as the play progressed.

It left me with multiple emotions, all bleeding into each other, managing to surprise and delight and even unnerve me with the right moments, and the right techniques.

And I could go on praising, I could commend the tech crew, the ensemble, Clearwater Academy’s director and everything she has done for the performing arts. But in the interest of time, I’ll leave with just one more thing.

The arts are important. They teach lessons studies can’t, and build relationships. They leave lasting bonds and ignite a fervor for creation in the people that touch it.

And I can’t wait to see what Clearwater Academy International has in store for its next production. And what new stars will begin to shine.

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If you liked this article, you can read more of Brandon Scott’s work over at The Hive, or on his website: www.coolerbs.com.