As soon as I saw the trailer in Cobb Theatre at Countryside Mall for Zootopia and learned that the guy’s behind both Frozen and Big Hero 6 worked on it, I knew it would be awesome.

And, I was right. This movie swept the critics in a way unfortunately Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice could not. At time of writing, Zootopia’s Rotten Tomatoes’ score beats out the majority of Pixar’s films.

And if you’ve seen it then you know why it got such glowing reviews. The animation? Gorgeous. The characters? Lovely.

The message?

Oh, yes, that message. Let’s talk about the message of Zootopia. And how it is a bold choice for Disney to use. Because--besides the, um... “problematic” film, Song of the South--this is the first time I know of where they touched such a live wire of an issue.

Now, with that said, it’s not odd for Disney to focus on the “follow your dreams” and “be yourself” messages, and this is really an extension of that...but...it’s also about racism and prejudice. And that’s...a big topic.

But they just went for it.

I am flabbergasted and mega-impressed by the way they found to teach kids about the evils of racism in a relatively child-approachable and informative way.

P.R. wise, that’s incredible for their image. And since, like it or not, Disney is a teacher and a massive part of a lot of American childhoods, they have the ability to make themselves out as a pusher of social reform.

I mean, if they can talk about racism--and to a lesser extent drugs--in a way that doesn’t seem pandering, and exposes a societal issue to kids, then what’s stopping them from doing more of the same for war, famine, terrorism, wealth inequality, or religious intolerance?

What might this start? What might we see in the future from them? What might happen?

How big of a change can come from the story of an animal society?

Well, Clearwater and the rest of Florida spoke with their votes and the answer was unsurprising. Because, of course, Donald Trump won the Republican primary in our fine Sunshine State.

And I’d like to say the other candidates had a chance, but, really, that would just be cruel of me. We all knew how this was going to play out. Love him or hate him (and I know so few who fall anywhere else on that dichotomy), there is just something about Donald, isn’t there?

And I’ve talked about why I think that is in a previous article. But now, after looking at the numbers, and how much Donald — if you’ll excuse the pun — “Trumped” his opponents, I’ve pondered a further aspect/marketing technique to this whole thing.

And that is the old saying: “there’s no such thing as bad publicity.” Which, while untrue in some circumstances, appears to work for Trump.

Because, leading up to his win, there were nigh-unavoidable attack ads on television, and every political comedian under the sun taking swings at him. But it didn’t stop him. And, though I’m certainly not the first to observe this, there’s a fairly good reason for his success in the polls.

And, that, is the simple fact that he is on everyone’s mind. Ask someone, practically anyone, even a random adult on the street who a current Republican candidate is, and I’m almost certain they will either go for Trump, or purposely pick someone else just to mess with the question.

In fact, it’s almost conspiracy worthy. Even the people who report to hate him will spend massive chunks of time on air talking about him, and thus raising his presence and pervasiveness in the public consciousness.

And when you hold an entire population’s headspace like that, then people who are still on the fence about whom to vote for...may just...you know...tick his name — since they at least know who he is.

And Clearwater, and America, if that keeps happening. If he just continues to hold our attention like this: we all know who’s going to end up President.  
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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. 

It’s time to talk about Star Wars again--more specifically, it’s tie-in products. Which swarm over store shelves like a pack of TIE Fighters.     

Now, from the little I know of the economic process of franchise building, merchandise can do a lot for both profits and visibility, at least in regards to a few select companies including Hasbro and Disney.

And Star Wars is perhaps the greatest example of this. Who doesn’t own at least one toy lightsaber or a character in doll form? Not many Star Wars fans I know, that’s for sure. And, in fact, this article was inspired by my current reading of Chuck Wendig’s somewhat controversial novel: Star Wars: Aftermath, which I picked up at the Target in Clearwater Mall.

And the existence and prevalence of this got me thinking about brand loyalty, and how it is perhaps one of the strongest methods of marketing and advertising available. Because it creates a loop.

Allow me to explain. Say that you—as a nerdy, and awesome adult—showed your child Star Wars: The Force Awakens at Countryside Mall (which you totally should have) and afterwards they wanted a toy for it. Which you probably gave them.

And from there the child is more likely to watch the movies as they come out, and then want new products to match up with it.

This phenomenon can even be infectious—as one kid on the playground swings a lightsaber, possibly against the wishes of his teacher, and now all the kids want one. And then want to see the movie.

And on and on and on. I dare say you went through a similar cycle when you were a child and saw Star Wars: A New Hope.

It’s a brilliant tactic, even if a little concerning at times. And fascinating to observe. Especially in this case, when it relates to the revitalization of one of nerd culture’s biggest and most influential intellectual properties.
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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. 

In this world of chemical treatment and genetic modification of the average American’s diet, it’s refreshing to see a group of people who focus on actual food.

At least, that was part of my motivation for visiting one of Clearwater’s newer restaurants on Cleveland Street: Kara Lynn’s Kitchen. A place that seeks to serve just good food that is actually food.

And if you’ll allow me a few paragraphs, I’d like to speak about my experience visiting them.

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Upon entering the busy restaurant, my focus shifted to the waitress at the counter, who was quite chipper. I mean, all servers are, it’s part of their job, but she seemed genuinely happy to see us. And handed me and my dining companion a menu.

And what struck me about this menu was that it had things on it that sounded legitimately appetizing. It wasn’t just soy or various salads. It was things I, as a more meat leaning individual, would want to eat. So I ended up ordering a Korean beef lettuce wrap.

And when it arrived only a few minutes later it looked like something I should be paying around thirty bucks for at some fancy restaurant. But, I’ll admit, at this point I was still skeptical. I’d been burned before on food that looked better than it tasted.

But, and here comes my verdict--in the most food critic way possible--it was exquisite. I bit into it, made a pleased sound, and demolished my food.

And my companion took one bite and commented on the quality of the food as well. And was kind enough to offer a bite of salad to confirm that it was as good as the meat—which it was.  

Kara Lynn’s Kitchen’s food is my kind of food. Wholesome. Flavorful, and leaving you with a good feeling about what you ate.

And if your conversation should turn to “where should we eat?” I encourage your answer be: “Let’s go to Kara Lynn’s Kitchen”.  

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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.