There are three types of people who have seen Vanilla Sky: people who loved the movie, people who hated the movie, and people who say they hated the movie because they don’t understand what happened in it.
Disclaimer: I’m not one of those movie snobs that thinks just because I like a movie and you don’t, you didn’t understand it. This observation comes from multiple personal interactions about this particular movie. Having said that…..
Dazed and Confused
If you haven’t seen the movie, this post will NOT be full of spoilers. Although if you haven’t seen it, I would highly suggest going and renting it tonight. From this point on I will only be talking in general concepts about the movie.
It took me watching Vanilla Sky twice to actually understand what was going on at the end and then another viewing to actually catch the subtleties inlaid into the story. It is definitely not simply a movie to have playing in the background, there is some work that must be done on the watcher’s part (which I love, Memento is a great example of this type of film).
The best part of watching Vanilla Sky or describing it to someone in the third category of viewer is the “A-ha!” moment that comes the second everything fits together. That feeling of “getting it” and then basically re-living the movie with the knowledge of how it works is amazing.
So how does Twitter fit into all this?
@A-HA!
I find the same three categories of people when I talk to companies about Twitter as with Vanilla Sky. There are those that love it and the community-building it allows, there are those that hate it and think it’s a waste of time (they’re wrong, IMHO), and then there are those that say they hate it because they think they are supposed to say that, being “businessmen”.
I was in that third category for a long time. I signed up for Twitter and used it 5 times then started parroting off “I don’t care what these people had for lunch” because I thought I was supposed to say that and I stopped using it.
Then I invested some time to understand the inlaid values in those 140 character messages.
Then comes that “A-Ha!” moment and everything fits. I’ve seen it a dozen times. “Oh, wait, people are telling me what they want?”
Yes.
That “A-Ha!” moment is what I love. I love helping organizations into that dark room and showing them the light switch, knowing as soon as they make that one motion, everything will be bathed in light and clear. It’s like a drug to me.
If you’re looking for that light switch or know someone who is and you think I might be able to help, contact me or simply subscribe to this blog. Let me know how I can help make the experience better for you.
What are some of the biggest “A-Ha!” moments you have had about something? What are some issues you see people still struggling with in the social media regard?
Thoughts?
Tags: A-Ha moment, clarity, marketing, social media, Tom Cruise, twitter, Vanilla Sky
Not being a fan of movie watching - I have tried to pull the meaning from your analogy into a book I've read in the past, one that I didn't care much for until I sourced info on it as the host of the Book Club discussion that would be taking place on it in my home.
I was initially quite disappointed in the book. It did not at all live up to my expectations for it based on the summary provided at the back and the 'rave review' comments that followed. I am an English Major though - so I went about looking for connections that would appeal to me and generate good discussion.
My willingness to truly engage with the book from a perspective other than disappointment and my follow up action to dig a little deeper changed my experience completely. I was startled at what I'd missed by focusing only on the character and the story as she shared it.
My experience with Twitter has been like that too. Carving out time to engage fully and to dig deeper for meaning, purpose and connection changed everything for me. While I'm still not entirely sold on all the benefits that others spout in its favour ~ I have determined its worthy of my time, and while I can go days without showing up - I always create space to show up because I believe it is worth it.
Did I get that right?
Sally_G Spot. On. : )
Dude, Awesome analogy- I got the movie and Twitter pretty fast, but like most things Tom Cruise related, I little use for it... ask @danperezfilms... not to be confused with @danperez
faybiz Thanks for the comment man! Thanks for stopping by today.
Joey, I agree with you 100% on this. I hear so many people make similar remarks about Twitter and they're eager to discard it and forget about it. For some people, the benefits are not so obvious because they don't understand how to utilize it.
In regard to Vanilla Sky, I'm torn. Maybe I need to watch it again. I felt that the "A-Ha!" just came out of left field from nowhere, which makes it hard to appreciate the shock.
JakeLaCaze I've heard the before about that movie. I would definitely suggest watching it again, knowing the ending you'll catch a LOT more of what's going on. It really made me appreciate it more.
Thanks for the great comment. I find that Twitter is a big one, but this sort of thing happens with almost every social network I find.
joey_strawn True, such things can be said about any social network. But I think it's more obvious to say them about Twitter. Facebook allows you to have a profile that people can check out whenever they feel like it, so you can say a bit about yourself without ever updating your status. Twitter, on the other hand, requires more action; it's all about what you say. That's why I say that Twitter forces you to be interesting, and some people can't accept the challenge. ;)
JakeLaCaze "That's why I say that Twitter forces you to be interesting, and some people can't accept the challenge." Favorite comment line of the day. Well played Mr. LaCaze.
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