I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing

Table of Contents

• A Visit From Mr. Brightside

• Where Has Matt Been?

• Stop Doing This!

• Best Thing I Heard This Week

A Visit from Mr. Brightside

I’m writing this using the extra hour of sleep I banked back in April. This is better than 23 years ago when I pushed around a 1 year old in his stroller at 6am in the wet snow because he was oblivious to the time change. I’m also writing this today because I’m not sure anyone will remember to read it beyond Tuesday when your eyes become fixated with Blue vs. Red. I will be watching too and uttering, “What’s wrong with those people?” likely referring to the place you live.

I’m sure you are aware of all the hyperbole that we have endured since Russia starting feeding us weird Facebook and Twitter posts. “We are so divided!” This term irks me. By “divided” you mean we have a difference of opinion? Yeah that’s not new. What different today is that people are brave keyboard warriors who will say anything online but not to someone’s face.

The joy in Sports is how it brings us all together. And yes there is a long history of sports being used as propaganda. (Berlin and Beijing Olympics, World Cup 2018 and 2022 come to mind) There’s even a term called Sportswashing. Anyhow, in “these divided times” came a moment when it was clear that we do not get out enough and sing together. The Bills were blowing out the Jags on Monday night, their fans were in a good mood. The stadium started to play Mr. Brightside during a TV timeout and the fans and the players all joined together in song.

This isn’t something new. Boston Red Sox and English football fans regale to “Sweet Caroline”, The Steelers to Styx’s “Renegade”, The University of Wisconsin brings down the Big House with House of Pain’s “Jump”.

Mr. Brightside is a song by the Killers that came out in 2003, and was re-issued in 2004. A song from the last generation where shared music experiences came from radio, and one that has endured on alternative and new music stations since. The two tight ends in the video who seem to be enjoying the song the most are 25 and 27 years old; the song, a millennial anthem of sorts. In the days after I posted the video and ones like it on my social media, I was asked why it resonated? It is a song about cheating after all. Well, let me tell you, there is no bigger fanbase in the world that feels more cheated than Buffalo; whether self-inflicted with “wide right” or “13 seconds”, or the Titans “forward pass” or Brett Hull’s fraudulent game winning Stanley Cup goal.

The Mr. Brightside moment was written about extensively here.

So get out more. Stop scrolling. If you are going to have a phone in your hand, create something wonderful. Want to be successful in media? Repost or create something that will make people laugh or solve a problem. Stop going for the cheap pop with Blue vs. Red hot takes and professing your middle eastern political prowess.

[Cheap Pop: The incitement of a positive crowd reaction by "kissing up" to the crowd. Mick Foley would often do this by saying "It's great to be here in (insert name of city and state)!" While The Rock would begin many promos by saying “Finally, The Rock has come back to (insert name of city or state)!”, heels often follow the same principle, but in reverse to get booed]

In 2019, I travelled to Bilbao, San Sebastian, and the Rioja region. The Basques seem to have the coming together and singing part figured out.

“Where Have I Been This Week?

I provided some awesome tricks and treats with my Podcast Superfriends.

I appeared on Jodi Krangle’s In the Clubhouse where I discussed AI as it pertains to podcasting with number of other seasoned podcast pros.

STOP IT!

Please stop blocking the entrance way when boarding the aircraft. Not sure if there is anyone specific to blame but it is generally the Zone 3 losers who are lingering around waiting to get on and holding up Zones 1 and 2.

Best Thing I Heard This Week…

These might not be the best things I heard, but podcasts are having a moment with presidential candidates appearing on them…

Kamala Harris on Call Her Daddy

Donald Trump on Joe Rogan

Voiceover Info Here