* For those of us who were hoping for a modicum of patriotism, if not a democratic epiphany, from Facebook chief executive Mark *uckerberg, so much for that long-shot scenario. Facebook has now officially announced that it will not change its basic rules for political advertising in advance of the 2020 election. Unlike Google and Twitter, it’s status quo for Facebook, and it’s status quo for anybody worried about unchecked “facts.”
Next Facebook announcement: the post 2020 election “apology,” not unlike post-2016 when it disingenuously apologized for allowing its platform to be overrun with hyperpartisan misinformation, some of it Russian.
* Comedy writer Buck Henry died recently. He was 89. That doesn’t resonate demographically with everyone in 2020, but I still can’t thank him enough. He was pre-eminent in the scripting of “The Graduate,” which remains my all-time favorite movie. There’s a reason why that over generations and small screens, it still works. Scripting is an art, no less than acting and directing. And if you can entertainingly nuance satire and societal commentary, you are missed–more than ever–right now.
* When it comes to marketing a business, names matter–from 1-800-ASK-GARY to Dirty Taco to College Hunks Hauling Junk. Some do it more effectively and creatively than others. Especially those that favor word play. My favorite-names list for local businesses hasn’t changed. The Sod Father, Edifice Wrecks, Plant Parenthood–in that order. A possible new (restaurant) addition: Counter Culture.
But sometimes there’s the concern of image undermining–as in a perception that maybe the owners are being too cute and don’t take their business as seriously as they should. Connotation matters. To wit: “Ditcher, Quick & Hyde,” (divorce attorneys), “Florist Gump,” “Bread Zeppelin,” “Pita Pan, “Wok This Way” and “Sew What?” Mercifully, I called a halt here.
BTW, back in the day when the NHL was expanding in 1967, the new franchise in Philadelphia, the Flyers, debuted. It was the solid, alliterative product of a name-the-team campaign orchestrated by the team and local media. What was runner-up? The Philadelphia Ice Picks. True.