We believe in people.
We love our technology, our devices, but what thrills us most is the individuals who spearhead their development. And although occasionally it’s a pair, like Larry and Sergey, it’s usually just one. The faceless team doesn’t excite us. The same way we wait for the slugger to take the plate at cleanup. We want to see the naked feats of the soaring soul.
And it’s not only men, it’s women too. Madonna was the star of the eighties. Because she kept pushing heretofore unseen boundaries. She flipped the script. Calling herself the “Material Girl” when the boomers had been trying to disown that concept. Which drew fans to her. And haters too. We argued about Madonna.
We rarely argue about pop stars anymore.
They don’t have that impact, that ubiquity. And their goal is to play it safe and go for the money, otherwise why would every act utilize the same writers and producers, and mixers too! They want to buy insurance. Whereas our heroes fly without a net.
Elon Musk has haters. Especially on the right. Especially in the “Wall Street Journal.” They can’t stop talking about subsidies, about economics, but that doesn’t matter to me, those are the people cleaning up after the elephants in the now lost and forgotten circus. I’m interested in people on the bleeding edge, who not only can see the possibilities, but EXECUTE!
I just read the above-linked review of the Model 3 on Twitter.
That’s another thing the wankers don’t get. They think a company is supposed to be more, more, MORE! Gaining more adherents, making more money. If Wall Street ran Columbia Records Bob Dylan would have been dropped for not generating a greater return on each record. And “Sgt. Pepper” would have been scrapped for having no singles. I’m not saying critics are not important. I’m not saying the public should not have a voice. I’m just saying our priorities are screwed up. Twitter is the best place to be plugged in, to get the news interesting to you. If I didn’t follow Elon Musk, I’d have never seen that “Motor Trend” article.
And when I read it, I started to smile.
Do you know how hard it is to build a car? To start a company from scratch?
First and foremost, the Model 3 looks cool. And it also goes from 0-60 in 5.1 seconds, which is less than half the time it takes a Prius. And it handles better not only than a Bolt, but the Alfa Romeo the writer drove to the site. And all you can do is sit at home and wonder…HOW DID THEY DO THIS?
That’s what it was like in the golden era of classic rock. We broke the shrinkwrap, dropped the needle and wondered…HOW DID THEY COME UP WITH THIS STUFF!
And to tell you the truth, we had a similar feeling in the heyday of MTV. Sure, “Sledgehammer” is a great song, but it was even a better video. But now every track features a TR-808 when that sound was passe in the 80s.
There’s commerce and revolution.
The Model 3 is a revolution.
Sure, you can put it in context, ask about the penetration of electric cars, note that England is outlawing gasoline engines by 2040. But I’m still stunned that they came up with it.
Kinda like my original Mac with LaserWriter. It could print circles without jaggies. WYSIWYG. I don’t think anybody under forty knows what that means, but it was jaw-dropping thirty years ago.
So we buy Teslas to show our devotion, like we used to wear rock t-shirts, as a badge of honor, illustrating not only our faith in the artist, but that we went to the show. Now you can buy the same shirt, pre-aged, at the mall. Who wants one of those? That’s fashion, I’m talking BELIEF!
I need more to believe in. I love my iPhone 7, but I don’t believe in it.
When I listen to “It’s Alright Ma” I’m flummoxed, how did Dylan come up with this stuff?
Our leaders are not in D.C. And they’re not on Wall Street either. They’re people deep in their niche who will hear no naysaying on their way to putting a dent in the universe. It’s not about the money, that’s not what drives them. It’s about making what they see in their head come to fruition. It’s about the achievement. It’s about the bettering of society.
And it titillates us all.
@TeslaMotors: Watch a Tesla Model 3 vs. Volvo S60 side-pole impact test pic.twitter.com/dXBQkstrdo
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