This video showed up in my inbox yesterday from music analysis Bob Leftetz. It’s an interesting sociological concept that speaks to the transparency and authenticity that you need to make it these days. Read below…
“What if he had a megaphone. And implored those in attendance to join in, telling them he was the new dance king and they’d enjoy participating?
He’d have been shouted down, if not stoned to death.
I won’t say the gentleman in this viral video dances as poorly as Elaine on “Seinfeld”, but the moves he’s busting are not attractive. And his appeal is not his handsomeness, rather it’s his joy and his lack of self-consciousness. We’re drawn to those who are not sheep, who do their own thing, who BELIEVE in what they’re doing.
He’s dancing alone. For almost twenty seconds. And rather than being right down front, where everybody can see him, he’s in Siberia, on the side of the lawn, way in the back.
Those two geeks dance together for fully thirty seconds, not needing more people to continue. Then, a guy looking like Dan Schneider, the fat kid on “Head Of The Class”, comes down and joins them. THIS is not a party you want to attend by mainstream parameters. These are geeks, they’re to be ignored!
But twenty five seconds later, new dancers join in. They were not recruited, were not sent text messages, were not victims of promotional e-mails they didn’t sign up to get, rather they joined purely on the desire to be a part of the fun!
Suddenly, a handful of seconds later, it’s a party. Then people are RUNNING to join in. By the two minute mark, it’s a CONFLAGRATION! It’s the highlight of the gig! People don’t want to be left out, they’re trampling others to join in!
You’re doing your own thing, seemingly in the wilderness, with the goal that a spark ignites others to join in. Your main sales point is the fact that you’re doing it. It’s not about marketing, new media just allows the word to spread faster if you catch fire.”
- Bob Leftsetz
