MeyerBros

I decided to check out candidate websites today to see what they were saying about themselves. But before I got to any text I was struck by the different brands being presented in logo and site design. Here’s a rundown:

Barack Obama: Hope, The Apple Way.
Everything about the Obama brand is hip and trendy. While the color choices for any candidate are limited by the patriotic palette, Obama’s blues and reds are clearly affected by current design trends. They tend towards more muted hues, and fit in comfortably with grays and whites. The Obama blue, in all it’s gradients and shades, is the number one web 2.0 color choice, clinched by it’s use as a nearly monochrome palette for the site. The logo is a circle complete with drop shadow, gradients and and a playfully altered uppercase serif wordmark. The flag isn’t just a flag, it’s a sunrise over a field. The Obama brand is, as he would say, hope.

This logo is flexible and shows up everywhere, with a one-color version used at the bottom of the site and an animated version in all the videos. You are lead through the site in a very intentional way, with minimum text at every turn. The site design is based on low-contrast grays and blues, bevels, horizons, reflections, gradients and drop shadows. If this were long-term corporate branding it would be obsolete in under two years. Lucky for Obama, it doesn’t even need to last one more year, and in the meantime he is appealing strongly to his target audience: young and savvy.

Hillary Clinton: Clinton for Mayor.
Clinton has a different target demographic and her design choices show it. Her logo is not unique in any way, and could be used as a lawn sign for the mayoral race in your local town. She is in fact hoping to be elected mayor, I think. A flag is waving as the underline for her name. This isn’t designed, this is her name and the flag. The site is also boilerplate, taken from any corporation or web business that knows it should look web 2.0 but just can’t figure out where to put everything. The gradients aren’t integrated, they are messy. And she has banner ads on the side. Banner ads? The site is a mess of information despite the smooth gradients and curves, leaving it stilted in it’s small attempts towards hipness. What should I click on? I have no idea. This brand is about what you already know and expect, big business and slow movement. (On a side note, I find it interesting that her’s is the only logo using only the first name. I have heard accusations that she is the only one referred to by first name in the press, but it seems to be true in her own materials as well. There could be any number of reasons, but it’s interesting.)

John McCain: An Army Of One.
John McCain is running on his military record, can you tell? This is a very strong design choice along the lines of Obama’s - but in a different direction. Where Obama was reaching out to the iPod crowd, McCain is reaching out to an audience of military personnel, veterans and families. He uses stark, imposing and classy white and gold on black. the logo is simple, and it’s simply military. He is making a visual statement about strength and class. Bold. This is “straight talk” designed right. Vote for McCain and please join the army.

Mitt Romney: Romney IS A Republican.
If McCain was the republican counterpart to Obama, Romney is the counterpart to Clinton. Where McCain is stating a clear vision, Romney is yelling “I’M A REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE!” His requisite flag is an eagle! Look at that! He’s a republican! Yes, he also has banner ads for merch in his sidebar, and his favicon looks like an airline logo. Oh, he also put quotes around “blog” - because this is, you know, as the kids say, “a blog”. This man is trying to be president, enough said.

Mike Huckabee: Huckabee is Magic.
And last, and least: Mike Huckabee is magic. He lives in Disneyland and may well be a fairy prince. There is very little else to say. His website is not much of anything, and his logo has stars floating (up? down?) beside his oh-so-local-county-commissioner-layout name. Is he still running?

Moving On:
All of these candidates seem accurately (if not “well”) branded to me, though it seems only Obama and McCain could afford real branding efforts.

I only got into reading the issues pages on Obama and Clinton’s sites. There is a clear distinction here, not on what issues they mention but on the specificity of their comments. Clinton’s page is about what she has done, Obama’s is about what he will do. When it comes to action as president, only Obama makes specific claims. Take equal rights for women. Clinton says “As president, Hillary will continue her lifelong fight to ensure that all Americans are treated with respect and dignity.” Obama says “Obama will work to overturn the Supreme Court’s recent ruling that curtails racial minorities’ and women’s ability to challenge pay discrimination. Obama will also pass the Fair Pay Act to ensure that women receive equal pay for equal work.” The difference seems clear throughout their sites. They might both have plans, but Obama is willing to tell you what that plan entails.

“The more people you reach the more likely it is that you’re reaching the wrong people.” –Seth Goudin

Ursula K. LeGuin has a fantastic article in this month’s Harpers, called “Staying Awake: Notes on the Alleged Decline of Reading.” The premise is this: reading was never popular in the first place. The decline is in books as exponentially profitable big business. The crossover is easy to see in other artistic mediums.

Books no longer have a monopoly on pop entertainment. Literature as an art, on the part of both authors and readers, was never popular to begin with, and isn’t going anywhere. Some people like writing or reading as art and others don’t. But publishers who rely on the next big hit are finding that the next big hit may be in a different medium.

That is from the artist’s perspective: we’ve always been a minority, even when our medium was being used as the pop medium. But there’s a business/technology side to it as well, that companies may have to pick up on. The advent of the internet is the advent of the long tail: Why make everyone buy the same product, when you can easily sell each person the product they want? Suddenly the long tail of small sales become a threat to business built around pop hits.

Theatre was once the pop medium, to the point of riots between fans of rival actors. The fact that pop media has found a new venue doesn’t mean theatre is dead. Taking the focus off big hits might even make room for more new theatre to happen. Can the long tail make a comeback once the hit-makers are gone? I think it’s something to hope for.

Art isn’t dying - the middleman is dying. And it’s about time. Just ask Radiohead and Wilco.

“Words are too awful an instrument for good and evil to be trifled with: they hold above all other external powers a dominion over thoughts.” –William Wordsworth

This presidential campaign and the coverage of it have focussed heavily on the personalities and integrities of the candidates over-against their stances on specific issues. Recently I have heard more and more complaints about this being a problem. How can we be informed voters if we don’t talk about the issues?

Call me a character-ethicist (it’s probably the accurate thing to do), but I’m not sure I agree.

I am entirely in favor of voting for a candidate that has a similar opinion to mine on various issues - and some of those issues are very important to me. But I’m afraid we may have become blinded by the entire concept of ‘issues’ with ‘positions’ and ’solutions.’ I have said repeatedly in my theatre work that I cast and hire based on personality as much or more than skill, and will continue to do that proudly. I am convinced that the most important features of a candidate for any position are their relational abilities. If you aren’t a good person to relate to, it doesn’t matter what technical skills you have - your work will lack connection and humanity. I will happily vote for the candidate best displaying the qualities I want in a leader - qualities that display intelligence over party loyalty: Listening humbly and articulating passionately.

I’m not talking about wavering compromise or glib ignorance. I’m talking about passionate movement with an actual understanding and care for people as human beings.

Anne Bogart, a contemporary theatre artist, says “One of the most radical things you can do in this culture of the inexact is to finish a sentence… Political agenda has conspired against a citizen’s ability to speak. Words are dangerous and they can be powerful.” Articulation is a key to action. When I think of the most articulate voices I’ve heard in politics and history, they have always been the harbingers of change, and have often been received with fear and hate (MLK being a prime example, among many).

Several candidates have displayed articulation and the ability to relate to people. I look forward to hearing more from them, and care very little about the positions of the others. Count me in as one proud vote for passionate articulation.

http://eric.meyerbros.org/ - the eric meyer blogfolio - is back up and running with a whole new look to match my business cards. i’m glad for comments (leave them here) or ideas. i’m glad for critique and personal confessions. i’m mainly glad for you to check out my site.

i only have a few things up. forgive the lack of content. there is, in fact, nothing under theatre or design - though many of the writings are also theatre. and anyway, this gives you the chance to see my 404 error. are you excited?

Another Post! I’m on a roll!

We’re playing a concert with Emily Rodgers as part of Goshen’s August First Fridays event. It’s a great event for Goshen, and I’m super excited about playing with Emily. I’ve been a fan of her music (and a friend of hers) since way back.

August 3, 2007 on Washington Street beside the Electric Brew
Emily will start at 6pm. We’ll start around 7 or 7:30. It’s all free.

but I did make myself business cards today. so here’s a sampling of them:

an interesting piece of advice from marketing guru Seth Godin:

Need to design a logo? Don’t.

I’m not sure how well it really holds up, but I think he has a great point behind it. The content makes the logo. All you need is something that will work to carry it. It doesn’t need (and shouldn’t have?) a lot of meaning already.

But it still means re-examining the entire structure of existence.

I don’t see it as losing a brother so much as gaining a nephew.

The first important shift will be in each Meyerbros name. We must no longer be referred to as simply “big” “middle” and “little” Meyers. We are now “Big Daddy Meyer” “Middle Uncle Meyer” and “Little Uncle Meyer.”

The majority of the Dungeons and Dragons training falls in the hands of the youngest uncle, according to tradition, but I’m doing my part to prepare for a new adventurer. I bought a set of dice the other day. I’m ready for you, oh mystical eight pound something nameless one. BRING IT ON.

I posted over at YAR before the bell tolled, but one of the main things I forgot to include was this: I hear over and over and over that the problem with Feminists is how much they hate men, and reverse discrimination and this and that, and beyond not buying that entire concept, it just isn’t my experience. Feminism, as I’ve always heard it articulated by feminists themselves, seems to me the most universally accepting and aware ideological system I’ve ever encountered. I was introduced to feminism in a memorable car ride by two women who put a lot of energy and compassion into correcting my somewhat naively sexist preconceptions of the world. Over the last year I’ve started reading a wide range of progressive blogs, and it is only the feminist bloggers who consistently

1. Will stand up for anyone against oppression or discrimination,
2. Will say exactly what they think without mincing words or apologizing,
3. Don’t bother navel gazing,
4. Can comprehend and explain complex and seemingly paradoxical effects of oppression on both the oppressor and the oppressed (without agreeing to disagree),
5. Are always on the side of the oppressed, and
6. Are humble enough to admit, accept and challenge inconsistencies.

And yet they seem to have the least support of the progressive blogging community - consistently fighting to even be understood by the supposedly aware and open minded community they are part of. Why are we so defensive? I have been. My friends are. It’s the first thing people say when you mention the naughty F****ist word. Why?

Almost makes you think patriarchy might be an issue.

This is not my post about sexism for the day, though I do plan on making one. This post is several things:

• link love for Kyle Dean’s new blog, Cafe Eclectica Music, which I think is fairly well done and has a broad range of music covered for just one guy living in NYC. Good stuff Kyle. Today he brings us a new LP from Iron and Wine. Check out his archives for great stuff from Sigur Ros, Jeff Tweedy, Bjork and much much more. If you like what you see, send his link around.
• a clipping from an Aaron Liechty drawing that I’ll post later if he gives me permission. We’ve both been drawing all the characters from the campaign we’re in. He’s already done. This is Bill (me) the half-orc barbarian with a chain and some mean dancing skills.
• a comment to Tim and Jonny, that yes, THACO is old school and you should know better, but that I miss it with all my heart. I also miss opportunities to roll percentage dice since they’ve simplified everything down to twenty-siders. as if patriarchy wasn’t bad enough.

I ran into this* today, while checking out feminist reviews of various movies. Then I started watching Match Point because Blockbuster had it and I thought it might be interesting. It wasn’t. It broke the third rule. I didn’t even make it a half hour in.

update: I fixed this link.

(This was originally a comment at YAR, thought it would make a good post here as well.)

Issues of patriarchy and sexism have become my central reading over the last week since Carl posted about sexism in the web design community, and someone sent me a link to I Blame The Patriarchy. It’s a great read, with interesting critiques of some more subtle and complex issues involved in patriarchy, and has become one of my favorite RSS feeds.

Be warned, though, that it can get a bit rough to read if you’re a sensitive man that takes things personally. This isn’t a sexism 101 site, so no one is going to pull their punches just because you’re new to the game. Follow their advice and read the FAQ before commenting.

There was a particularly good post yesterday calling out liberal male bloggers who responded to Ann Coulter’s most recent inflammatory comments (She called John Edwards a “faggot”) by throwing the exact same “insult” (and other, similar heterosexist and misogynist comments) back at her.

I also bought “The 51% Minority: How Women Still Are Not Equal and What You Can Do About It” by Lis Wiehl at Barnes and Noble last night. So far it’s a very interesting and enlightening read, laying out exactly how unequal women still are under the law, and how it’s getting worse, not better.

let’s assume for a moment that “the enemies” have anything at all in common with “us” in terms of psychology. then let’s think about what event in the last five years most “emboldened us” to fight and fight hard. OK - was that event a time when “the enemies” showed indecision and repentance, or a time when they blew up shit we cared about?

I thought so.

Who’s emboldening who now?

double barrel darrel is releasing a new album and held a competition for an album title and a band logo. i threw together this quick sketch and sent it in for the latter (without high hopes - but i enjoy it).

Iraqis must step up! I’ve been hearing this all over the place so I looked into it…

They’re right! Look at this guy:

He’s just sitting there!

this has to be the number one blog topic for the week, so here goes:

I DON’T CARE IF THEY’RE NOT FOR SALE YET, YOU’RE STILL A LOSER IF YOU DON’T HAVE ONE.

“dumb” isn’t even an option on this poll. you’re going to have to choose something else. make do, i always say. if you can’t say something nice, say something really really nasty, as my grandfather always said (or could have). a penny saved is a penny saved, and that’s god’s honest truth for you.

i’m thinking of publishing a book or two, but i’m not sure how i want to go about it (or if there’s a market for it).

One of the books would be A Novel (with pictures), a short picture-book that I’ve been working on over on our wiki pages. That one would have to be done nicely and in full color with just the right paper and binding and all that. hard cover. i’m not sure how to pull that off, but it could be a lot of fun.

The other has the working title: “Not As Good As Some Of My Other Stuff, But Worth The $3″. It would be a compilation of some of my shorter works (poetry with some short prose or short-short plays). I would try to sell it for $5 or so, you know, for ironic effect and money in my pocket.

if nothing else it’s fun to think about.

With thanks to the Creative Enterprise Institute and Dan and Sondra Eisenstat for the link:

http://www.cei.org/pages/co2.cfm

“they call it pollution. we call it life.”

a short puppet-chat by eric abram and mary rebecca

once upon an old grey time
with blue highlights
and a round, round ball
lived the monkey-mother sock-puppetest of them all
and he was sore afraid
“do not be afraid” the dandelion cried
for i will bring forth eleven babies
without taking off my shoes
and God cried a sad tear
like she never did before
all hail, all hail
it fell in a pail *plunk* and another *plink*
And that’s the end of my show! DONK!