A good friend of mine that I know in real life asked me a question this morning over Twitter. She asked if I thought that because Comic-Con is going “mainstream” that it’s bad for the entertainment industry. This was mostly brought on by a mutual friend tweeting that the Warner Bros website was now selling bags that were once given out at Comic-con. This is only a brief post on my thoughts. It may not even be cohesive. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.
After an aggravating series of tweets where I was limited to 140 characters, my answer kind of developed. While I thought that Comic-con going mainstream was good for the entertainment industry, I felt that it was bad for the true “loyal” fans. Comic-con has always been this sort of factor that joined the fans and the creators together, giving them an outlet. But as Comic-con becomes more and more eligible to the masses, the “true” fans of a genre might be pushed aside to make room for the “part-time” fans. Case in point – Twilight 2008. When the panel was held, it was slam full of screaming young girls (and older women). However, how many of those came to enjoy the entire Comic-con? How many knew that Stan Lee and Marvel went hand and hand? I would bet very few. Those that were going to SDCC for the entirety of the con complained under our breaths about these obsessive fans. While I was there merely as a researcher, I was slightly annoyed by the screaming. Even the Dr. Who panel had nothing like the adolescent shrieks the Twilight panel did.
However, looking at the entertainment aspect, Comic-con has become this whole new type of marketing. Where else can you physically reach hundreds of thousands in a span of four days? I still use my swag that was given to me on that day. It’s genius. Comic-con is a way for companies to really push themselves to the masses in new and interesting ways. The Terra cotta statues, the Joker lego figures, where else can you really find that? Giving the fans something physical to see or to keep really plants the brand image into their mind. My research paper for SDCC was on aggressive marketing. I feel that deserves it’s own post, so I might have to dig up my research. It was fascinating how it actually worked.
But I do think that the Comic-con as it was once known is fading. It won’t be an outfit for the fans to meet each other, but more of a purely commercial venture. As this happen, the true fans will more than likely start going to smaller cons in their area, while it will be the “part-time” fans that attend Comic-con. For the 2010 SDCC, tickets sold out a few weeks ago. That was not the case two years ago. What happened? Twilight came to town. People are clamoring for the chance to see their idols in real life. Whether that is a good thing or a bad thing is up to everyone’s own interpretation. I just want the chance to go back!
Check out my friend Sara’s post on Comic-con and being there in the early stages of the Twilight fandom (you`ll also see a picture of me!). Stormtrooper Elvis Lives! (No, He Really Does.)
When I applied for college, I never thought I would be held to the major I chose on my application. I mean, I was almost a year and a half away from starting college, and as a 17-year old (I never turned 18 until after I started college), I really had NO idea what I wanted to do with my life. I was the first person on either side of my family to actually go to college, and my school councilors were too busying helping the failing kids pass to even care about other students. So imagine my shock when I went off to orientation and was looped in with the psychology kids.
I knew right away that while I loved psychology, I had no future unless I went to graduate school, and that really wasn’t an option money-wise (unless I found another full-ride). Lucky for me, I was in the same college that I wished to transfer in to. For those not so lucky, it can mean a year of classes that aren’t able to count for their new major and a big hassle in all the paperwork. But again, there was no one to help me figure out what I wanted to actually do. I choose communication media because I figured that it would be the broadest field to find a job.
So here I am, 4 years later, doing nothing that actually involves my major. While I loved my huge state university, there are times when I wish I had gone to a smaller school, one that put more emphasis on us instead of the numbers. I think that I would have been a better fit in the First Year College program at NC State, but then again, I never knew about it until it was too late.
To make a long story short, I`m now scrambling to make up for lost time. I`m applying for jobs, paid internships (I can’t afford one that doesn’t pay), anything that I can to get my step in the door. I`m e-mailing with people that may have came to my classes to talk years ago. I`m doing all I can to get myself out there.
But there is a part of me that really wants to go to grad school and receive my degree in nutrition. It’s totally random, but completely perfect for me. I`m going to the UNC-CH open house in March, that way, I`ll actually get to talk to professionals. But I need to make that money first.
In 8 months, my lease on my current place is up. Even if current plans fall through, there is no way I’m renewing my lease. Sure, the rent is low, but it’s not worth living in this building. Most nights, I can’t sleep thanks to the downstairs neighbors blaring their music. My bed vibrates, not even kidding. Yes, the leasing office knows about this. Yes, the police have been called on those individuals by many people, yet they are still there. This building is filthy, and truth be told, I’m sick of being stuck with crazy roommates. No one has any respect for property around here.
But there is a problem. With credit card payments needing to be made and my current rent payments, I’m unable to afford a new apartment on my current pay. Let’s see, rent is $400, cable is $10, credit card bills equal to about $120/month. Somehow, I have to pay all of this off of a $600 paycheck/month. No wonder I’m losing weight, I have no money to eat!
I’ve been applying for jobs on and off for about 4 months now. At first, I applied to a lot on Craigslist, most of which ended up being spam. It’s hard to find real job postings and it is just plain exhausting having to weed through the posts. So now, I’ve branched out. I`m asking friends for suggestions, searching companies by name (I applied to three different companies solely by googling “Raleigh MarketingFirms”). I`m not limited to just the Triangle, I`m also looking for jobs in D.C. (government based), and even in other states (Tennessee, South Carolina). But that has been only half-hazardly.
My goal is to have a real job in the Triangle area by March. By real job, I mean a full-time job that will allow me to have a real adult apartment. One I can decorate in my own style and feel proud of. If I don’t have any leads, then in February, I will branch out and really pursue jobs in other states. I also plan to keep applying to jobs back home. If I don’t have a real job by the time my lease is up, I will probably just move home and get a part-time job at a restaurant. Right now, I’m not saving any money at all and am mostly relying on credit cards to get through the month, so that would be a smart choice.
If anyone has an job hunting recommendations or know of anyone hiring, let me know! I have no attachments anywhere!
