They are waiting for the iPhone, which comes out today at 6:00 p.m. Let's take a look at the folks closest to us in the picture. According to the source of this photo, these three run a website together in Santa Monica, California (OOhhh, okay). On the left we have an extremely androgynous individual, but I'll refer to it as a male, since his name is Conrad Quilty-Harper (no joke). His shiny Mac laptop sits on his lap, and is decorated with several surely badass stickers that probably proclaim which political party he sides with in a completely non-confrontational tone. You could also catch him last week waiting in line for Sicko.Next we have the creepy old guy who thinks he's in touch with the younger crowd (that's literal, as well). Of course, his name is Tyler Crowley. I mean, look at the trendy cabby hat on his knee. I have no doubt that in his right ear is the newest Bluetooth device, placed just above the small, dangly earing. The dead giveaway is the shoes - they say, "Hey, I may have gray hair, and I may be required to wear nice collared shirts and dress pants when I go into work at the website office, but I play by my own rules when it comes to shoes. Is it a crime to be comfortable and look cool at the same time?"
And then comes our favorite. Oh, yes, this is Laura Monjoy. Do we think she went to UC Berkeley? What do we think she majored in? Look at that yuppie scum. She cares more about updating her blog (for her thousands of readers) about her epic wait than looking anywhere close to presentable. What is there to say? "So, I'm totally getting my picture taken right now. OMG, they better publish it as a JPEG, because GIF is so 2002. I feel bad for them if they use Adobe to upload it. I mean, the latest Adobe isn't exactly the greatest thing in the world. Meh, I could have written a better program in my sleep. Okay guyz and grrlz, at least I'm wearing my new capri pants and flops. It definitely shows that I'm laid back and just like to have a good time, you know?"
And then there's this kid:
This one is just so ripe that I'm going to ask you guys to write what you think his backstory is in the comments. Who is he? How the hell can he even afford a $500 iPhone? Who will he use it to have mass communication with? At what point did we encourage the youth of America to strive for goddamn knick knacks and gadgets above normal things like playing sports or getting to know the opposite sex?Epilogue: Don't get me wrong - I would certainly take an iPhone if it were given to me, but I hate this instant gratification mindset. What would YOU wait in line for?
10 comments:
This kid saves money by not going on dates and skipping haircuts.
Reviews on the new iPhone say that it only does a few things well. The phone and music player work, but the other features still have a lot of bugs. If you want one, wait a few months for new versions.
I personally own an iPod and I love it. I use it every day in the car because FM radio is garbage now. It's just unfunny DJs playing the same "hits" over and over. The radio is what allows bands like Nickelback, Staind, Fallout Boy to thrive and I cannot support that.
While I greatly enjoy what my iPod offers, the iPhone is not blowing my skirt up. I don't feel the need to combine my phone and music player. I prefer to take in the outside world as I walk through it, instead of sulking along like a zombie while tuning out the world to the newest obscure foreign music because it makes me feel cool.
There's my thesis.
Speaking of Joe's last comment on walking around with music all the time. I never understood that. All the weirdo's at GT did that with their iPods, God help you if you had to ask someone a question, they all just look at the ground while walking listening to I hate myself music, or watching Japanimation on their new video iPod.
I'd wait in line for Newt's autograph... and $1 drinks at Bourbon Street/Firehouse.
That's about it.
The goddamned mayor of Philadelphia camped out at 3:30am to get in line for it.
From the AJC:
Raymond, who works at an Atlanta dot-com company, was using a digital camera to send short "live from the line" videos to his friends throughout the day. "It's just cool to be the first person you know that has it," he said. "Someone referred to us as nerds. We refer to ourselves as cutting-edge technologists."
"While on reprieve from the incessant swirlies and mega-wedgies dealt to him by classmates, local Fatkid Jared Ingelsdorf waited in line to get his cheeto-dusted hands on the new iPhone.
'My internet friend, Tyler, sent me a video of the line. So, I pulled my head out of the toilet, unswirled my hair, and came down here,' said the mop-topped wedgie-magnet.
While Ingelsdorf can not actually afford the phone, he says that the most important thing is just to be seen in line.
'As long as people on the street THINK I'm a trendy Moby fan, then my mission has been accomplished,'said the once and future virgin. 'The chat room won't believe this!'"
All of these people make my skin crawl. I can think of so many things I would rather spend $500 on.
Also, I think Chris' backstory is the best.
Did we just get a Moby reference out of that?
I agree with ya'll on the social perspectives of this, but I would comment on this in a political context as well.
We are told constantly by Lou Dobbs, John Kerry, John Edwards, and Hillary Clinton that for the last 6 years there's been a "war" on the middle class in this country, and that we are living in the worst economy since the Great Depression.
If my history degree serves me correct, I'm pretty sure the Great Depression was that time when thousands of middle-class Americans had to line up in soup kitchens just to be able to get bread to survive. And now today we see thousands of middle-class folks lined up to drop $500 on totally unnecessary wallet-sized devices that serve as portable telephones, music players, personal computers, and TV's.
Even the richest 1% of Americans couldn't afford such devices 6 years ago. Are things really so bad?
The lower middle class of America sure does not mind forking over upwards of 200 bucks for a room at the Sandcastle Inn on beautiful Tybee Island. I'd say things are just fine. Now, if BC football and basketball can just get things going.
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