Sunday, January 13, 2013

Science, technology, and the internet, oh my!

One of my favorite things about the internet is the limitless possibility for really interesting creative projects--particularly those that riff on characters people already know and love. Twitter, for example, is so cool for this--I love the accounts written from the perspective of various characters adapted for Twitter. @SesameStreet is a great example of this (remember when Cookie Monster referenced Carly Rae Jepsen and asked for cookies? Or for that matter, when Sesame Street Workshop did a music video to "You have cookie, share it maybe?") So clever. So creative. Modern Seinfeld is another great example.

It is a testament to the mass appeal of the original characters and their story that these sorts of mashups between character and technology (and often commentary on a current event) that these tweets (and videos and photos) just blow up in popularity.

I am a fan of cleverness in all its forms. Even if you aren't particularly interested in the original character, you can generally appreciate the art of the mashup. Take two examples that I came across this weekend. The first was what happens when an astronaut (Chris Hadfield) responds to a tweet from William Shatner. The entire Star Trek crew gets involved.  I love this. I especially love the fact that so many characters joined the conversation. To top it off, Buzz Aldrin--Buzz Aldrin!--chimed in. Brilliant. Clever. Wholesome, creative, and fun.

Coincidentally, the other amusing mashup of the playful and the serious I saw this weekend was also science related. The official White House response to this petition to secure funding to build a death star has been making its way around the internets. I just love how creative and humorous this is, while also accurately capturing the White House policy line. Why write something boring when you can at least be entertaining as you explain why constructing a death star isn't in the cards for our jobs and science policy future?

What clever, creative things have caught your attention recently?

No comments:

Post a Comment