Tag Archives: marketing

“Ferrante Fever” – based on literary merit or hype?

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I don’t know why but I am in an inquisitive mood these days – again I would like to ask my readers for an opinion or a feed-back.

The author “Elena Ferrante” is on the Man Booker International Longlist this year, which some of my blogger colleagues cover in detail. Check their reviews out, there are some great books on the list again.

Maybe it is just me, but I am a bit allergic against authors that are subject of a media hype. I am not inclined to read any books by Knausgard or Houellebecq any time soon, and I am afraid that the same goes for Ferrante, who keeps her/his identity a secret – thus creating an even bigger interest in her/him (gossip of usually well-informed insiders hints at a male author behind the pseudonym, which would render most comments about her feminism and background rather ridiculous; indeed a lot of the reviews focus on the personality of the author – about which we know absolutely nothing for sure, except for those bits we are told to believe, something I find highly problematic. Media shyness of the author or very clever marketing?). 

I cannot say anything about the quality of the Ferrante books so far – as you see from my previous remarks, I am until now immune against the “Ferrante Fever”. I am not a friend of such deliberate obfuscations, and will read these books probably a bit later, when the hype has a bit calmed down and I don’t have the impression to be subject of a media campaign and collective frenzy.

Now I have a question for you, dear readers: 

Did you read recently anything by “Elena Ferrante”? Is she(?) really as brilliant as almost everyone tells me or is this article in Commentary closer to the truth?

What is your opinion?

And, if you like, another question:

How do you approach “hyped” authors (like Knausgard or Houellebecq)? How do you prevent yourself from being influenced in your judgement regarding the literary merits of their books by the noise of the media around such authors?

Looking forward to your opinions!

© Thomas Hübner and mytwostotinki.com, 2014-6. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without expressed and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Thomas Hübner and mytwostotinki.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

“For good mood”

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Most of you know what a fortune cookie is – a cookie with a fortune inside, i.e. a message that predicts a hopefully bright future or at least a positive aspect of the future. “You will make a new friend”, “A surprising journey is waiting for you”, “A lottery win”. or “You will meet the love of your life”, or a similarly harmless message, not to be taken seriously.

As far as I know, this trend comes originally from China and has spread all over the world now. As it happens with such trends, some changes and adaptations have occurred in some parts of the world.

One of these changes is that the fortune can be also a quote by a famous person, an aphorism – preferably funny or philosophical, something that makes you think or smile. Something that enhances your good mood.

The other change that can be observed in many places is that the fortune comes without the cookie. You order a coffee, and it comes with a rolled fortune message.

As a curious person, I usually unfold these fortune messages. Not because I believe in the truth of these fortunes, but because they can tell you sometimes something about the mentality or the culture of the place.

During my last visit in Sofia, I had a coffee with a friend. And – it came with a fortune message:

 

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The text reads as follows:

“The bigger the lie, the easier it will be believed.” (Adolf Hitler)

Yes, this is not a joke! Where usually quotes by famous philosophers, spiritual persons, scientists are printed, you have to read the quote of one of the biggest mass murderers in history.

And as if this was not already enough, the fortune message says (below the logo of the company “Happy”, the biggest chain of fast food restaurants in Bulgaria):

“For good mood”

No, “Happy”, I was not at all in a good mood.

Are you just plain stupid, incredibly insensitive, or do you really want to bring your customers “in a good mood” by offering them fortune messages from a mass murderer? Or do you possibly think that this form of marketing is even clever?

In the last case, I bet that your next fortune messages will be like this:

“A man, a problem – no man, no problem.” (Josef Stalin)

“Everything I did, I did for my country.” (Pol Pot)

“You cannot run faster than a bullet.” (Idi Amin)

“Happy” – the inventor of “Genocide marketing”. Shame on you!

 

© Thomas Hübner and mytwostotinki.com, 2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without expressed and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Thomas Hübner and mytwostotinki.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.