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Walking the Line
How waiting became part of pop culture
A few times in the last couple of years, I've done some reporting about eagerly awaited new consumer products. On each of these occasions, the product in question was a big deal to the company releasing it, real business news by any definition of the term. On each occasion, I was asked to interview people waiting in line for it. And on each occasion, I felt utterly ridiculous doing so.
There may have been a time when the line to buy or see something, like an iPhone, a video game or a movie, was part of a story – but that time has long past. These days, it's a distraction. I thought of this when I wrote about "The Dark Knight," which drew lines for reasons I can't quite figure out. Most of the opening weekend showings of the movie had been sold out for days, and yet Batman fans waited in line for hours anyway. Partly, I guess they wanted to get the best seats possible. But I think they also just wanted an excuse to wear their white makeup and purple sportcoats.
Opening-weekend movie lines have become what Daniel Boorstin called "pseudo events" – activities that occur solely for the purpose of media attention. Action film fans wait in line, not to see the movie, but to participate in a (sub)cultural event. And, these days, the sign of a cultural event is the presence of a television camera. Dressing up like the Joker can't be much fun without an audience, and local television news crews provide one. In return, they get footage that draws ratings. Everyone wins.
There may have been a time when the line to buy or see something, like an iPhone, a video game or a movie, was part of a story – but that time has long past. These days, it's a distraction. I thought of this when I wrote about "The Dark Knight," which drew lines for reasons I can't quite figure out. Most of the opening weekend showings of the movie had been sold out for days, and yet Batman fans waited in line for hours anyway. Partly, I guess they wanted to get the best seats possible. But I think they also just wanted an excuse to wear their white makeup and purple sportcoats.
Opening-weekend movie lines have become what Daniel Boorstin called "pseudo events" – activities that occur solely for the purpose of media attention. Action film fans wait in line, not to see the movie, but to participate in a (sub)cultural event. And, these days, the sign of a cultural event is the presence of a television camera. Dressing up like the Joker can't be much fun without an audience, and local television news crews provide one. In return, they get footage that draws ratings. Everyone wins.
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