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blahblah
Gym climber
Boulder
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Apr 23, 2015 - 01:24pm PT
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An even more cynical take than the OP's is that KJ wasn't merely "selling out" by taking advantage of his 15 minutes of fame by doing the Duracell commercial, but rather that the entire DW media circus was designed by TJ and KJ to lead to exactly this type of opportunity.
In other words, it wasn't "hey, I'm famous, may as well do a celebrity endorsement," but rather "how can I get mainstream media press so that I can get endorsement opportunities."
Not saying I necessarily believe that, but I was one of the many climbers who struggled a bit to understand why DW became a media obsession, especially when very few members of the media or the viewers of the story could give an accurate account of what made the ascent "special."
(For the ever important ST record, I do not begrudge "famous" climbers figuring out how to monetize that fame, within reason. Honnold seems to be far and away the most successful--more power to him.)
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brotherbbock
Trad climber
Alta Loma, CA
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Apr 23, 2015 - 02:05pm PT
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I'm calling bullshit on ECF
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Largo
Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
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Apr 23, 2015 - 02:28pm PT
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Couple things worth looking at closely - the idea of "selling out," and what does this actually mean in both climbing and in the world at large. And the quaint notion that amateurs are in some way the finer, more pure and true article and occupy some higher ground. Lastly, of course the top performers get most all the attention, for the same reason my neighbors garage band doesn't get the same play as Foo Fighters. My neighbors just aren't any good. This doesn't make them less as humans, only as musicians.
Perhaps the remedy is to bomb the media with a couple climbers who aren't especially good or doing interesting routes and who don't much care and consider themselves too good for you or your silly opinion and your rotten money - and we don't pay them anything for being on the news for 20 days. Now that's a team worthy of our respect and attention.
JL
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Studly
Trad climber
WA
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Apr 23, 2015 - 03:20pm PT
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Kevin Jorgeson is the Man! Hell yeah. But like most men, he has to eat and drive a car and wear clothing. So therefore to climb at the professional level, he needs to take on sponsorships and the like to pay the bills. If he can score a bigtime commercial or ad, all the better!
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Apr 23, 2015 - 03:37pm PT
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If you don't think marketing and advertising are legitimate payworthy endeavours...
Well you've never succeeded at owning or running a business.. you just had jobs.
That is selling out compared to making your own job.
I admire KJ for being able to pursue his passion, perform at the highest level and find a way to make a living of some sort from it. Selling batteries is not very evil compared to driving a car. Therefore it's pretty far down the list of 1st world problems even worth commenting on.
Flabbergastrionics
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rockermike
Trad climber
Berkeley
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Apr 23, 2015 - 03:58pm PT
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The new pro-climber look. Just got to add some go-pros for the full effect. :)
Kind of reminds me of when Joe Montana showed up on TV adds pitching K Mart. He had full rights to sell his fame for some bucks but I have to admit my respect for the guy dropped just a little bit when I saw it. lol
oh and for you youngens Joe used to be a famous football player.
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Apr 23, 2015 - 04:02pm PT
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Ha.. don't they wish.. they would be making the real bucks then.
All the damn effort I put into climbing I might have been able to make a decent living in a real sport.
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WBraun
climber
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Apr 23, 2015 - 04:06pm PT
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The American way is to make money.
The dollar in America is god.
There's no escape in America,
unless you're intelligent ......
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limpingcrab
Trad climber
the middle of CA
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Apr 23, 2015 - 05:41pm PT
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Not saying I necessarily believe that, but I was one of the many climbers who struggled a bit to understand why DW became a media obsession, especially when very few members of the media or the viewers of the story could give an accurate account of what made the ascent "special."
Adidas. It worked. Good job Adidas
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MisterE
Gym climber
Being In Sierra Happy Of Place
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Apr 23, 2015 - 08:04pm PT
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but I was one of the many climbers who struggled a bit to understand why DW became a media obsession, especially when very few members of the media or the viewers of the story could give an accurate account of what made the ascent "special."
The same thing as the ending of the FA of the Nose: Lone man/men encapsulated on a wall with (according to media perception) "No Way Off The Wall" - a purely self-induced parameter.
Bam! Media frenzy formula! It's worked twice!
One more and it's like a song about Superman...
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Apr 23, 2015 - 08:44pm PT
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Three times.. actually.. twice for Harding.
El Cap is a perfect stage.
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murcy
Gym climber
sanfrancisco
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Apr 23, 2015 - 11:06pm PT
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I would totally have gone Energizer. Plus, I really admire the OP in that, when I have a huge stick up mine, I can't even type.
Edit: yes, sorry! Misidentified the target as the OP. Sorry, Bruce, and good diagnosis, DMT!
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clinker
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, California
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Apr 24, 2015 - 06:26am PT
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Plus, I really admire the OP in that, when I have a huge stick up mine, I can't even type.
What I really admire about the OP is that he works as though he is an indentured servant, doing a hell of a lot of manual labor for climber's benefit in general. Give this OP sh#t in our neck of the woods and we will likely rip your stick clip out of your hands and beat you with it and then use it to perform an outdoor colonoscopy, speaking figuratively, of course.
Yes, you may have trouble typing.
:)
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overwatch
climber
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Apr 24, 2015 - 07:20am PT
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Reading comp fail. Revealed himself as another internet tough guy.
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overwatch
climber
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Apr 24, 2015 - 07:55am PT
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I don't know I am sure they are both vicious little scrappers
Edit:
I was actually referring to clinker with his stick clip colonoscopy bs.
Edit ll:
to avoid bumping this dumb thread:
See what I mean? Internet tough guy = clinker
Edit lll:
No matter who he is ECF started the attacking by writing "go f*#k yourself"
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wbw
Trad climber
'cross the great divide
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Apr 24, 2015 - 08:10am PT
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I've got double digit el cap ascents with the cheapest batteries you can buy.
But I worked for the money to buy them, and I don't owe Hitachi anything.
When they wore out, I put in another set. It's not rocket surgery.
So, ok, don't launch out on a pitch with nearly dead batteries, got ya Chief.
Any more vital beta for the common folk?
I like how it says climbing is a professional stunt, and that average people should not attempt... If that is true, I should just kill myself now.
My feelings on corporate sponsorship are well documented, and based on dozens of dead friends and personal experience.
If you have no problem with image prostitution, let's just say you and I have walked different paths.
Wowzer! Somebody gulped a big swallow of holier-than-thou.
We all gotta make a living dude. I'm sure you prostitute yourself in your own way to do so. My experience with rants like this by people claiming to be so "pure", is that they most often come from grouchy old guys that don't get laid.
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Barbarian
climber
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Apr 24, 2015 - 09:34am PT
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Blah, blah, blah
Let he who has no carbon footprint cast the first stone...
Such whining over a TV commercial!
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dave729
Trad climber
Western America
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Apr 24, 2015 - 10:27am PT
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Switch: "Stop the car. Listen to me, Copper-top. We don't have time for
twenty questions. Right now there's only one rule, our way or the highway."
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johntp
Trad climber
socal
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Apr 24, 2015 - 11:44am PT
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Just got back from lunch. Had an 8 oz. burger and fries. What are we talking about?
edit: Seriously, if the guy can make some coin what's the deal? He put in the effort to do the route. Climbers need to eat too.
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Barbarian
climber
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Apr 24, 2015 - 12:29pm PT
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grouchy old guys that don't get laid
Hey, that hurt!
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