Fanfare! Minons! Swastikas! Celebrities! Cute-dog!

[Octopus Messiah]

Over the last months I've noticed an enormous discrepancy between promo posts for Litopia After Dark.
Along the lines of:
Posting a show link with a pithy header: 10 views/responses/likes/whatevs
Posting a show link with a pithy header AND A PICTURE OF THE DOG: 110 views/responses/likes/whatevs

This was driving me insane at the base emotional nature of our increasingly click-bait culture.
Until yesterday when a very sensible German programmer friend dropped by. I say sensible despite his thirty color hair-do, multiple piercings and mis-matched socks. As I was ranting, a cat appeared in our back garden. I don't mind cats in the back garden at night because they hunt the mice that eat the crumbs from off the bird feeder-- but I DO mind them during the day because they hunt the birds themselves. So I give the command of "Kitty!" and the Olive dog leaps off the couch and charges snarling into the yard. And my friend goes:

"That's not a dog. That's a minion. You feed and house her-- why NOT send her forth to do your bidding?"

Why indeed?

In other words: #cutedog Olive sez: Please share this mailer! Fly, my monkeys-- fly!
*please excuse the pomposity of this post. rant over.

 

[Karen Gray]

I think the whole animal thing seems to speak to some deep part of people. see animal, want to hunt it so click and see more of animal... drat, it be computer animal. Never the less I did see more haha! I be hunter after all!

Although clearly not in that jestacious or blatant a way... but there you have it.

Being somewhat of an animal freak myself I understand what you mean, and am not above using my furries to gain attention for the needs of the many, or just for cuteness ... For example;

WHich was a promo photo for Grayside (my stud prefix) but also for the Sugarbush Draft Horse Association of America, of which my mare is the only international Foundation member


Point being, animals are great and enjoying them is great too

 

[Octopus Messiah]

Agreed. Also the emotional reaction one gets and receives from an animal is uncomplicated. That being said, this dog manipulates me like a champ. How can I not give her a treat after she fetches the slippers?
ps nice stud!

 

[1408]

@Karen Gray I think I read somewhere that people are drawn to animals, especially the ones we consider cute, because they have similar features to children - which we're programmed to like and protect. You know, the furry children with the pointy ears. It's das kinderschema!

And that brings us back to the podcast! If I had anyone to send it out to, I would. Sorry, Olive!

 

[Karen Gray]

That's my matriarch, at present I don't have a stud, and I'm not planning any more foals for at least 2 years... too much going on. Saffron (in the picture) is originally from the French National Stud. She is the producer of champions. Her last foal (which I kept) I was offered £2500 when she was days old. She is something special.

Alas I digress, horse mad you see

 

[Marc Joan]

Why don't you try a little experiment:
A: Start a thread with a picture of Olive dog. No words.
B: Start a thread with words of deep and deathless wisdom. No picture of Olive dog.
C: Start a thread with words + Olive dog.
Compare responses / reactions.

 

[Karen Gray]

I think that would be quite revealing

 

[Octopus Messiah]

I was watching a doc I can't

Why don't you try a little experiment:
A: Start a thread with a picture of Olive dog. No words.
B: Start a thread with words of deep and deathless wisdom. No picture of Olive dog.
C: Start a thread with words + Olive dog.
Compare responses / reactions.

Great, so you're basically asking me to make myself cry. We all know how this will go down, maybe not in this forum but in the digital world at large.
On a more upbeat note, after aforementioned German programmer friend saw the mailer he said: "Finally you are using the internet correctly."
(Finally?)