The Paula Gordon Show |
Conversation 1 Janine Misdom tells Paula Gordon and Bill Russell that she is no futurist -- she doesn't think anyone is -- she's just a person willing to listen to the ideas being generated by today's young visionaries, help corporations and other adults to move beyond their fear of people different from themselves, i.e., young. She describes the mindsets of young leaders and visionaries who are difficult to reach but worth the effort. She describes how fixating on market surveys and studying today's mainstream youth mires one in the present. |
Conversation 2 Misdom talks about underground designers to whom her colleagues listen and describes fashion, advertising and marketing's responses to young consumers. She identifies the fear factor which keeps corporations from reaching their audience, from accessing the people who will shape their markets. She distinguishes between mainstream young people and those who are visionary. She tells how what she and her associates are learning reflects broader societal trends, using "club culture" as an example. She tells why she and her company concentrate on the younger market, providing a window into creative thinking which yields some very surprising perceptions on the part of young people. |
Conversation 3 Two schools of thought exist among young individuals thinking about the future, an "Armageddon" mentality and an optimistic one which sees a creative renaissance on the horizon. Misdom describes both. She describes the "diversity" going on in youth culture. She describes the important role of the hip-hop scene for young people, the music of which she describes as poetry set to a rhythm. She compares the "youthquakes" of prior generations to today's more diffuse cultures and movements among the young. She makes a plea for adults to learn not to edit to their own taste, using young people's urge to promote themselves as unique as her example. She describes her entry into the consuming world of the very young. |
Conversation 4 Misdom describes how her correspondents go into the environment of young visionaries and leaders to listen to their opinions. She describes "the scene" in San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Austin, Chicago, Atlanta, New York, London, Berlin and Brazil and to a lesser extent, Tokyo. She identifies the "global" aspects which all share, including a strong bent toward individual spirituality. She tells how specific music, musicians and fashion leaders are affecting mainstream young people |
Conversation 5 Misdom continues describing the importance of music and the new ways it is finding its way into the mainstream youth culture, changing the music business. ĘShe tells how the sense of community is being totally redefined by the young, both locally and globally. She talks about "creative anarchy' and gives examples of its positive impact. She draws parallels to the Bauhaus movement early in the century. |
Conversation 6 Optimism is what Misdom finds among young visionaries and leaders. She urges an equal sense of optimism for adults in all capacities as well and tells why. She describes the eagerness of young leaders to be involved with but apart from major corporations and tells why she thinks that can be a profitable mix. She names companies she believes are effectively listening to their young customers and celebrates the demise of competition as a driving force among the young. |
Acknowledgements Janine was a remarkably patient translator. She was good humored in bridging the linguistic gap between the very young and those of us who are less so. We enjoyed the visit into unknown territory! |
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