Quote of The Week, Fenske – 12/30/07

Tomorrow, as you may or may not know (but most likely you know) is New Year’s Eve. The year is about to be gone forever, just like every single one before it.

The next one is within seeing distance. And soon that one will be gone too. And soon after that, when you’ve seen a few dozen more of them and some higher being has figured that you’ve had your fill, there will be no more.

But I digress.

While I hate quoting Fenske so much (the guy is just so damn insightful), I couldn’t resist putting this one up to honor the end of 2007.

He wrote this exactly one year ago tomorrow:

“People who go dark inside at the thought of New Year's Eve, those are my people. Friends of mine have left New Year's parties at 10 minutes to midnight to walk out by themselves on the beach in LA to face the stars and the waves at the big moment. Looking back, those have been my best friends, not the ones who stayed on the dance floor. I've been that person standing on the beach at midnight, feet in the ocean, eyes pinned on the stars & moon several times, looking for what I can't tell you. Once it was my own party I left . . .We aren't putting stuff like this into ads. I think that's a mistake. I think people who make ads are getting drawn more and more away from telling the truth as we know it. People are walking around dying inside for someone to come along and say ‘Man, I hate New Year's Eve, don't you?’ But we're not speaking to that part of them as much as we used to. Maybe we're not speaking to them at all as much as we once did. And, truly, there are also people walking around dying to hear the exact opposite as well- something funny/light/warm/dizzy/smart/crackling that you can think of, you who are different and better and younger or older or wiser or faster or less abstract than me . . . The point is: use what's real to you. There isn't a company on earth that doesn't need more connection to the human beings who buy its product, would buy its product, or would at least be willing to stop lampooning people who they see buying the product.”

-Mark Fenske

Tomorrow night, when you’re undoubtedly at some sort of party, surrounded by loads of people, everyone obscenely drunk and searching for someone vaguely attractive enough to hold onto and kiss when the ball drops, try and take his words along with you.


Go off to be on your own, thinking your own thoughts, not what everyone else wants you to think, not what you think you should think. If you hate New Year’s, as Mark and I do, and find it to be nothing more than glitzy, overblown hype about a single, ridiculous moment in recorded time that comes around once ever 365 days, then think that.

Or think something else that I couldn’t think to write here. Most likely (and hopefully) it will be that.


And if you’re one of the poor schmucks that happens to love and embrace this holiday, even with all of it's hoopla and overpriced open bars,

Happy New Year.

dubs. out.