Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Building a business in the new economy from old TV shows

I remember watching "Little House on the Prairie" when I was a kid. Not by choice, of course, but because that was the only babysitter I had at 2pm with both of my parents at work.  I think they were old re-runs on TV land or Channel 44 which is now WB television.  I have no idea, it's been over a year since I have had cable television...  But the article does point out some interesting points that parallel the TV show and what we have on Facebook today.  See the highlights below:

  1. Drama – There was always some sort of drama occurring on Little House. Someone might get lost, the crops might not come in and then, of course, there was Mary going blind. If you need a little drama in your life today, facebook is full of it, especially if you have any teenage girls as facebook friends. 
  2. Sibling rivalry – Mary and Laura didn’t always get along. They would have their spats, which might include some name calling and shouting. You can find this on facebook too. Siblings have no trouble SHOUTING at each other on facebook. It just comes out in all caps, instead of raised voices. 
  3. Bullying – Nelly Olson was the snooty bully, who liked to tease the Ingall girls on Little House on the Prairie. The same sort of teasing and bullying goes on over facebook, though parents and school authorities try to keep their eye on those things, so they don’t get out of hand. 
  4. Family – You saw a lot of family interaction on Little House. Ma and Pa and the girls would share their thoughts with each other in their tiny home. On facebook, you see the same intergenerational sharing going on. The kids, parents and even grandpa and grandma will be chatting with each other there. 
  5. Friends – Little House showed the interaction between the Ingall’s family and their friends and neighbors on a regular basis. The same social atmosphere exists on facebook. 
  6. Preacher – One of the characters on Little House on the Prairie was the pastor of the church watching over his flock. You’ll find pastors doing the same thing on facebook. Pastoral visits can be made via laptop these days. 
  7. Social status – There were those who were popular and those who were not in Walnut Grove. The same is true on facebook. Many people judge their popularity by the number of facebook friends they have accumulated. 
  8. Romance – As the girls got older, you found romance coming into the Little House on the Prairie program. Facebook is no stranger to teenage romances. There are many romance fires kindled and extinguished via the facebook feed. 
  9. Farming – Walnut Grove was a farming community where ‘Pa’ tilled the soil to grow his crops. Facebook has its own crops being tended by many faithful Farmville participants. 
  10. Actors – Of course, the parts of each of the Ingall’s family were played by actors pretending to be people whom they were not. You’ll find those on facebook too.

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