Thanks for the insightful semi-rant on the Coconut 250: "So what are we watching, really?
Not a sport, not exactly ... a serialised, participatory narrative about voluntary suffering, unfolding over days."
Your description is welcome because I've been perplexed since these started, as you couldn't pay me enough money to watch a multi-day event. Actually, I max out at 3 hours. Even though I respect the event and many friends are participants, it's like watching paint dry. Participation is fine; spectating, not for me.
My conclusion is the Internet has now achieved Andy Warhols prediction, "In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes." More Norwegians watched a live-stream of the annual Caribou Migration than fans tuned into the C250.
Or maybe it's "Inverse Fascination." My favorite running event to watch is the 1500 on the track - throw some elbows! Maybe I like it because I'm personally slow, while I just did a 6-day stage race last September (there's this place called Wales where it rains a lot...) so I have no interest watching anyone else slog it out.
Matt, thanks for your good & thoughtful analysis. I actually did not let myself watch much of the livestream this year because it's a time suck and I was on deadline for a project that demanded my full attention, so I swore it off. However, I got updates from Instagram. I would say one of the most compelling, even "addictive," aspects is the ongoing chat in the livestream's chat box. Following who's saying what about whom and all the side commentary is, in my view, almost as interesting as what's happening on the livestream's screen.
Respectfully, I wonder if people unsure what to make of Cocodona know what Twitch is.
While Cocodona is new in running, long form media content is an enormous worldwide industry and has been for several years. 24 hour streams are common promotional casts for people who are actually doing "nothing", not even racing. Long form streaming as a medium is heavily utilized for computer games (esports, if you will), sports, hobbies, and voyeurization of the subject.
It's admittedly a bit amusing that older people may still be unaware that streaming is normal for Gen Z and treated similarly to TV. :)
Our community isn't different or immune from what millions of other people already like; This is just the first time it's been utilized here.
Pardon me for this addition: I thought but neglected to write that Jamil does a terrific job, both with RD and broadcasting. I personally just have a short attention span.
Thanks for the insightful semi-rant on the Coconut 250: "So what are we watching, really?
Not a sport, not exactly ... a serialised, participatory narrative about voluntary suffering, unfolding over days."
Your description is welcome because I've been perplexed since these started, as you couldn't pay me enough money to watch a multi-day event. Actually, I max out at 3 hours. Even though I respect the event and many friends are participants, it's like watching paint dry. Participation is fine; spectating, not for me.
My conclusion is the Internet has now achieved Andy Warhols prediction, "In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes." More Norwegians watched a live-stream of the annual Caribou Migration than fans tuned into the C250.
Or maybe it's "Inverse Fascination." My favorite running event to watch is the 1500 on the track - throw some elbows! Maybe I like it because I'm personally slow, while I just did a 6-day stage race last September (there's this place called Wales where it rains a lot...) so I have no interest watching anyone else slog it out.
Matt, thanks for your good & thoughtful analysis. I actually did not let myself watch much of the livestream this year because it's a time suck and I was on deadline for a project that demanded my full attention, so I swore it off. However, I got updates from Instagram. I would say one of the most compelling, even "addictive," aspects is the ongoing chat in the livestream's chat box. Following who's saying what about whom and all the side commentary is, in my view, almost as interesting as what's happening on the livestream's screen.
Respectfully, I wonder if people unsure what to make of Cocodona know what Twitch is.
While Cocodona is new in running, long form media content is an enormous worldwide industry and has been for several years. 24 hour streams are common promotional casts for people who are actually doing "nothing", not even racing. Long form streaming as a medium is heavily utilized for computer games (esports, if you will), sports, hobbies, and voyeurization of the subject.
It's admittedly a bit amusing that older people may still be unaware that streaming is normal for Gen Z and treated similarly to TV. :)
Our community isn't different or immune from what millions of other people already like; This is just the first time it's been utilized here.
Pardon me for this addition: I thought but neglected to write that Jamil does a terrific job, both with RD and broadcasting. I personally just have a short attention span.
Appreciate the shout-out!