Real Not Real

I know I’m not the only one in America who still gets giddy when hearing the words “President Obama” uttered on the news–but I feel a bit silly admitting it.

Despite that, there are a lot of reasons why I’m enjoying this administration, many of which revolve around the administration’s relationship to design and pop culture. I thought I’d share…

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5.  You released your NCAA bracket and it made the headlines. I mean, really? When we’re all concerned about the economy and layoffs, we also care about your NCAA picks? I LOVE that you put Carolina at the top of the list. They might not win, but they’re my pick, too.

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4. Inauguration 2009 was one I actually watched on TV. THIS (Stevie! Kanye! Aretha!) is a soundtrack that I actually like! I mean, what a surprise that inaugurations can actually be interesting with the right cast of characters. So thanks, Obama, for making that inauguration feel relevant.

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3.  “The Office of the President Elect” sign was classic. So made-up! But you love graphic design and branding, President Obama. And that makes me love you.

(PHOTO VIA WASHINGTON POST)

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2. The day after the election, I flew back to SF. Landing at SFO and driving into the city, I saw this Obama wheat paste in SOMA. And it made me happy that our president-elect had an impact on people across the US, across generations. Pretty exciting to have people wheat-pasting about someone you can actually vote for.

(PHOTO COURTESY MEG PICKARD VIA FLICKR)

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1. Election Night 2008 was one of the best nights of the year for me. I was in DC for work, our all-day meeting ended early, and I made it to Adam’s Morgan by late afternoon. This led to a drive out to VA with my dear friend Bethany Powell for a party with college friends, and a stop on the way back into town to grab an OBAMA-BIDEN sign out of the median of RT 7 in Virginia. On our way back into the city, Bethany had the bright idea to stop by the White House, and when we got there, we found a small crowd gathering, that later turned into this:

(PHOTO VIA MY FLICKR SET FROM THAT NIGHT)

Thanks, Obama, for giving me a great night!

And great set design at your acceptance speech. LOVED that. Oh–and your Flickr set for your own Election Night?! Unbelievable. That was like the icing on the cake the day after the election. You rock.

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So really, Barack. Thanks a lot. I know the economy sucks and all, and we’re still in the middle of two wars, and there isn’t universal healthcare yet, but it’s only been 60 days and you’ve had a lot on your plate. So thanks for all the great graphic design and pop culture references. You’ve been fun to watch.

My latest post is up on visadiaries.com …

A few months ago, a friend told me that if he heard the phrase “In this economy” one more time, he might explode. Little did we know, then, how many more times we’d get to hear it, and, frankly, how much more we’d care about hearing it. How we’d probably come to hang on the words of stories that began that way, and how we’d pray to move beyond it.

This is a story that begins “In this economy.” It’s a story about the joy that consumables can bring us, and the ability to find that joy for under $20. It’s a story about a showerhead that has changed my life, or at the very least, my mornings … (more after the jump)