WINTER, 1995
Think about it. Rodman is paid big bucks to appear in national TV commercials for Nike (like the recent Christmas spot where he "shakes down" Santa). Compare him to the Detroit Pistons' All-Star Joe Dumars... well-spoken, a gentleman and a more accomplished basketball player. How many national spots have you seen Dumars in? None!
Former Bears quarterback Jim McMahon was another high profile sports "character," with his perpetual shades, headbands and wiseass attitude. If I wasn't a diehard Bears fan, I probably would have considered him a jerk. But his act did make "Jimmy Mac" a whole lot of money off the football field.
Now, I'm not suggesting that you measure the success of athletes by their endorsements! Still, the success of Rodman, McMahon and numerous others reveals something about the society we live in today...
It is a society of too many TV channels, radio stations and magazines to keep track of, an overcrowded Information Highway, just too damn much "data" for the human brain to handle. It is a society where you have to SCREAM just to get some attention!
In this Age of Polarization, the "middle of the road" is a good place to get run over. "Mass appeal" is only a pleasant memory. It is a "society of superlatives," where the extreme, the unusual and the highly polarizing grab our attention.
This is the message, I think, of Oliver Stone's latest movie: Natural Born Killers. Stone says it doesn't matter what you're famous for anymore...just be famous for something! Outrageousness is OK. And the distinction between fame and notoriety is increasingly irrelevant.
To understand how extremes succeed today, we only need to
look at our own industry. The two most successful national radio personalities are hardly middle-of-the-roaders:
Howard Stern. He's said things on radio no one ever said on radio before. He's said things on radio I would not even say at my dinner table! Tasteless. Obnoxious. Irreverent...he even took on the F.C.C.! He's the "bad boy" of radio, and like him or not, you know who he is and what he's all about.
Rush Limbaugh. He's NOT reasoned and dispassionate...he's got a very overt axe to grind. Whether you agree with Rush or not, there's no question that he's highly partisan -- Conservative Republicans: GOOD, Liberal Democrats: BAD. There are no "shades of grey" in this picture!
And, what about politics? The Man of the Hour is Newt Gingrich. One minute he's pushing orphanages, next he's portraying the White House as a "drug den." Is he right? Wrong?
Does anyone care? Newt's grabbing all the attention, making his Senate counterpart Bob Dole look pale by comparison.
Meanwhile, President Bill Clinton is trying to "move to the middle." Is that good strategy? I'm no political expert, but it seems Clinton now has two groups of enemies: Republicans and liberal Democrats, all aiming daggers at "the man in the middle."
Back to media, think about Rupert Murdock. Several years ago, he set out on a mission impossible, according to all the experts: to start up a brand-new over-the-air TV network. And he succeeded, not with "mainstream" shows like Cosby...Fox's first big success was a disfunctional family -- Married With Children!
In contrast, NBC goofed when it selected Jay Leno over David Letterman to replace Johnny Carson. NBC considered Leno more likely to pick up Johnny's mass-appeal mantle than the off-the-wall, often edgy Letterman. But Johnny's success was of an earlier time...Letterman is perfect in the Age of Polarization.
Or, take cars. Before the Taurus debuted in 1986, Ford execs were very worried about its radical new styling. (It's hard to fathom now because the Taurus is ubiquitous, but its styling was considered radical a decade ago.) Yet Taurus has been a smashing success, while G.M.'s conservative, lookalike midsize sedans languish on dealers' lots.
In the world of retail, K-Mart is hurting badly...it just completed another round of massive corporate layoffs. Years ago, K-Mart stood unambiguously for "cheap." Now, Wal-Mart stands for cheap, while K-Mart poured millions into moving their image "up the scale." But would status-seekers shop K-Mart? Of course not! Now, neither do the most price-conscious.
I'm sure you can think of other examples. The point is: in this Age of Polarization, the extremes get noticed, while the middle-of-the-road get "lost in the noise." You'll never get consumers' attention by being moderate. And, it might help to "mellow out" once you've grabbed their attention, don't ever lose your "edge!"
Case in point: David Letterman (again). Now that he's on earlier, he dresses better, he's not as hostile (especially to women) and his appeal is broader. But he's still unmistakably David Letterman. Still zany after all these years.
Let's take it back to RADIO. What does the Age of Polarization mean to the radio industry?
For one thing, it makes me wonder about the long-term future of Adult Contemporary radio. A/C is by definition middle-of-the-road...it is "Not Too Hard, Not Too Soft," "Best of Yesterday and Today," etc. A/C remains successful and will continue to be, but it isn't Number One anymore...that distinction now belongs to Country -- a polarizing format.
Conversely, expect today's extremes to be tomorrow's Big Winners. The most recent example is Modern Rock. Not much more than a year ago, Modern Rock (or Alternative or whatever you call it) was a cult format...it had its fans, to be sure, but they were at the fringes of any market. But in the space of one year, this music and this format has exploded in appeal.
It also means that, regardless of format, your station has to more focused than ever. This is especially true if you're launching a new format. For example, if it is Hot Country, it had better be damn hot!!! If it's Hot Talk, it had better be outrageous.
Most of all, remember: In the Age of Polarization, there is no potential for a station that appeals to everyone a little...your station must appeal to some people A LOT!
In all but the smallest markets, radio is a "minority game!" Even in the best Country markets, for example, more listeners dislike country music than like it. Far more listeners hate Howard Stern or Rush Limbaugh than like them. And that doesn't matter!!! There are enough listeners who love country music, enough who love Howard, enough who love Rush to make them all very successful.
Pinpoint your target audience. Position and program your station so they will love it passionately! Forget about all others; even alienate them if need be. And you will succeed in the Age of Polarization.