Ring, ring, ring, ring, ring bananaphone
By adamg - Sat, 07/19/2008 - 10:03pm.
So 20 people walk into the new Apple store on Boylston Street with banana phones - and promptly get kicked out.
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Ding dong ding dong ding dong ding donanaphone!
Adam, the one you posted is the psycho sped up chipmunk version.
Original version as Raffi sings it (which is my ringtone...) can be found here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neKXc7pw4go
http://1smootshort.blogspot.com
This had the seed of a good
This had the seed of a good idea, and could've been a good little performance. But the video makes it look like ill-conceived flop.
For an example of good execution and documentation, see things like the Union Station Freeze-In:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMpS9JL7K2g
How soon you judge
Neil, this was no flop, and was anything but ill-conceived. But when constrained by hidden cameras and several people throughout the store, it was not easy to construct a video that accurately represented what happened. I'm lucky I even got that much footage as it is.
Until you are willing to carry a hidden camera for us, keep your damn mouth shut. It sounds much easier than it actually is. When you can't physically see what you're filming, it's wicked hard.
And don't worry, I won't subject you to the "ill-conceived flop" that is the final video in progress. And I don't need a lesson on documentary film-making, thank you.
apparently
Neil is an expert & a critic & speaks for everyone
cranky much?
Ya, this reply makes me want to watch your video.
where's your video?
did you plan & film the one you linked to?
Yup
I had a camera hidden inside my computer bag, but that's just the footage of us interacting with the employees.
But the full film is in progress. It was lots of fun!! Most people had a good sense of humor about it, but as per usual, one bad apple spoiled it (for once, no pun intended).
The video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8GQhxNabxc
I had a hard time getting a lot of footage inside the store, since the camera was hidden and I was playing too.
People with too much time on
People with too much time on their hands.
"But I don't wanna grow up!
That'll show those FAT CATS at the APPLE STORE!
As someone who served a brief sentence in the magical world of retail, I just have to tell you how overjoyed the minimum wage workers at the Apple store must have been to see a rag-tag drama club from THE INTERNET show up to entertain and make their jobs fun and easy! Imagine how giddy an Apple store clerk would be after more than a week of selling brand new overpriced status symbols to legions of Apple devotees (and Apple fans are an absolute joy; I wish everyone had the mindset, courtesy, and hygiene of people who line up for hours for that fantastic iPhone) only to have HILARIOUS COMEDIANS from the WORLD WIDE WEB try to return (...get this...) BANANAS! I only wish I was there to see the size of the smile on the clerk who just helped Apple sell a MILLION iPhones in 3 days for a tiny paycheck when a wonderful person in an ever-growing line gave him the gift of COMEDY in the form of a WACKY banana. This brilliant troupe of players has surely STUCK IT to DA MAN!
But seriously, if you truly want to fuck with low-wage earners in the most devious ways possible, do what I do - constantly vote Republican.
I agree... I want to ask the
I agree... I want to ask the original author if he ever had to work retail in his life, and if he did did he have to deal with hundreds of Apple type customers everyday looking for their Apple fix, and if so did he ever have to do that and go to school or work another job, and if so was he making minimum wage at the time?
I worked in retail two years in high school, all through college and then after college for a few years on the side in addition to my normal job. Its not fun, its not easy, and its not exciting.
I personally think the whole banana thing was funny, but when confronted by an overworked employee I think it would have been better if you just backed down. Instead your argued with him, and then made a comment that you were helping people when the store employees didnt come over to help. I think your actions after confrontation and in writing are just plain rude. Im coming to your work tomorrow with 20 friends and some bananas, I hope you find it amusing.
Shady:
No, I've never worked in retail. I have, however, worked in several customer service environments, and I can understand a certain amount of consternation by annoyed employees.
But what needs to be clear is that we were in no way interfering with business, or harrassing customers. Since I was participating in addition to filming, I wasn't able to catch the moments when people were waiting aimlessly in line, frustrated at having to postpone their i-fix, and got a huge smile on their faces at a chance for distraction and happiness.
And the employee was definitely not overworked; there were literally dozens of employees wandering the store aimlessly, looking for something to do. Granted, there were some hard-working people, but for the size of the crowd, they really ignored a bunch of people. A line of people that stretches around the middle of the store on both sides (have you been there?) usually know what they want, and do not usually need employees fawning on them.
If you want to invade my workplace with 20 banana-bearing people, I'd love to have you (then bitch about it afterwards, because God knows our lives need more boredom). I work for the MBTA, so come on down!!!
p.s.
the person who said I have too much time on my hands, I wish that were the case. I work two jobs and am in Grad school. I just know how to prioritize my life. It's people like you who don't know how to grab life by its horns and have fun every once in a while.
At least I now know where my last banana ended up...
Chill out!
Speaking as someone who was:
a) There with a banana phone &
b) Has worked in retail and more menial customer service jobs than working in an air conditioned retail store with avant garde techies like myself as customers.
It was a whole lot of fun for everyone involved. We certainly had fun with the bananas, as did a lot of customers waiting in line, and a lot of the staff.
Sure enough though, like the video shows, one by one all of us were confronted and basically told to quit it. Understandable.
I think it was the unknown that the manager was worried about. He asked me if I had a permit & politely implied that he would be well within his rights to call the police. They were more curoius than anything, but I think were worried that this might end in some sort of "Say-no-to-overpriced-gadgets-that-make-kids-wanna-spend-money" type of protest, specially given the attention we were getting from customers.
All in all, I have no doubt in my mind that the folks waiting in the 3 hour line to get an iPhone loved it. Many of them were laughing and engaging us in conversations. I heard a kid scream "I want a banana phone!". I heard employees laughing when someone asked if they could transfer their number from a banana phone to an iPhone. The guy in the orange shirt in the background of the hidden video is an employee and his smirk says it all!
The video show the last few seconds of our "escapade", which had to end somehow. I don't really blame management for being afraid of the unknown. That's just management for ya!
Ive been in both and I can
Ive been in both and I can tell you I would take a normal customer service job over a retail job anyday.
My main point/objection was how angry and perplexed you seem to be about this and the hassle you seemed to give this guy when he confronted you. I dont think he was in the mood for a philosophical debate on bananas and apples.
One point about retail people walking aimlessly, I can tell you from being in the trenches that retail people are always in the open because their "clients" surround them. Sometimes they are working, and it doesnt look like they are. I also admit sometimes they are slacking off, but dont have the benefit of a desk to do it from. Im slacking off now by writing this, but it looks like Im working! lol
I was definitely NOT angry,
I was definitely NOT angry, so I'm sorry if I gave that impression. But yes, I was perplexed at the time. I couldn't for the life of me at the time understand why we weren't allowed to hold bananas to our ears and entertain customers. And I was frustrated because his responses to my questions were so weak and weren't valid, which is why I continued to "hassle him."
I was simply having fun making (most) people laugh.
And if you read more clearly, I did mention that he was polite; he wasn't being aggressive at all.
Of course, in retrospect, after a lot of what's been said, you've all made very good arguments on both sides.
But I guess the main point I was trying to make, which might have gotten lost, was that we wanted to provide free, fun entertainment to otherwise bored/frustrated employees and customers. As Aair noted, for the most part, we succeeded.
Picture from the scene
Saw this at Digg.com and it reminded me of this topic.
Australian: "You call that a
Australian: "You call that a knife? This is a knife!"
Bart: "That's not a knife, that's a spoon."
Australian: "Alright, alright, you win. I see you've played knifey-spoony before."
Ha!
Kaz and Shady, you both made my night. That is a great photo, and that was a great episode.