RINGARDE !
People stayed in and they stared at screens … endlessly.
Watching became the new everything.
With watery eyes, people soaked in as much newness as possible.
But something sparkling seems to be the flavor of this month.
An alternate musical form & a global number one web-series is trending.
Say yay … for Rap Viet & Emily in Paris !
So why are RV & EIP generating all this buzz.
The answer is in the type of story these shows are telling.
Both plots are QUESTS.
The journey of a character pursuing a goal.
The plot focuses on the journey and not the destination.
Hence the QUEST is ...
Will RAP music make the journey from underground to mainstream ?
Can a bright eyed hopeful , find acceptance (in the romantic capital of the world)?
The QUEST becomes interesting when the journey becomes interesting.
Both shows deal with the edge of acceptance and rejection.
Characters may die 'small deaths' within this journey but re-emerge stronger.
They could Face unprecedented barriers and unsurmountable conflicts to make the quest more thrilling.
The QUEST type story depends on the moral arc of the protagonist.
They are outlier concepts, prone to fuel discussions. Designed to debate. Argue.
On one hand, RV catalogs the uniqueness of different rappers and respective styles in local language.
While, EIP encompasses the struggle for acceptance on foreign ground.
While Rap is becoming a nationwide phenomenon.
A foreigner being seduced by the sensual pleasures of Paris is indeed very urban.
But wait, are they similar?
Are they even comparable?
Well maybe not, but ...they do employ the same formula.
Aha!
For starters … consider the commonalities.
They are deliberately constructed to capture attention.
Visual, musical, experiential and notional.
While EIP tosses cliches of French culture.
RV stokes the humblest elements of everyday life with fiery lyric and rhyme.
Big City boy and Chicago (windy) city girl are both struggling.
To find acceptance.
To weave their magic on this world.
To change it, to re-organize it.
But they are pitted against an invisible enemy called Bias.
This is no ordinary struggle … this is an epic clash!
The QUEST format is refreshed by some epic styling and language.
The ideas are well themed, well accessorized and well styled.
There is new ground being broken in every frame.
High fashion runway runs straight into edgy streetwear.
Without the clothes Big City boy & Chicago City girl don’t stand a chance.
These are shows where the Big price tags are guarding fragile dreams.
Good old-world wants to crush vs throbbing new-age thoughts.
It is underground versus upstream.
The old-guard is in a stand-off against the off-guard.
It is orthodoxy against #hashtags.
Both are niche, yet full of cliches.
From a content creator point of there are lessons galore.
Attention is not just about substance.
Attention is also attraction.
Without the spectacle there is nothing spectacular.
There is a reason for the flashy stilettos and the colourful sneakers to be there.
The QUEST narrative thrives on contradictions.
Sexy versus Sexist!
old school vs Nu school.
The Quest employs, Diametrically opposite approaches.
But it is cleverly aimed at capturing millions of hearts.
Opposing and contrasting styles seeking a common ground of populist acceptance.
How much more epic can an old versus new clash get?
Every time someone fiddles with the expected and walks on the edges.
They divide the culture and push it forward in a new direction.
Both RV and EIP do this while it entertains the teary eyes !
And leaves and important anecdote.
Ordinary is the big deal.
Perhaps Ringarde' ... is the new everything !
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