When Chao Li and I first discussed her coverage of the Pants-less Metro Rail Ride and my coverage of the Skivvies Snowball Fight, we joked around a lot about all of the different media angles. These are fun events to cover, even when there are naysayers in the crowd who say, "Who Cares?" I think that there were a couple of those types of comments left this summer after I posted on the Flashmob Pillow Fight. Are events like the Buffalo Zombie Walk important to a city like Buffalo? I believe so. But it's just as important that others not overly familiar with Buffalo may look at the city's image in a different light.
That's why I was happy to see Channel 5 in Arizona covering their own version of a pants-less metro ride. As I read the story I was surprised to see this following take from one of the riders when interviewed:
Valley resident Krissa Stroop, who participated in the event in Buffalo, N.Y., said the Phoenix event was comparable to its East Coast cousin. People in Arizona seemed more shocked than their New York counterparts, she said, adding, "I think Buffalo has a lot more stuff like this."
What a fun 100% positive plug for Buffalo. It sounded like the Arizona ride was a big success, and the nice shout-out by our 'West Coast cousin' could have easily been left out if so desired. The simple statement was a proud acknowledgement that the young people in Buffalo were doing fun things on a regular basis and Arizona was onboard with that.
Sometimes it's the crazy fun stuff that makes the news. These bits can be picked up by the Associated Press or carried word-of-mouth by people who are familiar with what's really going on behind the scenes. The point is... if you don't bother to organize these types of events that tend to put a smile on people's faces, then the joke's on all of us. Thanks to everyone who continues to make Buffalo a little different in all the right ways. Now how 'bout a Flash-Panic pants-less zombie metro rail ride with snowball-filled pillows?
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That's why I was happy to see Channel 5 in Arizona covering their own version of a pants-less metro ride. As I read the story I was surprised to see this following take from one of the riders when interviewed:
Valley resident Krissa Stroop, who participated in the event in Buffalo, N.Y., said the Phoenix event was comparable to its East Coast cousin. People in Arizona seemed more shocked than their New York counterparts, she said, adding, "I think Buffalo has a lot more stuff like this."
What a fun 100% positive plug for Buffalo. It sounded like the Arizona ride was a big success, and the nice shout-out by our 'West Coast cousin' could have easily been left out if so desired. The simple statement was a proud acknowledgement that the young people in Buffalo were doing fun things on a regular basis and Arizona was onboard with that.
Sometimes it's the crazy fun stuff that makes the news. These bits can be picked up by the Associated Press or carried word-of-mouth by people who are familiar with what's really going on behind the scenes. The point is... if you don't bother to organize these types of events that tend to put a smile on people's faces, then the joke's on all of us. Thanks to everyone who continues to make Buffalo a little different in all the right ways. Now how 'bout a Flash-Panic pants-less zombie metro rail ride with snowball-filled pillows?
How bout pant-less pond hockey?