I don't like the garish and distracting digital billboard recently installed on Merrimon Avenue. I have decided not to patronize any business that advertises on this billboard and I invite Mountain Xpress readers to join me. Together, we can prevent the proliferation of digital billboards in our city.
— Larry Golden
Asheville
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Together?! We?!
No thanks, dude. Don’t you have anything better to do?
…………………………
Do you patronize any businesses that advertise on billboards.
Actually, consciously choosing not to shop with these advertisers would be a way of letting the Free Market decide.
Build them, keep on building the billboards, they are a sight better than the peeling old ones.
The left seems split between a couple of groups, one being technology lovers and the other eschewing technological advance. With digital billboards, just think of how many sign hangers and print shops could be put out of business with such technology advances. It could potentially rival the number of jobs lost during the Obama administration due to the wild proliferation of ATMs.
Speaking of having anything better to do….
So even ubiquitous and lowly billboards can become political fodder extrapolated by uber-rightists into rantings about political extremism?
Wonder how, back in the day, the political extremists made political hay from the meaning of horse vs automobile?
And what will the extremists do, two decades from now, when they’re fighting over air space for hologram advertising in the sky over Merrimon Avenue?
Same thing, of course. Turning even benign ideas and objects into political statements.
Oh, but wait. It wasn’t the writer of the letter, Larry Golden, who extrapolated billboards into political rhetoric. Perhaps he simply despises digital billboards, as do many people outside of Vegas, even in AVL.
Betty has learned a new cognate to use repeatedly in her posts! That is wonderful. What is remarkable about this particular German cognate of both Latin and Greek is that it denotes superiority, an elevated character, quality and an excessive aspect. I am sure she meant the latter application only but even Jerry Siegel could not keep his “uber” lowly for long. The term is not meant for such abuse.
… progressive liberalism, the lowest of common denominators. What has happened to the intellectual and classical liberals?
Thanks, Travelah. Glad you researched it and understand the full meaning of uber-rightist, which denotes quite accurately your evident position on the leftist-rightist continuum as per your MtnX postings.
(Sorry, Larry, that your digital billboard letter got hijacked.)
Uber-rightist-b.s. turning this into some political fodder.
As you come over the hill heading north just past Hillside that sign is downright glaring in your face . I resent it being placed in my neighborhood. It’s ugly and distracting.
So… dancing chicken, distracting; texting while driving, distracting; gigantic pulsating sign, hooray free-market??
Gee … what is the big deal? Get a life letter writer!!
what is the big deal? How about caring about the place where you live? How about not wanting to look at this butt ugly, distracting and completely inappropriate billboard?
As IF, drivers need any more distractions from their cell phones.
I would TOTALLY pay to see Larry Golden bare knuckle box a billboard.
Too bad travelah’s posts are so far o topic.
How many of you are supporting me for not using the billboard?
How many of you are supporting me for not using the billboard?
You’d get more support if you’d go beat the crap out of the thing. Or at least go best two out of three falls with it.
I think we should start shooting out the lights.
You’d get more support if you’d go beat the crap out of the thing. Or at least go best two out of three falls with it
Maybe it will be hacked.
It’s funny that no one is banning the one on Patton Avenue. Can I use it?
That’s one of the problems, we don’t want Merrimon to become another Patton with it’s derelict strip malls, urban sprawl, and poorly designed commerciality.
Then there’s this:
Merrimon billboard a sign of failure
From Councilman Bothwell’s recent newsletter-
It’s amazing what slips through the cracks of our city ordinances and what rules are able to be enforced.
Whenever signage looms its ugly head I’m reminded of the amusing (and totally Asheville!) Chicken Man who was cited for violation of the sign rules for flapping around on the east side of Merrimon, while the former planning director let Staples explicitly violate the sign ordinance on every face of its building. (Signs that remain in violation, by the way.)
Now we discover a completely legal (what!!!???) electronic billboard going up on Merrimon just a short hop (as the chicken flies) from the scene of the fowl play.
If you agree this is a visual blight on our lovely city, please contact Dakota or Alan:
Dakota Forgione
Cell: 757-544-6757
dakota.forgione@gmail.com
Alan Escovitz
Cell: 614-208-9400
aescovitz@charter.net
Whenever signage looms its ugly head I’m reminded of the amusing (and totally Asheville!) Chicken Man who was cited for violation of the sign rules for flapping around on the east side of Merrimon…..
And don’t forget those living silver-robed Liberty Tax advertisers dressed like the Statue of Liberty who stand on the sidewalks and shout at traffic for several weeks in March/April, one of whom/which does her/his shouting just a block down Merrimon from where the chicken used to dance.
Personally, I always liked the uniqueness of the flapping chicken, but those ubiquitous living statues employed by Liberty Tax are just awful.
I feel so sorry for those Liberty Tax costumed people. I hope they are payed well.
My bet is less than AVL’s living wage.
It’s funny that no one is banning the one on Patton Avenue. Can I use it?
No one’s complaining about the one on Tunnel (near Cocula) or the one on Hendersonville Road.
Buy some time on the billboard to promote your boycott. Try to make it entertaining.
Personally I think any sign that makes Asheville look more like the set of BLADE RUNNER is ok by me.
Larry
I will be sure to not patronize any business that advertises on this billboard or any other billboard. It is actually pretty easy, because all I see advertised are resort communities(Mountain Air, Reynolds Mountain and Cliffs Communities) and churches that try to be hip (C3 and the Rock of Asheville)ANY non-profit that has an advertising budget should be taxed as the business that they are.
In today’s media world Billboards will probably be obsolete faster than DVDs
[b]. I hope they are payed well. [/b]
teh minimum wage. so, no.
[i]In today’s media world Billboards will probably be obsolete faster than DVDs [/i]
Are you trolling Orbit?
In today’s media world Billboards will probably be obsolete faster than DVDs
And yet in dying industries there is still tons of opportunities.
I will be sure to not patronize any business that advertises on this billboard or any other billboard. It is actually pretty easy, because all I see advertised are resort communities(Mountain Air, Reynolds Mountain and Cliffs Communities) and churches that try to be hip (C3 and the Rock of Asheville)ANY non-profit that has an advertising budget should be taxed as the business that they are.
You haven’t been looking very hard or else you will also be banning music venues, popular veterinarians and doctors, ALL sorts of charities, and the entire River Arts District.
How would you advertise a business JMAC? Would you be strictly on the internet? Is that the most effective way?
“And yet in dying industries there is still tons of opportunities”
I am glad you are finding your place.
“You haven’t been looking very hard or else you will also be banning music venues, popular veterinarians and doctors, ALL sorts of charities, and the entire River Arts District.”
I was being a little tongue in cheek, but
I must admit in town I really do not look at billboards, on the interstate I am more inclined to notice because I am doing less, just driving straight. The ones in town that I have noticed including the Merrimon sign I have not seen any music venues or veterinarians advertised, not saying that they are not there just that I did not notice (which may say something about there effectiveness)Doctors? or Chiropractors? I personally shutter at the idea of choosing a professional service from a billboard, it seems to be of the level of ambulance chaser.
“How would you advertise a business JMAC? Would you be strictly on the internet? Is that the most effective way?”
Well my business is consulting so the rules of advertising are different, although both professional services and retail share the top method “Word of Mouth”. I do realize retail needs more than that, I would not be strictly internet; but I would use the proliferation of smartphones to the fullest extent possible and I like T-Shirts and give away stuff; I must admit that when a vendor sends me something cool, I find myself more likely to spec there product over one of equal quality.
Orbit DVD’s “Bladerunner” allusion is quite pertinent. While I don’t like digital billboards, when I saw “Bladerunner” as a kid in the theater, I thought “Man, digital billboards! How futuristic! That of course would never really happen in the future.” How wrong I was.
Why not go a step further? Let’s create digital street pavement that advertises products or services. All that empty space is just going to waste when cars don’t happen to be driving on a section of street at any given moment.