Sampling Platter

I learned a little something about how a tween might like their entertainment served in a recent conversation with J. There is a ballet performance running in town and I wanted to know if she would like to check it out. The answer was No almost right away. I am not interested in sitting there three hours to see the variations of the same moves she said. According to J, she appreciates all the talent and the hard-work that goes into such a production but to attract her age group, they need to be "hard-hitting" and show what they are capable of  in ten minutes. She would be willing to pay a premium for a show of that length. 

So we worked the math on the price of the tickets. J came up with a 3x premium being fair for a shorter duration performance. Maybe these folks could get a second job that was not nearly as intense and paid a lot better if they did not have to practice forever for a three hour show, she added. It works out for everyone to shorten the performance by a lot. What she is talking about is a sampling platter - not unlike Birchbox for makeup. The idea of having favorite cosmetic brands you used for life is analogous to taking in a three hour performance of Giselle. There is no desire to form strong or lasting relationships with anything - be it lipstick or opera. According to J, her peers are not growing up being interested in this kind of performing arts. To be relevant to them the productions need to change - fit that ten minute window in their lives. This is also the average length of videos they watch on Youtube.

I am guessing it is a matter of time before this becomes the expectation from other media as well. I for one would be glad to see a ten minute version of Frozen instead of the endless ramble that it is. That maybe an excellent place for the generation gap to meet.