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March 17, 2010
Did Brooklyn "do it again" or just get played? The endless marketing and unbearable banality of borough iconography
Atlantic Yards Report
Norman Oder continues his series intended "to compensate slightly for the failure of any metro columnists to show up and glean insights from the rich spectacle of the Barclays Center groundbreaking March 11," this time examining the tired, trite and cynical flogging of "BROOKLYN!," the brand.
They've already started milking it. "Brownstone" and "loft" suites planned for the Barclays Center arena. Regular invocations of the ineffable notion of "Brooklyn."
And copious use of Brooklyn iconography, as in the tote bag and hat pictured at left, among the parting gifts given to attendees at the event.
Get ready for even more "Brooklyn" as marketers for the arena gear up, and when Jay-Z--the minority owner who sucked up media attention in place of the Russian oligarch who'll soon own the Nets--wears some Brooklyn gear, well, it'll go flying off the shelf.
And when Jay-Z (as is likely) opens the arena with some concerts, expect much more "Brooklyn" in words, signs, and gear.
What does it mean?
But what is Brooklyn? Attitude? Street cred? A curated flea market? Family? Community? Desserts of high quality (as listed at right and pictured below, from the ceremony)? A massive police presence to tamp down peaceful protesters? A Borough President for Life?
It pretty much means what people want it to mean.
...Brooklyn didn't "do it again."
It was done by Forest City Ratner, thanks to copious assistance from government agencies and political leaders, such as a giveaway to the developer of naming rights, subsequently sold to Barclays.
Brooklyn "didn't do it again."
Brooklyn got played.
Posted by eric at March 17, 2010 6:07 AM