BM No. 2 🥱
We did it! We’ve been bored for nearly two whole months together.
Well done, friends.👏
Issue No. 2 is brought to you by our freshly released Commemorative 2020 Calendar and These Uncertain Times New Roman posters. Reap the benefits of your BS membership by using the code “BMNUMBER2” at checkout for a 5% discount. 💸
After launching last month, our numbers continue to grow even as our collective thumbs twiddle all the more. Thanks to everybody who’s joined up to take advantage of our downtime together. We’re so glad to have you along for the (boring) ride.
For our second issue, we’re excited to introduce another three sources of inspiration from over the years…
1. Minimalism in Art ⬜️
Whether it was Frank Stella’s Black Paintings, or Rauschenberg’s Erased De Kooning Drawing, we’ve always been fans of art that’s supposedly lacking in, well, “art.” Here’s a great primer from Vox on why it’s a lot harder than it looks.
2. no name® brand 💛
While the original “unbrand” is experiencing somewhat of a renaissance at the moment, Don Watt’s iconic Helvetica + Yellow treatment of Loblaws’ no name® brand was—and remains—just the right mix of information and design.
It is bland? Is it boring? On it’s own, perhaps. But sitting beside the brashness that was—and remains—most packaging these days, this design is an oasis of attention-grabbing calm on grocery store shelves across the county.
🎧 For more on no name® and other generic brands: check out this podcast episode from 99% Invisible.
3. Baseball ⚾️
Spring training is upon us, which means it’s only a matter of time before summer’s game is in full swing. The following section from Austin Dannhaus & Maggie Crosby’s “Baseball May Not Be the Sport We Want, But It’s the Sport We Need” has burrowed it’s way deep into our psyche and, in hindsight, has significantly shaped our view of both baseball and boredom.
Baseball does not fit with a cultural moment. It suffers in the social media age and does not lend itself to the marketing tactics that prop up basketball and football. It lacks constant action and unrestrained physicality. People today love “fast” and “now.” We crave constant stimulation, delivered to us as short bursts of monumental effort—a long 3-pointer here, and big hit there. Baseball is slower and more methodical. It requires patience, something that seems to be in short supply these days. In the context of today’s world, it feels outdated.
These things, however, may be why we need baseball more than ever. Not because it harkens back to some bygone past, but because it is a game that does not satisfy our cheapest desires. It requires something of us. It is, as some have described it, a metaphor for our own lives. There are long periods of wins and losses, streaks and slumps, excitement and boredom. There is value in something that real, and our attention gives us a deeper appreciation for the game regardless of the pace of play.”
BS News & Updates
Our boredom knows no boundz 💤
Traditionally one of the most boring months of the year, we just made it through February…and it did not disappoint! Even that big football game was kinda boring.
Of course, we leaned into the boredom here at BS headquarters ourselves and can’t wait to share where that lead us in future newsletters.
Until then, thanks for reading and help us spread the word by encouraging your bored friends and family to visit www.theboredomsociety.com.
🥱 Magnitudo ex taedio / From boredom, greatness
