Like, Love and Don't Like

This week, I like yellow golf balls. Growing up, golf balls were white and no one felt slighted for the lack of options. If you wanted a non-white golf ball, you went to the putt-putt course at the beach. But these are the 90’s 00’s Aught-Teens and separation from the norm is rewarded. Most manufacturers now provide a yellow option (and sometimes orange) to their golf ball models but I credit Srixon for kicking-off this trend a few years ago. Their marketing campaign smartly proclaimed that balls that are easier to see are easier to hit. They related a yellow ball’s high visibility to science and completely bucked the belief that yellow balls should only be seen at driving ranges. I’ve recently enjoyed playing yellow golf balls because, for one thing, they are much easy to find when I shank them into the woods. I’ve grown accustomed to them now – maybe I’ll stick with them for a while.

This week, I love the Chris Farley I remember. I borrowed Chris Farley’s biography from my best friend who doesn’t want to be named on my blog. I’m old enough to be consciously aware of Chris Farley and the success he received from Saturday Night Live and his films in the mid-1990’s. But private, behind-the-scenes information wasn’t available back then like it is now. Sure, Chris Farley was known for having a bit of a drinking problem back then. But I remember being shocked when I learned that he died of a drug overdose. This book really opened my eyes to the demons that he battled while he achieved his success. He made so many people happy but caused himself so much pain. After I finished the book, I went to YouTube to watch some of his old clips. He was so, so funny! It’s a shame that his personal struggles ended something that created so much joy for others.

This week I don’t like Preston Leatherman. You may not know him by name but I guarantee that you saw his viral video last holiday season. Let’s refresh your memory:

Mr. Leatherman (if that is his real name) became sort of a case study for me. When I learned that he was a musician, I figured that many doors would open to propel his entertainment career thanks to this immediate introduction to the world. I began following Preston on Twitter to keep up with the many ways he would capitalize on the popularity of his video. After following him for a year, I’ve learned that he spends a lot of time recording “music”, making occasional appearances at small colleges and generally spending most of his time in Nashville. I also gathered that he is struggling internally to determine if he’s on Team Chick-Fil-A or Team Muppet, if you know what I mean. Even though he recently released a new music video, this kid is basically the anti-Kardashian and squandered his chance to grow his first lucky brush with fame into more fame. This is most likely due to his…talent…but I like to think that he nobly passed on many offers to become the next big celebrity. It sounds better that way and helps me mask the fact that I wasted precious time hoping to watch his star rise.