WILL.I.AM's comment on Einstein

[orangemoore]

It was not an appropriate comment for the people in the audience.

But an amazing comment about FIRST and the culture we have created.

[hectorcastillo]

I'm waiting for the t-shirt/button.

[sanddrag]

Not having been there, can someone enlighten me? If it's not something you can post, I'd still love to hear it via PM.

Edit: Got it. Thank you everyone.

Anyone remember when a former US president was at Champs? Maybe we should get back to that type of VIP instead of these "music" clowns.

[saikiranra]

Originally Posted by sanddrag

Anyone remember when a former US president was at Champs? Maybe we should get back to that type of VIP instead of these "music" clowns.

One of the main goals of FIRST is inspiration. WILL.I.AM is an influential figure in the popular culture sphere who can help bring awareness to the program more than any other figures.

Although not a totally appropriate thing to say, it really does share the sentiment most of us have about the program. This could potentially attract people who haven't heard of FIRST into our community, which is always a good thing.

[dirtbikerxz]

Originally Posted by sanddrag

Anyone remember when a former US president was at Champs? Maybe we should get back to that type of VIP instead of these "music" clowns.

First of all Will.I.AM is really not a "music clown" as you put it, he actually is a respected person unlike some other music personnel.

And also you have to understand, FIRST isn't really trying to promote itself to 30 and above year olds. It's trying to capture the attention of High Schoolers and below. A respected celebrity such as Will.I.AM will have much more impact than the president. (No offense Mr. President if you happen to have a secret account on Chief Delphi )

On a side note, I can only imagine how much more complicated everything would become if the president had to visit champs today, especially with all the security details required, and how all the open saws and hammers and shanks would be treated......

[JaneYoung]

Originally Posted by dirtbikerxz

First of all Will.I.AM is really not a "music clown" as you put it, he actually is a respected person unlike some other music personnel.

And also you have to understand, FIRST isn't really trying to promote itself to 30 and above year olds. It's trying to capture the attention of High Schoolers and below. A respected celebrity such as Will.I.AM will have much more impact than the president. (No offense Mr. President if you happen to have a secret account on Chief Delphi )

You might take a look at the makeup (and age groups) of some of the teams that are a part of the FIRST programs. International teams that are making tremendous inroads in their cultures, at no small cost. Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, and private schools with religious affiliations, to name a few. FIRST is much bigger than the current U.S. popular culture trends. Way bigger. Just look at the impact of our 2016 Championship WFA.

Food for thought.
Jane

[dirtbikerxz]

Originally Posted by JaneYoung

You might take a look at the makeup (and age groups) of some of the teams that are a part of the FIRST programs. International teams that are making tremendous inroads in their cultures at no small cost. Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, and private schools with religious affiliations, to name a few. FIRST is much bigger than the current U.S. popular culture trends. Way bigger. Just look at the impact of our 2016 Championship WFA.

Food for thought.
Jane

Very true, and I totally understand that, I think it's amazing. I can't wait for a future where every school in the world will have access to some sort of FIRST resource. But we also have to think about the present moment. It is facts that the United States is much more involved in FIRST than all the other Nation's combined. With a popular social figure like this you will be reaching many more people.

Now don't get me wrong, I would love it if the President took the time to come to the FIRST championship (on other thought did he make a video this year, I know he made videos the last 2 years saying good luck). There is no rule preventing both a figure like Will.I.AM and the president to come to the championships.

[Akash Rastogi]

Originally Posted by JaneYoung

You might take a look at the makeup (and age groups) of some of the teams that are a part of the FIRST programs. International teams that are making tremendous inroads in their cultures, at no small cost. Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, and private schools with religious affiliations, to name a few. FIRST is much bigger than the current U.S. popular culture trends. Way bigger. Just look at the impact of our 2016 Championship WFA.

Food for thought.
Jane

Can you elaborate on your point here? I'm not getting what you're implying or what thought this should provoke.

What was your actual opinion on the statement?

[JaneYoung]

Originally Posted by Akash Rastogi

Can you elaborate on your point here? I'm not getting what you're implying or what thought this should provoke.

What was your actual opinion on the statement?

Sure, I will be happy to, Akash.
I'm going to have a cup of coffee (or two) and put some words together in my head. I'll be back later on and will edit this post to add them.

Thank you,
Jane

Edit: I will keep this brief but, I will be happy to add more, if requested.

will.i.am was on a global stage with a microphone. Not just any global stage, a FIRST Championship global stage. That stage reaches through to young people of all ages, sponsors, world leadership, and cultures. Many many cultures. As is FIRST's nature, it continues to reach out to more cultures, communities, nations, sponsors, and leaders. It is moving toward being world centric.

will.i.am's outburst was sincere and passionate. My thinking centers around how his choice of words will impact students/teams/communities - based on cultural differences, globally. If it is just a simple outburst with no impact, that is one thing. If it becomes a hashtag and a tee shirt statement, that shows further reach.

--
This has nothing to do with my initial comment but, I find it very funny that the tee shirts will be sponsored by a pot shop. Just a few years ago, there was passionate discussion on these boards about soliciting sponsorship from beer companies. Wonder if we will have pot discussions.

Jane

[Richard Wallace]

Originally Posted by Akash Rastogi

Can you elaborate on your point here? I'm not getting what you're implying or what thought this should provoke.

What was your actual opinion on the statement?

Originally Posted by JaneYoung

Sure, I will be happy to, Akash.
I'm going to have a cup of coffee (or two) and put some words together in my head. I'll be back later on and will edit this post to add them.

Thank you,
Jane

Getting my own coffee now, and eagerly awaiting Jane's response. Thank you, Akash, for bumping this dialog.

[Tharioth Pillow]

A few things.

I don't know if anyone has brought up the fact that there were plenty of smaller kids in the audience... and I don't know if it changes anyone's opinion.

Personally, if you take out the kids, I think the majority of teens and parents share and don't mind will.i.am's blunt opinion.

Also, as much as this inspires and markets FRC quite well, did it really show what FRC is about? I don't think it fits in with Woodie's definition of Gracious Professionalism...

Please note that I'm not actually for or against Will's comment.

[Karibou]

Originally Posted by Tharioth Pillow

I don't know if anyone has brought up the fact that there were plenty of smaller kids in the audience... and I don't know if it changes anyone's opinion.

That is what bothers me. Many high schoolers may use that language in everyday conversation, and if the crowd was just high schoolers and adults, I probably wouldn't care too much. I think that what wil.i.am said does resonate well with that audience (since that is also his target audience as an entertainer) - more powerfully so than a more PC version of his statement. IMO, when a statement is scripted, or said using language very clearly not typical of the person speaking, it's harder to believe sincerity.

But when a 4th grader goes home and asks "Mommy, what does that mean?", I can imagine that might raise some parents' eyebrows and a bring up questions about the type of program their child is involved in that has them picking up that language. I don't think that younger kids quite understand how big of a deal it is that a major entertainer just dropped an f-bomb on a world stage in front of a lot of impressionable students and sponsors, so the shock value of the language (which is what makes the statement powerful to older students and adults) is lost on them.

I don't think that his language choice aligns well with FIRST's image of a program that develops young, confident professionals. Yes, inspiration and recognition of science and technology is why we're here, but the behavior of students who participate in the program reflects on the program itself (just like schools are for teaching, but every time you go on a field trip, you're told "don't forget, you're representing our school"). That's part of what sponsors see when they're looking at what their investment in this program is helping build. Swearing may be prevalent in many professional workplaces (mine included), but is still viewed as unprofessional in many contexts - interviews, presentations, when working with customers, etc, and that's what gives it a bad rap overall. I'm not sure how to communicate how I feel about this other than saying "it just doesn't look good on FIRST".

It's great that wil.i.am has been supportive of this program, and I appreciate his support even more so after the stories about his enthusiasm that Dean told during his speech. I appreciate his frankness and his sincerity, but I don't think it was appropriate for the audience.

[dirtbikerxz]

Originally Posted by Karibou

...
But when a 4th grader goes home and asks "Mommy, what does that mean?", I can imagine that might raise some parents' eyebrows and a bring up questions about the type of program their child is involved in that has them picking up that language.
...

While I'm not commenting on the rest of your post, I can say that when I was in 4th grade (hell even 3rd grade) (7 years ago), i knew much fowler language than this. Times are simply changing.

[Karibou]

Originally Posted by dirtbikerxz

While I'm not commenting on the rest of your post, I can say that when I was in 4th grade (hell even 3rd grade) (7 years ago), i knew much fowler language than this. Times are simply changing.

I don't think I knew what a swear word was until at least middle school, which, granted, was over a decade ago (man do I feel old right now). I have friends my age who, from the stories they and their parents have told me, were swearing in kindergarten. All depends on your upbringing

[Abhishek R]

Originally Posted by dirtbikerxz

While I'm not commenting on the rest of your post, I can say that when I was in 4th grade (hell even 3rd grade) (7 years ago), i knew much fowler language than this. Times are simply changing.

Not everyone can say the same nor do people want to be able to say the same.