The Lowest Common Denominator

[Party Rocker]

So in my age range of friends (16 - 20) not one of them goes to Busch Gardens for anything but rides. In fact every time they do go to the park, it is nothing but trying to get on all the rides. I had to force them to see any of the shows. When it came time for Howl-o-Scream, it was only about the haunted houses and some food.

With that said, they are also understanding that the place is really nice. They have always said they would choose Busch Gardens over Kings Dominion because Busch Gardens is just nicer. It's not always just about coasters. In fact, they are mainly concerned about the rides in general, but when they did see a shows like Giardino Magico, they agreed it was really cool and nice but then they also made statements regarding how it looked like they were performing different sex positions.

So really I think what it comes down to is everyone cares about the quality, to an extent. Some people can recognize and enjoy it as they go off on the next ride, while others are more concerned with taking the time to really enjoy it. 

Now in regards to music, all of my friends understand the British Invasion in fact half of my friends listen to that generation of music on a daily basis and one of my closest friend is a Beatles fanatic and she was extremely thrilled to hear about London Rocks and seeing the Beatles merch in Union Jax. I think that it is not about the age generation, but so much as musical tastes. Some people just enjoy that music others don't. To stereotype is really difficult unless a actual study or survey was done. 

What I am thinking is, based on my group of friends that I know, this show and theming is supposed to attract the just barely new adults and younger adults. As it stands now, I think this is show isn't that far off from what the park needs. I mean I see all the time people complain that everything is too KIDsiderate and this show isn't meant for a really younger crowd or a really older crowd either. It's more towards the middle, based on my opinion and my group of friends.

 

[Mushroom]

RE: London Rocks! (2014 to Present)

Sigh... the discussion is now about how the park should cater to the lowest common denominator of the GP?

 

[Party Rocker]

RE: London Rocks! (2014 to Present)

I actually take some offense to that. I don't consider my friends to be "the lowest common denominator" and the fact the phrase is being use really bothers me. I know you aren't the first to use it but it's a ver negative term to describe what? A type of people that don't find what you find interesting. 

Actually, the discussion is about what type of audience this show is for, at least that is how I see the conversation going.

 

[Mushroom]

RE: London Rocks! (2014 to Present)

I'm sorry, PR.  That was not necessarily aimed at you.

However, this is BGWFans and what this discussion has come to is defending the park's actions for appealing to those with lesser tastes or expectations.  "Lowest common denominator" is what we use to describe people who don't care for the class or unique features the park has to offer, that's all.

I apologize for coming off that way, PR.  Again, I wasn't trying to respond to your post directly.

 

[Jrbgwfan06]

RE: London Rocks! (2014 to Present)

Actually you'd be surprised that people who are the GP, and don't care about quality is the lowest common denominator. Because it really doesn't get lower than that, unless there are people out there who think the park should be torn down.

 

[Mushroom]

RE: London Rocks! (2014 to Present)

[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Here is how I think "Lowest Common Denominator" could be defined:[/font]


[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]When we say the park is catering to the "Lowest Common Denominator," we are saying they are trying to find interests to as many people as possible regardless of the quality of the entertainment that results. It's not to indicate our views on the tastes or intelligence of those people, but just stating that the park is sacrificing quality to try to entertain more and more people, at the expense of the quality that fans have come to expect.[/font]

 

[Party Rocker]

RE: London Rocks! (2014 to Present)

You know who I consider the "lowest common denominator"? No one. I don't consider anyone to be in the group because that is just insulting. I have different tastes and expectations that are vastly different from a lot of members here. 

Honestly it is one thing to group everyone who is not a fan into the General Public, but to further degrade them is not right.

 

[Mushroom]

RE: London Rocks! (2014 to Present)

We are not "further degrading" them.  Lowest common denominator literally just means the group with the lowest expectations for the park and the lowest care for overall quality.  Nothing about whether or not they have good tastes.

 

[kenwa]

RE: London Rocks! (2014 to Present)

I see where PR is coming from in post 171 and I want to have hope. I think all this money could be used in better places. I thought about a hypothetical day at the park with the 4 generations of my family able to go. My grandparents love the little things like artist making things (I am now over 30 and watching someone paint clay does not sound bad). Everyone else, except for gen4 because they are too small, love everything.
The park should not forget the little things that make it good, cooks in windows and handmade stuff etc. I really hope the best for this show, one that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. It is music most ages like.
I think hiring a couple of street proformers, a magic dude and his assistant, would be a better deal. Having more real artist would also be money well spent. I rember most of the times I have walked up on a random show but something in a theater is less memorable.

 

[pandorazboxx]

RE: London Rocks! (2014 to Present)

are we even talking about the show anymore? man, this hardcore vs casuals conversation is getting bad.

Spoiler

I guess getting worked up about stuff like this is the essence of being a fanatic though. I think I'm starting to understand why Nic hates the term GP. I can't wait until opening day so we can flush this thread. ha.

 

[Nicole]

RE: London Rocks! (2014 to Present)

To my position clear, when I refer to the lowest common denominator, I am not referring to group of people.  I am referring to a level of taste and class.  Who may or may not find those offerings entertaining is not relevant to me.  My point is that the park shouldn't develop shows with that little quality.  It is insulting to park guests...all of them.

 

[Pretzel Kaiser]

RE: London Rocks! (2014 to Present)

For those confused on where the term comes from.

Imagine a supreme pizza, full of lots of different flavors that forums a unique meal.  You're with a group of friends and before you order, one of them says they're allergic to mushrooms, so that's removed from the supreme pizza.  Another's not a fan of sausage, so that goes, and gradually all the offending toppings (including cheese because of your vegan friend) are taken away from the pizza until you're left with a pizza crust with sauce.  This is the danger of trying to appeal to as many people as possible because you lose lots of artistic and unique elements.  

An example of this would be the changes in Fiends from 2012 to 2013.  Some of the jokes in the 2012 version that were rather quick and could have easily been missed were removed and blatant pop culture jokes were put in.  Yeah, more people might get the Justin Bieber joke, but plenty of people had made Justin Bieber jokes which makes that show less unique as a whole.  At a theme park, especially in an area as competitive has here, unique is vital.  The only edge that BGW has over KD right now is that BGW is supposed to be a unique place to visit, if they do things that everybody else does, then they lose that edge.

Nic is right, when somebody says "appeal to the least common denominator", "least common denominator" isn't a specific group of people, but rather an idea that the show is designed to cater to as many people as possible.  Given how varied peoples' tastes are, the result is going to be a bland mess, like Entwined.

 

[Nora]

RE: London Rocks! (2014 to Present)

I'm allergic to gluten PK- crust is out.

But yes- in the business world- if you refer to the lowest common denominator - you are referencing the thing that will have mass appeal to almost anyone.

It means just as Nic and PK were saying about sacrificing unique artistic vision in fear of people turning their nose up at it.

However, in the history of the park, this area proves it loves history, culture, and a variety of cuisines. Thus I knew the F&W would do well here in a Military area where many people have traveled to Germany, Austria, England, and so forth.

I am afraid that by hoping to please the lowest common denominator it also begins to lower the guests expectations. The more people expect mediocre- the less they are willing to pay for it. The less they pay for it - the lower the quality goes......

Thus is the worry most of us are thinking about here.

 

[Smatt]

RE: London Rocks! (2014 to Present)

As a business owner, if I had the choice of catering to the 1%-2% of "super fans" or catering to the 98%-99% of the "lowest common denomination" of people, you best believe that I could care less what the 2% want. It's business, not personal. Quality is great if you can provide it and it makes you money, but if it costs you, you suffer quality for quantity. Just remember, McDonald's doesn't make the best hamburger, but they sure do sell a lot of them.

I just hope that some of the people here never come to my house and see the cracked tile, marked up walls and broken cabinet door. As much as I would LOVE to have a pristine home, sometimes you just don't have enough money, time and energy to do things the way you want. The same goes for BG, sometimes there is just not enough time, money and man power to get things perfect. I think that the fact they have very clean restrooms, the park is always clean with no trash laying around and the landscaping is very well kept and 99% of the rides are always operational(ahem...Mäch Tower) speaks volumes of the park. It takes so much work to keep that stuff up, I applaud them for that.

I've been obsessed with the park since I was 5, and I've never gotten bored with it, because I guarantee you the park wasn't at all "shiny," when I was a kid, I loved the park for what it was. I studied the park so much at that age, that I probably knew more about the park at that age, then half of the people viewing this post right now.

Older kids/teens nowadays love the "artsy" things. It doesn't have to be "shiny," at all, it just has to be beautiful. We love things that are "over-detailed" in a way.

For example when I see my friends post pictures of Busch Gardens on Instagram, or Facebook It's usually of Park Landscaping, Hamlets, or just beautiful scenes in the park. I've never seen anyone post the giant Illuminights  Snail, or disco turtle. They love the park because of this very reason, they love it because it's beautiful, not because it's "shiny."

I think teenagers will be shocked to find out that the park traded in the quaintness, and serenity of Banbury Cross for the "shiny," loud Rock-n-roll of the British Invasion.

Matthew, just know that if those are the things you were looking at when you were 5-14, then you're an extraordinary person. I've never heard a 14 yr old use the word "quaintness" or "serenity", hell I've never used those words. While there may be others like you, it's not nearly the percentage that you think. There is a reason that Justin Bieber and Katy Perry sell so much music, because the tweens love it(Notice: I didn't say it was good music, I just said it sells).

 

[Party Rocker]

RE: London Rocks! (2014 to Present)

I'm trying to think of the last time I've used "quaintness" or "serenity" and honestly I haven't used "quaintness" at all, but "serenity" I think I used once more or less in a conversation of persuasion. 

I have to agree with Matt, I would rather try to appeal to the larger group (if I can). Most companies try to appeal to the largest group they can. There is no shame in it because that is the whole point of business. To get everyone on your side handing over their money. So unfortunately quality sometimes suffers because of it.

 

[Jrbgwfan06]

RE: London Rocks! (2014 to Present)

Okay, let's look at the facts. Busch Gardens used to always be a place of quality. In recent years that quality has gone down. Now did the park ever have a hard time getting people in the park and getting money back then? No. Is it having trouble now? Yes. And why is that? Because the quality we have come to expect has gone down in recent years, which drives away the loyal customer who used to go to the park on a regular basis, and spend money at the park on a regular basis. 

We are all going to have to agree to dis-agree, because this thread has about 3 1/2 pages of mostly off topic discussion.

 

[Pretzel Kaiser]

RE: London Rocks! (2014 to Present)

Can a mod split the lowest common denominator discussion into another thread?

 

[Smatt]

RE: London Rocks! (2014 to Present)

It may be off topic, but it all started with your comment about the "lowest common denominator".  And yes, things may have fallen of the last 5 years of so(I personally don't think so), but you have to look at the outside factors:

1. The 20 years leading up to 2007 we were in the largest economic expansion the world has ever seen.  People we're making money hand over fist, refinancing their homes....there was a lot of "extra" money to throw around.  After 2007-2008 EVERYONE tightened their purse strings.  The mentality went from we'll buy it all, to we'll buy what we can afford.  Family vacations and trip we the first to go in many households.

2. You had owners with a park that bared their name.  They were probably writing it off as an advertisement(I don't know that for a fact). Plus It's been said on this forum that they weren't all that worried about turning a profit.  That's not normal business.

3. Hampton Roads, which I would say feeds a lot of BG business, is very transient due to the military.  Not only active duty, but also military contractors and veterans/retired.  There have been major cut backs over the last few years in military spending, that affects this area a lot.

While quality may have some to do with it, I'd say these factors play way more heavily into the equation then you're giving credit for.

 

[Nicole]

RE: London Rocks! (2014 to Present)

I'm going to go back to my argument against the term "GP."

I'm not opposed to the park offering things that will appeal to more people and bring in more revenue.  But I think the park is underestimating their customer base.  I found the preview insulting.  Americans are increasingly exposed to other cultures and Tidewater and NOVA have particularly international experience.  I see no reason to believe that the cheapest, most banal types of entertainment are really what people want.

Yes, some people prefer what they already know, but I think a lot of people are simply more sophisticated than the park (and honestly some posters here) are giving them credit for.

 

[MAZ]

RE: London Rocks! (2014 to Present)

I will wait to see this show before I comment on what I believe it stands for. That being said, I have to agree with Matt on the local economics having ALOT more to do with attendance than park productions/management. To the traveling visitor (and this is a 'destination' park) the $ is simply not there. It is $100 more for gas, accommodations, food, for a travel day to the park than it was 10 years ago. And $100 to get home. There goes the $200 they used to have for the extra spending in the park during their visit.