The eponymous song from today’s post was an unavoidable part of 00s indie rock for the better part of a decade – from Gossip Girl to Criminal Minds, from One Tree Hill to How I Met Your Mother, from Kid Cudi samples to Madden 18 (?!?), it was everywhere.
The topic of today’s post was unavoidable for the better part of the last few years, as well. I wrote an obit for it before the blog even existed, but like other unpublished obituaries, the subject outlasted expectations.
The Funeral has a fitting end of a goosebumps-inducing final crescendo – the polar opposite of how today’s chapter is going to end. Instead, it feels closer to everyone’s favorite cinematic cliche from Batman Begins – you either die the hero, or live long enough to become the villain.
As we all sit here watching the (maybe?) final graveyard spirals of this plane, I can’t help but think that the lasting legacy isn’t going to be the good times that the early adopters got to experience.
Instead, it will be a legacy of short-sighted decisions and rule bending to accommodate a small subset of users. A legacy of blasting every profitable play to anyone who would listen. A legacy of overusing alliteration to the point it sounds like a 10 year old Fortnite streamer was the creative director.
If there’s anything I learned from observing this whole saga, it’s that I understand why there aren’t many businesses that exist as For MSers, by MSers – we’re a demanding group that enjoys pushing the envelope further wherever possible.
Sometimes, that “wherever possible” caused the very conditions that led to this death. The scale and efficiency that was possible caused too many people to act in ways that are so far beyond what a normal person does. Frankly, I’m shocked it took as long as it did to get to this point.
So, it might be over, it might not be. But in my eyes, it’s been dead for quite awhile, especially if you value your banking relationships. We’re all adults here that can make our own decisions. But don’t be surprised when the rug finally gets pulled – it’ll be hard to say there weren’t signs.
When that happens, the MS community can join the interns in Manila in blasting Tay Tay’s Bad Blood on repeat.
Tagay!
Pictured: MSers ready to throw some hands at Fat Bobby over their favorite debit play being offered at a promo rate