'Rock Lobster' or 'Love Shack' Anyone?

As I previewed my choices of editorials from the latest edition of the Boston Globe, I was intrigued by ""Rock Lobster' also tastes good in Mass." I do agree with the author in the opening statement, Does a free dinner in a Hampton Beach ballroom and a concert by the B-52s give anyone reason to relocate a business from the Bay State to the Granite State? Probably not..." (1). I think that by offering a free catered dinner while listening to the B-52's is a bit of a stretch in trying to attract customers...especially when the offer is specifically for company functions. I do think that the idea has potential with the creativity and originality of it, but not many companies would be interested in a PR release at a Hampton Beach Casino. I agree with the author in the fact that it is a very trying attempt to bring in a profit while the other company is benefiting as well. My immediate reaction was that it was a unique way to bring in revenue and I applaud the Hampton Hotel for tying in the old hit 'Rock Lobster' because New England is known for lobster, but I think it was too much of a stretch as the B-52's popularity has faded. I agree with the author in that it is a "gimmick" to offer this to companies and that Massachusetts and New Hampshire should have spent more time brainstorming how to benefit from new companies in the state.


I think that the author was confused as to who the specific audience would consist of but considering the article was written for the Boston Globe, it was written for those in New England. He connects the popularity of lobster as a meal with the offer made by New Hampshire officials. The author also always referred to Massachusetts as the "Bay State" and New Hampshire as the "Granite State," which is something citizens outside of New England may not know about. At the beginning of the article, the author made sure the audience were aware he was not in favor of the decision. He opened the article saying it "probably wasn't a good idea to promote a business like this" and questioned the thought process behind it. His negative diction affected me in the fact that the Hampton Beach Casino put out a lame attempt to promote business. However, I think that the author was too opinionated about the decision. Unfortunately, I think the author misread the purpose of the editorial and saw it more as an opinion rather than facts. While his subject was properly tied to the occasion, it was too vague and short for readers to get a full understanding of what it was actually about. Personally, I felt it was too brief with too much of a negative approach to enjoy it but I did agree with the author's opinion.


"'Rock Lobster' also tastes good in Mass."
http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/editorials/2011/09/18/rock-lobster-tastes-good-mass-too/w10e1FtQwALOkP6yUfSGyJ/story.xml