The Urge to Surge

When I woke up to the news of a re-release of the short lived 90's soda, Surge, the other morning I didn't think much of it... Just another, everyday internet publicity stunt. My boyfriend wanted to order it and when I heard the $14 price tag I thought it was a waste of good money. We could buy 3 giant delicious burritos or pay for nearly two months of hulu plus with that money! But, my arguments were too late, because he was already hitting the buy button as the initial announcement came out of his mouth.

This news upset me for some reason... 

Then he started reading the comments and reviews, which were mostly written in a tone that is classic Amazon snark. Like most of these commenters, I was in the prime Surge drinking age bracket when it made its original run. I can recall the quintessential 90's splatter logo design and advertising campaign that was putting a positive spin on the peak of energy you'll get from the ("carbos") sugar high, but I don't remember liking this beverage. And, like most things from the 90's, I prefer they live in my memories and not in my belly, like Rice Krispie treats cereal and purple ketchup.

So I had to ask the question, is this soda, which sold out almost immediately, actually enjoyable or is it just food for social media?

How many posts are we going to see on Facebook and Instagram over the next few weeks of people drinking from lime green cans and climbing atop their sofas to prove their true devotion to the sugar gods? Believe it or not, I'm not trying to hate on those who genuinely love Surge, I'm just questioning the values driving humanity is all...

I also recently discovered a popular YouTube vid cast called Good Mythical Morning, where two lovely grown up southern gentleman sit at a table in what looks like your grandpas basement, talk about random topics and make cheesy jokes. Each episode is about 10 minutes long and seems completely unrehearsed. Last night, I watched one about Narcissism and they defined their generation (mid 30's) as the "I love me" generation and the current, younger group as the "you love me" generation.

This whole surge thing seems like a perfect example. I doubt anyone will just sip on that Surge while enjoying a family dinner. Why do I assume this? Because I know that I won't either. If I'm going to be a part of this Surge release, I'm probably going to post at least one pic somewhere on the internet. What irks me is that I'm playing right into the hands of marketing people! As a marketing professional myself, I hate to think that I've fallen for their master plan!

Can anything be genuinely enjoyed in private anymore or do all occasions now call for a selfie? Do people share because they can't hold in their excitement for life or because they want attention? Does anyone else battle these questions when they post things on the internets?

Anyway, see you and the other Surge fans on Friday. #picsoritdidnthappen