A World Without Surprise
Saturday, February 14, 2009 at 10:27PM The ChangeThis instructions read: “If you have a book...please use it only as a jumping-off point
from which to isolate a particularly intriguing idea.”
Well, I have a book. It’s called Pow! Right Between The Eyes! And its particularly intriguing idea opens
mouths, pops eyes and, may I say, whups ass. While potent and influential, it is also the most bullying
of ideas; taunting me, challenging me, expecting me, every time, to do something different.
For the idea is Surprise, more specifically, “the power of it.” Even more specifically, “the unsung and
underutilized power of it in modern-day business.” To write a manifesto about this power, filling
pages of prose with pertinent examples, theories and tactics, would’ve been easy. Perhaps I can even
be as immodest to say it would’ve been enlightening.
But it wouldn’t have been Surprising.
And thus, as a manifesto, it would have failed. Badly. As an author and evangelist of Surprise, I would
have failed even worse.
Luckily, the revelation for my redemption came one Saturday morning, cruising around town in my
old convertible, listening to the oldies station on the monophonic AM radio. Sounding tinny, but
coming through crystal clear, was the Peter & Gordon song “World Without Love,” which got me to
thinking about... A World Without Surprise. What better way to convince an astute audience of the
power of Surprise than to paint a rhythmic picture of life with none of it?
I considered putting the words into song, but given a vocal range better suited to the dulcet tones
of thrash metal, my message would’ve been distorted and muddied.
So I did the next best thing.
I think.
May I present, the apocalyptic poetic vision of...
A WORLD WITHOUT SURPRISE
In a world without Surprise No more “Can’t believe my eyes!” What you’d see is truly—only—what you’d get Life would plod along as planned All supply and no demand Muffled colors, dreary skies In a world with no Surprise In a world without Surprise No more sevens or snake eyes All casinos would go bankrupt in a day Every bet would be a sure one Games of chance indeed a poor one Vanished long shots, hushed loud cries When the world has lost Surprise
When the world knows no Surprise Is when competition dies Our sporting life would go on life support Games would lose their sense of fun Before played, we’d know who won Empty seats, no pennant flies In the world of no Surprise What is life without Surprise? Boredom takes the Nobel Prize Crackerjack is simply popcorn and glazed nuts Nothing hidden deep inside Curiosity denied Revelations stigmatized In a world of no Surprise
In a world with no Surprise Our rights we would compromise Political campaigns would be extinct Who would win? Foregone conclusion Democracy just an illusion Banana Republics arise! When the world deserts Surprise A new world without Surprising Would see an Internet revising Without shock there wouldn’t be Web 2.0 What spreads? Not the mundane But the wild and the profane YouTube clips won’t tantalize A new world with no Surprise
No Surprise, it also means Death of screenplays on our screens We would know how every movie meets it end Cliff-hangers searching for a cliff Stop your wondering “What if?” Total Hollywood demise In a world without Surprise In a world where shock is muted Richard Branson: three-piece suited All Seth Godin’s cows would be black, brown or white We’d hear whispers from Tom Peters “Made to Stick”? The concept teeters All this wisdom now unwise In a world with no Surprise
When Surprise has turned to vapor Books would be heaps of scrap paper No more “Catch” in Joseph Heller’s 22 What’s the use in bookstore spending When we know each volume’s ending Pens and keyboards paralyze In a world without Surprise When Surprise is just a rumor We would lose our sense of humor Every chicken too afraid to cross the road No more punch lines; only set-ups No more gasp-inducing get-ups Tears of joy sucked from our eyes In a world without Surprise
When Surprise does not exist Every mystery is missed It’s clear just “who-dunwhat” in each “who-dunnit” All transparent, none opaque No one hiding in a cake The unknown exposed by spies In a world without Surprise To eliminate Surprise Is to minimize life’s highs Why must we know tomorrow yesterday? Our phones tell us who is calling To not know seems lame and galling We can’t hide, there’s no disguise In a world with no Surprise BUT THANKFULLY...
It’s Surprise that drives our dreams By expanding life’s extremes A perpetual discovery of new By embracing unexpected You’ll live life turbo-injected Always more to publicize In a world rife with Surprise With Surprise firmly engrained Our emotions, unrestrained Generate the tales that never fade away Anecdotes that flabbergast Memories that ever-last People upbeat and enthused In a world Surprise-infused
Far from frivolous, Surprise It’s the Pow! between our eyes It’s the glue that bonds two parties into one So effective, near perfection At establishing connection Bonds with clients crystallize In a world filled with Surprise Such importance, this Surprise Brings us wonder, kid-ifies It brings every day a taste of Disneyland Makes your eyes expand and pop Takes your jaw and makes it drop Fills your gut with butterflies That’s the power of Surprise
Surprise works, defeats resistance Gives emotions great assistance Makes it easier to get a message through It increases happiness It’s the “Lubricant to Yes” Turns “Just looking” into buys Loads of profit in Surprise As this manifesto ends I must ask you this, my friends Are you wondering how it will come to close? No cheap shock like “Made ya look!” No lame shilling for my book In fact, no last line at all...
About the Author
Andy Nulman’s only regret is that he has just one life to live...but he’s working on a solution. He launched
Just For Laughs, the world’s largest comedy event, produced more than 150 TV shows all over the globe,
and co-founded the ground-breaking mobile entertainment pioneer Airborne Mobile, which he sold for over
$100 million, bought back for way less, and where he continues to work today with brands the likes of
Maxim, Family Guy and The NFL. In his spare time, Andy is an acclaimed and dynamic public speaker/showman,
half-decent snowboarder, hot-and-cold hockey goalie, limited-ranged rock singer and adventurous stage
director. Married with two grown children and two rambunctious dogs, he never, ever fails to Surprise.
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POW! Right Between the Eyes!
Visit Andy online at:
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andy@andynulman.com
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