OK, maybe that’s hyperbole. Or maybe it’s a metaphor for how sorry the state of our American news media is. Did it take a footwear company to correct the conventional wisdom and negative media narrative about Detroit? Palladium Boots, with the help of Vice magazine’s advertising agency Virtue has produced an eye-opening short film about the city that everybody loves to feel sorry for. But instead of blindly recycling file footage of Devil’s Night fires or bombed out city blocks, director Thalia Mavros opted for an original take on the city: something positive.
We’re typically pretty skittish about running sponsored videos except when the material is simply great. Personally, I can’t think of a better example of that in recent memory. The 30-minute Detroit Lives, hosted by Jackass’ Johnny Knoxville (no, I’m not stalking him), focuses on an inspiring cross section of some of the city’s biggest fans and residents. There is the old speakeasy proprietor (who, according to the post-screening Q&A session, once famously kicked a young and unknown Eminem and Kid Rock out of his spot for making too much noise) who muses at the influx of adventurous white kids (back) into the city. But as he accurately points out, the post-white flight reverse exodus shouldn’t surprise his fellow black residents, comparing the hipsters to Detroit’s pioneering residents more than a century ago.
There are numerous other snapshots of artists, musicians and entrepreneurs (re)populating the barren metropolis and loving it. The rents are cheap ($1200 for an 8000 sq ft warehouse space!) and the opportunities for self-starters is immense. Of course, none of this encouraging ingenuity makes it onto CBS or CNN. We’ve been so obsessed with how fucked up the D is, that it took a branding exercise by a California marketing director to shine an optimistic spotlight on one of America’s most important cities. Detroit Lives is a must watch, especially for those who’ve written the town off. Hell, you might even understand why Detroit entrepreneur Phillip Cooley simply calls his home, “utopia.”
Correction: A previous version of this post credited Peter Sutherland as the Detroit Lives’ director which was a mistake. Sutherland is the Virtue/Palladium project’s creative director of photography.
Laser-cut venting provides a cooling system for your body (underarms and on hood) All around adjustability: cord loops around the waist and on the sculpted hood keep the garment close to your body even when running in wind
I.m originally from Detroit. I remember the old music arenas and the variety of bands and music genres. There was always something to do and art to explore. I miss the wild untamed spirit of the people. Even though I’m older. I would like to help in the rebuilding of the city.
[...] Palladium Boots Saves Detroit (And How The Media Gets it Wrong) (Video) [...]
After I saw this doc, I just smiled and felt as if a light had been shined on the D. As a music lover, Detroit is important to not just the history of music but the history of this country. I like the line in the movie that says “Detroit doesn’t need a savior”. It doesn’t need a savior, but it’s amazing that palladium shed the light on a true explorers city.
I obviously felt the same way. I’m not one to bow down at brands bringing me news and culture, but I was stunned by how resilient the people were there (my last visit to Detroit was in 2005 or so). And how many pockets of creativity there were. I’m under no illusion that it’s an easy fix, but something is happening there and we should celebrate it, no matter how small and no matter who brings the story.