7 lessons from @jamesfgoldstein’s amazing Instagram account by Salome Oggenfuss
James F. Goldstein is a multi-millionaire NBA superfan who attends over one hundred NBA games each season, including approximately 95% of home games for the LA Lakers and the LA Clippers. He is also a prominent figure at Fashion Weeks around the world, and has his own clothing line. James has 20,000 followers on Instagram. There’s a lot to learn about swag from his feed.
The 7 lessons from his Instagram are interspersed with excerpts from a Gchat conversation between Lily Hodges and Salome Oggenfuss. The Gchat dissects the public image of James Goldstein. While trying to decipher his Instagram account, their reactions to this one man’s public life are meant to question to our society’s collective neuroses.
#1 Supermodel Game
This may sound a bit cliché, but if you can, make sure you are photographed in the company of models as often as possible. It will up your game by 100%. It does not matter how much time you actually spend with them, but do make sure to be photographed with them whenever you can.
Salome: …he goes to all the runway shows, but doesn’t take pictures of the runway shows, no signs that he finds inspiration there. He likes to pose with the models, attach himself to a society through photography.
Lily: you said – ‘attaching oneself to a society through photography’. i think attaching is great word in this case because here’s what this guy’s done, that sets him apart . he’s managed to portray not just HIS (italic) attachment to fashion…
Salome: (I wonder what he was like as a child)
Lily: …but he manages to portray fashion’s attachment to him
he creates this sense that the models seek him, and that they are gaining their own bit of social status from taking pictures with him. im not sure how he does it – money helps im sure.but as a whole the instagram accounts portrays him as a necessary piece of fashion (and basketball) culture. And im using “portray” very consciously.
he doesn’t, obviously, show photos of people who don’t seem to want to be photographed with him. he doesn’t post photos of a model or player saying “no” to being photographed with him
so we, as an audience, are left to assume, at face value, that everyone is clamoring to get their photo taken with him
Lily: heres a good example of that:
#2 Confident-short-guy Game
What have we learned since the 18th century? Napoleonic behavior leads to nothing but war and murder. It’s best to come to terms with your stature rather than try to compensate for it. Being comfortable in your skin is what it’s all about.
Salome: …but when I prepared some images for this chat, my favorite thing was looking at paintings of Napoleon
Sad, bitter short man…
Lily: and full of it!
this is one of my favorite paintings
its HUGE
in the louvre, behind the mona lisa
his self-coronation
Salome: He is the one holding the crown?
Lily: yes
with everyone staring, and the priests snarling.
he has an expressionless face, maybe a little sad
Salome: the use of light in the painting is fantastic
Lily: its probably 30 feet, by a story and a half
its huge
Salome: Was the painting commissioned by him?
Lily: thats a good question. i meant to ask.
who takes all the photos of goldstein?
because they are never #selfies
Salome: i kind of love that there is this huuuge painting of an emperor at the Louvre, but it’s totally overshadowed by an aloof looking little lady across from it.
#3 Entourage Game
Let’s not forget about the right entourage. You can dress crazy, look cool, but no one will look up to you until you have the right entourage.
#4 Billboard Game
You know those targeted Facebook and Twitter ads you have been running to reach a wider audience? Well – sorry – let me break it to you: That’s amateur level. A billboard is what you need.
#5 Accessories Game
You have to accessorize the right way so people won’t get bored of you.
A drone, a basketball, a goat, a sea lion are good examples – be creative.
Salome:
and his accessories game…
Lily: hahaha
Salome:
Lily: i love these 18th, 19th century portraits. if you look at them broadly
they’re really not any different than instagram
except paintings were expensive, so they were only available to those with money.
#6 Teen Angst Game
Remember how as a teenager you constantly felt anxious, disconnected, alienated, melancholic, and depressed? Maybe you still feel that way! Don’t deny it. Hold your sadness like a puppet.
#7 Rapper Game (Guys only)
A rapper is a guy’s best friend. Especially if you are into fashion, you will need to prove to people that you can still get down like a bro. Being photographed with rappers will definitely help with that.
Sent at 9:14 AM on Friday
Salome: His instagram made me think of some Kehinde Wiley paintings. Kehinde paints these modern black men – rappers, basketball players – in a historical context, like warriors or knights. I wanted to reference them because I think they represent the kind of man Goldstein admires or wants to be
The masculinity, the guts, the ‘swag’
should i send the image again?
Lily: no i have it
i find it way more masculine, commercially masculine
than goldstein
i guess its a little homoerotic
Salome: Yes – it’s not what he IS at all! It is what he wants to be, thus the pictures with the basketball players, the rappers etc. He is the opposite.
Lily: gotcha
Salome: okaydoke. I think we covered a lot of ground – anything else you want to talk about?
Lily: just that i wish susan sontag were still alive. i think she would have a field day with social media. she passed just as MySpace was starting up. i think we’re all scrambling to coherently make sense of it. she would have nipped it in a single essay
Lily Hodges is an academic during the day, and a poet at night. She currently teaches at San Quentin State Prison.
Salome Oggenfuss is a filmmaker based in Brooklyn. She is currently working on the documentary, “The Other Side of Fashion Week” that takes place on the fringes of the fashion world. She is currently in seeking funding on Kickstarter.