Peak Pokemon Go

Yes, yes... I'm full aware that we have reached peak "peak" as internet phraseology. But there are still times when it's really the only option, and this video from University of Wisconsin Milwaukee - in which their chancellor does his best Ash Ketchum impersonation and wanders campus playing Pokemon Go with the anime theme song on full blast - is one of those occasions.

I mean, just look at this!

I don't know how they got their chancellor Mark Mone to do this, and frankly I don't care. All I know is that as a connoisseur of the "when the students are away, the president will play" genre of #hesm, I freaking love it. Extra special points go to the brilliant pun-tastic video title "PokeMone." Incredible.

Higher ed social media is the perfect place for this type of content, because as a whole colleges and universities (especially faculty) take themselves very, very seriously. When someone in leadership is willing to lighten up like this, it can often lead to some magical moments. (Previous examples from the blog here and here and here, though there are lots more if you search for them.)

Of course, the big question with this video is how much longer Pokemon Go will retain its cultural relevance and fad status. The media frenzy of hype has died down, and statistics show that Pokemon Go peaked (that word is a bad penny, I tell you!) on July 14. Be that as it may, there are still more than 20 million daily active users at the moment, most of which are under 35 - a prime higher ed social media follower demographic. My gut tells me that it will largely die down by the time school starts in the fall and if you want to do a video like this you better act fast (as in, August 1 might be too late), but what the heck do I know... the last time I played Pokemon, I was 14 and it was on a Gameboy.

Big props to University of Wisconson Milwaukee for this wonderful bit of silliness, and huge ups to chancellor Mone for being such a good sport.