Today’s Morning Buzz is brought to you by Warren Kagarise, digital engagement manager for King County, WA, and ELGL Board of Directors chair. Connect with Warren on LinkedIn.
- What I’m reading: “Undelivered: The Never-Heard Speeches That Would Have Rewritten History” by Jeff Nussbaum, a former speechwriter for Vice President Al Gore who dives into the discarded drafts from D-Day, Watergate, and other milestones.
- What I’m watching: The latest installment of “The Great British Baking Show” for both the sweet treats and the equally wholesome cast.
- What I’m listening to: The Unspooled podcast’s look at the asteroid-sized plot holes in the quintessential ’90s disaster movie, “Armageddon.”
I never fully understand NIMBYs until I moved to Roku City.
As the name suggests, Roku City is a screensaver on Roku devices. Launched in 2018 — or founded, depending on your level of attachment — Roku City is a nighttime cityscape scrolling past, rendered in a purple-and-magenta vaporwave color palette and stocked with sights from the Hollywood canon.
Roku City tells time by the “Back to the Future” clocktower. The boat and shark from “Jaws” ply the bay. Mary Poppins, Spider-Man, and King Kong populate the skyline.
@jms3000mae Roku City is so fun to stare at. I love the detail the designers put into it! #fyp #rokucity #roku #tv #eastereggs ♬ original sound – mae
I joined the ranks of Roku City denizens a couple of years ago, not long after I got a new TV. Searching for those Easter eggs in Roku City is something of a pastime among enthusiasts, myself included.
Interest is so high, Roku even created a real-world Roku City pop-up at 2023’s SXSW. The level of affection users feel toward Roku City feels in many ways like the pride many people in feel for brick-and-mortar communities.
A little over a year ago, Roku started welcoming ads — officially known as “Roku City brand experiences” — inside the city limits. Soon, spots for Neutrogena, Uncrustables, and Disney Cruise Lines appeared alongside the leg lamp from “A Christmas Story” and Mrs. Robison’s leg from “The Graduate.”
Then Roku City, home to America’s most-beloved pedestrian-friendly thoroughfare after Main Street U.S.A., started welcoming cars. Seeing DoorDash drivers maneuvering the streets of Roku City alongside Cruella De Vil’s Cadillac and James Bond’s Aston Martin felt like a bridge too far.
@mattrainisold Roku City Traffic Report. #roku #rokucity #traffic #breakingnews #fyp #greenscreen ♬ original sound – Matt Rain
Suddenly, with Roku City billed as the hottest real estate for brands, I wanted the old Roku City back, with no cars, ads, or gentrification. Just movie magic. As I quickly learned through posts to Reddit and Roku’s community forum, I was not alone. (I am also impressed how a screensaver can command so much attention in the year 2024.)
NIMBY, short for Not In My Back Yard, is most often used to describe residents opposed to nearby construction projects or zoning changes. NIMBYs often cite property values, neighborhood character, and strain on infrastructure as rationale.
But I suspect the core issue is a fear of change. The result is skepticism and resistance when we suspect changes will degrade or destroy something we care about.
Roku City, of course, is fictional. The environment’s appeal lies in the fantasy, and the recent changes puncture the bubble, allowing too much of the real world to seep inside.
However, like many NIMBYs, I am inconsistent in when I apply my criticisms. I did not complain when Super Bowl LVIII relocated to Roku City. Ditto for the time when the Starship Enterprise appeared in orbit. Or when Taylor Swift brought The Eras Tour to town, not once but twice.
And even the Easter eggs, well, those function as ads too, right?