New York ( CNN ) -- This week I was sent on a three-day work trip to New York because , for some unfathomable reason , these people trust me outside the confines of my cube . Generally speaking , I do n't mind being there . I like my cube . It has Tiki torches . Nevertheless , they were sending me out on an assignment with real journalistic merit . ( Mind you , this was n't it . This will make you dumber . ) So , on the morning of my flight I poked around several sites to see what was trending in the Big Apple . Surely there was something locally interesting going on that people were talking about all over the Web -- something culturally relevant and noteworthy that could give us a deeper glimpse into the psyche and spirit of New York . Conclusion : It seems they like a sports team known as the Yankees . Fortunately , when the rest of the Web gives you Yankees , there 's always Reddit . And after a simple search for `` New York City , '' I found a newly uploaded photo that was becoming somewhat popular with users on that site . The image showed wall art from somewhere in the city depicting one of Nintendo 's Mario Brothers throwing a vitamin and yelling , `` GET YO ' FIX . '' Locally interesting ? Not really . Culturally relevant ? Doubtful . Noteworthy ? Hardly . But it was popular on Reddit , and that 's good enough for me . I have fairly low standards . Which is to say , I have none . ( Seriously . I like Olive Garden . ) Later I learned the art was actually the character Dr. Mario , who I believe was an alter ego of Super Mario -- the Italian plumber who got freaky with a princess in the Mushroom Kingdom . I was n't immediately aware of this because my fascist parents would n't let me have a Nintendo as a kid . I admit it was a bit of a first-world problem , but to this day I 'm still bitter to be the only one from my generation who does n't know the secret `` Thirty Lives '' cheat code to `` Contra . '' Speaking of my parents ... this is the part of the column where my dad turns to my mom and asks , `` What the hell is he talking about ? '' And then my mom says , `` Some sort of video game thing . '' And then he says , `` This is stupid . '' And he 's right . This is pretty stupid . But finding Dr. Mario was a good excuse for an urban adventure in New York . And a short flight later I was there , walking through the terminal at LaGuardia , which is the city 's way of immediately reminding visitors to use Purell . Often . As soon as I checked into my hotel I quickly logged onto Reddit and found that some of the commenters had already discussed the art 's location . This was helpful . Dr. Mario was in Chinatown at the corner of Walker Street and Cortlandt Alley . Also on that corner ? Nothing you ever need to see . So , after a short ride downtown on the Q train and wandering about with the help of maps on my iPhone , I finally spotted the art off in the distance . Iceberg ! Right ahead ! There it was . That thing I saw on the Internet ! Sadly , it was a feeling similar to poking your head through the sun gate at Machu Picchu and seeing the ancient ruins for the first time after four days of hiking the Inca Trail . Only , Machu Picchu is one of the most amazing wonders on the face of the planet . And this was Dr. Mario throwing a vitamin . Anthropologists wo n't be knocking on my door . But I guess it says something about the spirit of discovery and the possibilities that stem from random curiosities found online . There 's usually fun involved with a completely pointless adventure . Without Dr. Mario , I would n't have ventured off into this particular part of town . I would n't have enjoyed roasted pork and wonton soup at a little hole-in-the-wall called Wo Hop . And I would n't have met two really nice tourists from Charlotte on the subway . Granted , I might have otherwise napped and built a small fort out of my hotel bed sheets . So , that was kind of a lost opportunity . But , still ... totally worth it . The moral of the story is this : Somewhere in your city there 's something completely unimportant and you should totally go see it . Remember , though . The world is a strange , dirty place . So use Purell . Often .
` ` Apparently This Matters '' takes a closer , off - beat look at celebrities gaining traction on social media . This week , a series of ` ` Dr. Mario '' graffiti leads Jarrett on a trek through New York . Even the most pointless discoveries online can lead to an entertaining real - world outing . Chris 's parents did n't let him have a Nintendo -- not that he 's bitter .