Here's an interesting Advertising Age article about the "future of Television". Author says the nets just don't get it, that TV is where newspapers were several years ago. Not pretty. If he's right, what does "local" TV look like 20 years from now, if there still IS local TV that far in the future.
Kinda' cool, there Tim, how that pic with the two teevees and the cutie looks like a face!
ReplyDeleteCentered between the two, big ol' giant eyes, she appears as a nose, with teevees as the eyes!
Oooohhh Big Brother IS watching us... watching her! *LOL*
Teevee... the Great Promise. (Reminds me of "The Great Pumpkin.")
Sure, the 'net is a force (farce?) to be reckoned with. When anyone can say anything with virtual immunity, what then?
CNN’s downfall was NOT that Wolf "SCUD Stud" Blitzer was delivering "blow-by-blow" during GW I (that’s "Gulf War I"). It was the producers, whom shortly thereafter started Internetting to "talk" at the viewers. (They talked at the assembled in a cordoned-off shopping mall court - using the pre-screened Qs via the 'net.)
It was like this:
CNN Person I (male): (with mic) Joe in Katchatori, Yoondiana says 'this war is all about _?_' Mrs. Shopaholic Retiree, what do you FEEL about that? (walks over to seated woman)
Mrs. Shopaholic Retiree: I feel that is wrong. I feel that _(insert blather here)_.
CNNPI: Thank you. (camera cuts away to CNN Person 2)
CNN Person 2: (female) Let's look at some more questions we're getting via the Internet. Sushi in Sheboygan, Oygan writes, 'Saddam Hussein should let my people go!' (turning to saggy-pants-chain-adorned, tattooed white male) What's your name sir?
Saggy-pants-chain-adorned, tattooed white male: Muh namesh Ko-rear, 'cuz I wuz back in Sears, an' yew kin see muh rear!
CNNP2: I see. So, what is your opinion about Sushi in Sheboygan, Oygan's opinion?
SPCATWM: I say kill 'em all. Let God sort 'em out.
(Producer in headset to CNNPI who is off-camera: Stay away from him! Ready Camera one, take one, CNNPI, you're hot!)
You see, what this scenario demonstrates (though names have been changed, and dialogue altered to protect the guilty, it did happen) is that pandering to the lowest common denominator will get ratings.
In turn, it means increased advertising rates, and more money for the network.
Perhaps it's not so much that truth is being parsed, but that there is no substance to any of it.
We might as well be inviting Mario Batali, Boby Flay and Emeril Lagasse to a Jell-O tasting contest.
No substance... and there's no way the fluffy cream, nuts, coconut flakes and chopped fruits be made into a meal.
If news is worth airing, it's worth giving appropriate and proper time allotment. WGN in Chicago is one station that does news right. The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer on PBS is another. For The Record was another.
There's a germane joke of some long standing that goes like this: The evening news anchor of the local teevee station teases the 10 o'clock news, looking straight into the camera and says, "Russian tanks rolling down I-65. Details at ten!"
Headlines supposed to draw the reader into the story by a "tease,” have become THE news. Pander to the lowest common denominator with titillating salacious gobbledygook?
Statistically, the "average" viewer does NOT have a university education, and stations neither put many issues into laymans' terms or make them locally applicable.
In 2004, the U.S. Census Bureau said that 28% of all Americans had earned at least a Bachelor's Degree, and about 36% had an Associate's Degree.
The latest educational statistics (for 2008, released April 2009) from the U.S. Census Bureau indicate American's highest level of education for the following:
(GRAND TOTAL 224.703 - In Millions)
69.48 high school,
44.168 some college, no degree
9.573, Associate's Degree
40.07, Bachelor's Degree
14.893, Master's Degree
3.009, Professional Degree
2.485 Doctoral Degree
70.030 million have an Associate's Degree or more.
Clearly, the majority of Americans are high school graduates... or less. Yep... that's a whole lotta' "unwashed masses."
Why then, would we expect them to understand differential equations or statistics how that relates to them?
What's sad about this is that the "unwashed masses" - as so wonderfully exemplified by NBC's former "Tonight Show" host Jay Leno in his "Jaywalking" and "Battle of the Jaywalk Allstars" feature - have been pretty stupid.
ReplyDeleteYes, he made mock of them, and rightfully so.
• Can't name any of the Ten Commandments.
• Don't know what's printed on their tee-shirt.
• Don't know who "the Father of our country" is.
• Don't know that Benjamin Franklin (on the $100 bill) was NOT a president.
• Don't know common proverbs such as "a penny saved, is a penny earned."
• Don't know geography of their own nation (the USA).
• Don't know what a surname is.
• Don't know what the First Amendment is or means.
• When shown a picture of a world renown political figure in the news, could not name them.
• Couldn't name the nation where the Panama Canal was located.
• Couldn't name the first president of the United States.
• Couldn't name any of the "founding fathers," asking "the founding fathers of what?"
• When asked, "Who fiddled when Rome burned, asked, "who fiddled with what?"
• A college graduate in cap and gown said, "Yes I know the Gettysburg Address." Leno said, "Four score and seven years ago." She replied, "I don't know the exact address where it's located."
• Couldn't even identify popular commercial logos, for candy bars - when prompted with "Sometimes you feel like a nut...," replied, "I do that on Thursdays."
• Didn't even know what BYOB meant.
• Thought AAA was about alcoholism.
• Replied "Tricky Dick" was Bill Clinton.
• When shown a picture of Colin Powell, and told by Jay his name was "Colin," responded his last name was "Cleanser."
• Said Gaelic was spoken in San Francisco.
• Replied that "Australia and Hawaii" bordered the United States.
• Couldn't identify Michelangelo's "David"
• Said Betty Ford made the nation's first flag
• Abraham Lincoln lives in Vatican City
• When asked, "Who wrote Handel's "Messiah"?, replied, "I don't read books."
Jay Leno himself said, "People should know this stuff."
Are Americans stupid?
Leno mocked 'em, and rightfully so.
That should've read, "Leno mocked 'em (that are), and rightfully so."
ReplyDeleteOf course, that's not representative of all Americans.
Because we mustn't forget the contestants on hayseed humorist Jeff Foxworthy's teevee contest show "Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader?"
Yee haw!