Interesting People mailing list archives
Skipping Commercials Soon To Be a Crime?
From: David Farber <dave () farber net>
Date: Wed, 17 Nov 2004 14:16:41 -0500
yup djf Begin forwarded message: From: Rich Kulawiec <rsk () gsp org> Date: November 17, 2004 11:10:48 AM EST To: David Farber <dave () farber net> Cc: EEkid () aol com Subject: Re: [IP] Skipping Commercials Soon To Be a Crime? I don't watch television much any more, but when I recently had occasion to do so I noticed that commercials are no longer just interruptions to the program, they are part of the content DURING the program. Whether they are: - promotions for the things to happen in the program itself (within the hour: apparently the need exists to promote a program that the viewer is already watching) - news "crawls" touting the latest if-it-bleeds-it-leads headline for the 11 o'clock local news - weather condition inserts (as if we need to be told that wintry driving conditions exist when there's a foot of snow on the ground already) - animated logos reminding the viewer what network/station they're watching (because apparently we're all too stupid to look at the display or query it via the remote, or to note the promos that telling us THE SAME THING every ten minutes or more often) - and most offensively, intrusive animated promotions for other programs inserted during the current program. Nothing like watching the climactic scene of a drama and having the television equivalent of a pop-up ad appear just in time to ruin the experience. It's bad enough that most television fare has been dumbed down (has anyone noticed how the quality of TLC, Discovery, Bravo and A&E has dropped precipitously within the last two years?) and what is offered by the "major" networks is largely junk: "reality" shows, "dramas" that are cookie-cuttered as fast as possible based on whatever is momentarily popular (prediction: a reality/forensics show: Cold Case Crime Scene Amateurs). and news coverage, well, "farce" is far too kind for the pablum that has replaced any semblance of journalism. But increasingly, even the presentation of the junk is deteriorating. ---Rsk ------------------------------------- You are subscribed as interesting-people () lists elistx com To manage your subscription, go to http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/
Current thread:
- Skipping Commercials Soon To Be a Crime? David Farber (Nov 16)
- <Possible follow-ups>
- Skipping Commercials Soon To Be a Crime? David Farber (Nov 17)
- Skipping Commercials Soon To Be a Crime? David Farber (Nov 17)
- Skipping Commercials Soon To Be a Crime? David Farber (Nov 17)