Skipping Commercials Soon To Be a Crime?

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

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

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