Rant number 6
Hello again guys and girls.
So what have I got for you today? What's been getting on my nerves?
Fluffy bloody news.
So what is that I hear you cry? It's the watered down, inane idiot crap, that is used to fill in the gaps between real news stories.
We live in a 24 hour society don't we? You can read my blog from anywhere in the world - at any time of day and find out what I think. The same token can be applied then to the news.
If Tom Cruise starts eating babies in the name of scientology in the US (and lets face it, that's not exactly out of the realms of possibility) and is caught in the act of coating a helpless infant in barbecue sauce and cayenne pepper - you can bet that, within mere minutes - an Australian Lighthouse keeper will be shaking his head in disapproval.
This is because of the massive explosion of media communication that has happened within the last decade.
The internet alone has grown hugely in popularity in this time and offers news sites, blogs, video streams, e-mails, tweets and Facebook articles - to name but a few.
Then you need to take into account newspapers, the radio (which offers bulletins multiple times an hour) and multiple news broadcasts on multiple TV channels every day.
Finally - incase you had not managed to catch up on current events at any point along the way, there are 24 hour news channels - to ensure you haven't missed a thing!
News Bloody Overload!
Now in truth, I don't mind this too much. I like to hear the news, if it's worth hearing.
But for the most part...it isn't
Because - despite popular belief to the contrary. Something truly newsworthy does not happen at every moment of every single day! Which brings me to fluffy news...
Fluffy news is what they use to plug in the gaps between the truly newsworthy stuff.
As stated in rant number 4, I like to watch the news in the morning, but - in truth, struggle to find any!
In the last few weeks alone, I have watched news reports about a man who painted a giant 30 mile an hour sign on his house, a cat who went on epic journey and the misadventures of those who follow sat-navs like mindless zombies.
That I have to find my real brain food elsewhere, is a constant frustration!
In the morning, I can almost forgive this. I suppose that real news could be considered a little downbeat.
The problem is, on the 24 hour news channels, there just isn't enough news to go around! So what do they do - stretch out the fluffy news to epic proportion!
This is the cause of yet another annoyance - the ' breaking news update' - another province of the 24 hour news channels. These are required strictly to cut through the crap that the channel is showing (like that surf boarding squirrel and the nutter who tied himself to the birch tree in front of the local council offices) to show some real news.
Would it not just be easier to just report the news when it is report worthy, and forget the fluff?
!!!!!!!Breaking news!!!!!!!!!!
It pisses me right off
Rant over.
Showing posts with label tv. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tv. Show all posts
Friday, 6 January 2012
Monday, 2 January 2012
Rant 2 - 2/1/12 Subject: Reality TV
So here we ago again.
Rant number 2
So what annoys me about TV? Quite a lot as the case may be.
At its best, TV can be a fantastic way to spend an evening. Well written, intuitive, witty and entertaining.
As a child, there were only 4 channels to watch and so only 4 channels to program for. As such- although some of the programming was dull (particularly as most of it was for 'grown-ups') it was all properly produced and reasonably high quality programming.
To create programs like this however is expensive. Actors, directors, writers, producers et all, are an expensive bunch. In the modern age, this can cause a problem - as things are certainly not getting any cheaper!
To top this off too, there are now hundreds of channels to choose from, so more programming is needed in general. The sums just don't add up!
One solution would be to try and offer less channels of a better quality.
This does not however fit with the philosophy of the TV producers, who have little respect for quality, where an easy buck can be made.
Some thinking followed, some ideas thrown around, then a little man at the back of the room put up his hand 'what about we put normal people on TV, they won't even need paying'
And from there reality TV was birthed, kicking & screaming into the world.
Thousands of hours of this stuff exists now, most of it cringeworthy to the extreme. Little of it is anywhere near watchable.
And the worst of all, is that it feeds exponentially upon itself. Members of the public 'star' on programs such as Big Brother, where they achieve a modicum of 'success'(notoriety,) becoming household names for doing nothing. They then are taken upon the celebrity versions of these programs, despite having done nothing but attending these programs to start with.
There is also endless contests such as X-factor and strictly come dancing. Where the endless manufacturing of pop 'stars' has been made more transparent than ever before!
All in all, reality TV is like a poisonous Ivy, creeping its way into the delicate mortar of televisions figurative wall. Alas, it is now too late to rip it away from the wall, for fear that the roots are too deep, and that the wall would crumble without it.
The only consolation I suppose is that the vast amount of channels makes it possible to avoid the rubbish and still occasionally find something watchable.
And that is why, I cannot stand reality TV!
Rant over.
Rant number 2
So what annoys me about TV? Quite a lot as the case may be.
At its best, TV can be a fantastic way to spend an evening. Well written, intuitive, witty and entertaining.
As a child, there were only 4 channels to watch and so only 4 channels to program for. As such- although some of the programming was dull (particularly as most of it was for 'grown-ups') it was all properly produced and reasonably high quality programming.
To create programs like this however is expensive. Actors, directors, writers, producers et all, are an expensive bunch. In the modern age, this can cause a problem - as things are certainly not getting any cheaper!
To top this off too, there are now hundreds of channels to choose from, so more programming is needed in general. The sums just don't add up!
One solution would be to try and offer less channels of a better quality.
This does not however fit with the philosophy of the TV producers, who have little respect for quality, where an easy buck can be made.
-
I imagine a meeting took place somewhere along the lines, a brainstorming session with all the up and coming movers & shakers. 'We need ideas, we need a plan, we need hours and hours of cheap cheap TV, what's the plan?'Some thinking followed, some ideas thrown around, then a little man at the back of the room put up his hand 'what about we put normal people on TV, they won't even need paying'
And from there reality TV was birthed, kicking & screaming into the world.
Thousands of hours of this stuff exists now, most of it cringeworthy to the extreme. Little of it is anywhere near watchable.
And the worst of all, is that it feeds exponentially upon itself. Members of the public 'star' on programs such as Big Brother, where they achieve a modicum of 'success'(notoriety,) becoming household names for doing nothing. They then are taken upon the celebrity versions of these programs, despite having done nothing but attending these programs to start with.
There is also endless contests such as X-factor and strictly come dancing. Where the endless manufacturing of pop 'stars' has been made more transparent than ever before!
All in all, reality TV is like a poisonous Ivy, creeping its way into the delicate mortar of televisions figurative wall. Alas, it is now too late to rip it away from the wall, for fear that the roots are too deep, and that the wall would crumble without it.
The only consolation I suppose is that the vast amount of channels makes it possible to avoid the rubbish and still occasionally find something watchable.
And that is why, I cannot stand reality TV!
Rant over.
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