Friday, May 16, 2008
Simplicity
This is me simply typing because I like the sensation of typing. I write because I like the feel of the nib of the pen against the paper. I enjoy seeing the words form on a blank sheet of paper, literally or virtually. Does this make me odd? I would like to think not. However, it does not make me a writer either. It simply means I have an odd sort of fascination for the act of writing. Whether this fascination stems from the belief that I can write or from the fear that I cannot, I do not yet know. I hope to discover the answer to this question, perhaps soon.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Reality...
Reality TV. I can hear the groans already. The truth of it is though, that no matter how much a person may moan and groan about the declining standards of television programming, reality TV is the big winner. There is simply something addictive about watching an 'ordinary' person do extraordinary things, or survive outlandish situations. It doesn't matter that these people are handpicked to skew the show the way the producers want it to go.
Many a friend of mine will look down their noses at the thought of watching reality TV, then, turn around and religiously watch, Come Dine with Me or perhaps something like The Amazing Race. The bottom line is that watching contestants who are shorter, fatter and not so pretty looking, gives us the sense that it could be us out there. It gets the audience invested in the exploits of these contestants. It gets the audience invested in what happens to these contestants.
The biggest and most watched reality TV on any channel right now is the news. Yes, that's right. It's the local and international news. It's stories of how people thousands of miles away from us have to deal with maybe the same problems we deal with everyday. They have the same concerns about putting food on the table, of being able to set foot outside the house without the fear of ending up dead; they like us, want to be able to live a good and happy life. The specifics of what they each deal with may be different, a tornado in the US, a cyclone in Myanmar, and earthquake in China and maybe just poverty in Ethiopia, but the human drama driving it is the same the world over. Just like the most outrageous reality TV, the news is also streamlined and packaged and delivered for maximum impact. Little stories that fit a 'theme' are sensationalised. Big stories which are oddballs, are snowed under piles of gibberish.
Just like we can't look away from the News, we can't bring ourselves to look away from the contestants, the participants, the guinea pigs of reality TV. Ten years ago, the producers of reality TV would wait for something interesting to happen and compile it, then throw it into one show with maybe a little bit of reenactment and voila! The masses were satisfied. Programmes like Rescue 911! and You Asked For It were runaway hits. Of course in our fast paced, forward moving world, television has to keep up or be outstripped. So instead of waiting for reality television to happen, some smart-aleck televsion executive thought, why not make our own reality.
This is the reason for the popularity of these shows. It's not because American Idol is really about finding the next big pop sensation, although that may have been the original idea. Finding the next big thing is not the reason that American Idol has run for seven seasons. After seven years on the air, only Kelly Clarkson has achieved any kind of international stardom. Not many people outside the US have even heard of Ruben Studdard or Taylor Hicks or even Carrie Underwood. Yet many young hopefuls who have been voted off have gone on to bigger and better things. Daughtry and Jennifer Hudson are prime examples. Daughtry is now the most popular band in the US and they're immensely popular all over the world. One might even say that losing on American Idol is better for a musician's career than winning ever is.
This is because American Idol is not a talent competition. It is a case of FOX building it's own reality. They handpick contestants who will show well on camera, who are dramatic, who have hard luck stories, who are young. Go to the American Idol website and you will have die hard fans of second rate contestants duking it out over the fairness of the voting system. These fans tune every week and are bombarded with advertising and media messages and spend thousands voting for the favourites. It's become a reality of its own and the people behind it may even be having a little bit of a God complex right about now. The thing to remember is that human creation is imperfect, we sow the seeds of destruction is everything we build or create.
Let's see how long it will be before people realise that reality isn't to be found inside an electronic box, it's what you do with the time you've been given.
Just Me.
Many a friend of mine will look down their noses at the thought of watching reality TV, then, turn around and religiously watch, Come Dine with Me or perhaps something like The Amazing Race. The bottom line is that watching contestants who are shorter, fatter and not so pretty looking, gives us the sense that it could be us out there. It gets the audience invested in the exploits of these contestants. It gets the audience invested in what happens to these contestants.
The biggest and most watched reality TV on any channel right now is the news. Yes, that's right. It's the local and international news. It's stories of how people thousands of miles away from us have to deal with maybe the same problems we deal with everyday. They have the same concerns about putting food on the table, of being able to set foot outside the house without the fear of ending up dead; they like us, want to be able to live a good and happy life. The specifics of what they each deal with may be different, a tornado in the US, a cyclone in Myanmar, and earthquake in China and maybe just poverty in Ethiopia, but the human drama driving it is the same the world over. Just like the most outrageous reality TV, the news is also streamlined and packaged and delivered for maximum impact. Little stories that fit a 'theme' are sensationalised. Big stories which are oddballs, are snowed under piles of gibberish.
Just like we can't look away from the News, we can't bring ourselves to look away from the contestants, the participants, the guinea pigs of reality TV. Ten years ago, the producers of reality TV would wait for something interesting to happen and compile it, then throw it into one show with maybe a little bit of reenactment and voila! The masses were satisfied. Programmes like Rescue 911! and You Asked For It were runaway hits. Of course in our fast paced, forward moving world, television has to keep up or be outstripped. So instead of waiting for reality television to happen, some smart-aleck televsion executive thought, why not make our own reality.
This is the reason for the popularity of these shows. It's not because American Idol is really about finding the next big pop sensation, although that may have been the original idea. Finding the next big thing is not the reason that American Idol has run for seven seasons. After seven years on the air, only Kelly Clarkson has achieved any kind of international stardom. Not many people outside the US have even heard of Ruben Studdard or Taylor Hicks or even Carrie Underwood. Yet many young hopefuls who have been voted off have gone on to bigger and better things. Daughtry and Jennifer Hudson are prime examples. Daughtry is now the most popular band in the US and they're immensely popular all over the world. One might even say that losing on American Idol is better for a musician's career than winning ever is.
This is because American Idol is not a talent competition. It is a case of FOX building it's own reality. They handpick contestants who will show well on camera, who are dramatic, who have hard luck stories, who are young. Go to the American Idol website and you will have die hard fans of second rate contestants duking it out over the fairness of the voting system. These fans tune every week and are bombarded with advertising and media messages and spend thousands voting for the favourites. It's become a reality of its own and the people behind it may even be having a little bit of a God complex right about now. The thing to remember is that human creation is imperfect, we sow the seeds of destruction is everything we build or create.
Let's see how long it will be before people realise that reality isn't to be found inside an electronic box, it's what you do with the time you've been given.
Just Me.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
White Collar Blues
I know, I'm massively overdue for a post on the site soon...but the truth of the matter is, I just can't seem to work up the enthusiasm for it. My current jobless situation is beginning to grate on my nerves. I've been telling myself that I've held out for so long and I should hold out for a little longer to finally land the job I want. Still, that line of reasoning is beginning to wear a little thin and more and more I think that instead of looking for the 'right job' I should maybe settle for the 'right now job'. The idea of 'settling' for anything makes me sick to my stomach though. It's taken me a long time to get to where I am right now, and I don't want to settle for anything less than what I want.
Fingers crossed. The perfect job is around the corner. I have faith...for now.
Just Me.
Fingers crossed. The perfect job is around the corner. I have faith...for now.
Just Me.
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