As some of you may know, there is a writer’s strike going on in Hollyweird that may impact your TV viewing. This writer’s strike will surely cause repercussions for several industries that are interfaced with the finished product on your screen. As unfortunate as that will be, we cannot ignore the truth that this strike will profoundly affect our lives and the choices we make in watching TV!
If the strike is still ongoing at the time this article goes to print, you can expect to be bombarded with more reality TV than you can shake a stick at. The main reason for this is that reality TV programming requires little, to no scripting. Therefore, no writers are needed.
This means that you can expect more brilliant programming like:
Mediocre Joes
My Petite, Thin, Polite Fiancée
Who Wants to Marry a Doofus?
The Smallest Winner
Dancing with Magicians
Uzbekistan Idol
The list goes on and on and on, but you get the picture.
According to Us magazine, shows like “Grey’s Anatomy” have only shot episodes through Christmas. “Lost” has only wrapped up eight out of 16 episodes, and “24” has only shot about nine out of 24 episodes. If you watch soap operas (and who doesn’t?), you are going to be absolutely crushed. You can expect to see about a month’s worth of shows and then – BAM! – the rug will be pulled.
The last strike in 1988 lasted five months, and some say this could go even longer. Of course, it all comes down to the mighty dollar. This time, the writer’s point of contention seems to revolve around revenue from their material being shown on the World Wide Web (of evil). Can’t we just get rid of the Internet? Well folks, since that isn’t going to happen any time soon, I guess we will have to sit back and enjoy our favorite reruns and reality remixes.
Some good may come from the strike as well. We could see more sports shows and live sporting events. Nothing screams entertainment like bowling and sailing. Why not combine sports with reality and have such shows as “Celebrity Basketball on Ice” or “Rehabbed Celebrity Blindfolded Dart Championship.”
So buckle up, people, and prepare to find new forms of entertainment. Find something fun to do and learn something new. Try to resist the temptation to watch shows like “Are You Smarter than a Baby?” It’s heading that way – let’s make sure as viewers, we don’t follow suit. Let’s prove that we are, indeed, smarter than a baby and realize we don’t need people eating worms and doing hideous karaoke to entertain us.
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Theatre of the Absurd
I love movies and really enjoy the movie-going experience. One could do worse than settling into a nice comfy theatre seat on a Sunday afternoon, and diving into that much anticipated film you’ve been itching to see. In addition, munching down some fake-buttered popcorn and slurping down a gallon of soda are mandatory activities that go hand in hand, or hand in mouth, rather.
I like to sit in the back of the theatre, so I try to get there a little early in order to improve my chances of securing that prime real estate. The reason I sit in the back? Call me crazy, but I actually like to hear the dialogue and sound effects of the film that is on the screen in front of me. I am not really interested in other movie-goers’ personal issues, what they did that weekend, or how hard they partied the night before. These are matters that would be more appropriately discussed before or after the movie. So, in order to cut down on the unwelcome and obnoxious chatterboxes, I choose to sit in the back.
There is one drawback, however, to sitting in the back. And that is seeing all the neat little cell phones lighting up like whack-a-moles at an amusement park. What is so important that people feel the need to just look at their cell phones as if they were expecting some profound announcement like they just won the lottery? Most likely the message goes something like this, “OMG, Britney, that’s so LOL!”
What’s amusing in all this, is that the theatre management actually states clearly and boldly on the screen, “Turn off your cell phones,” and “Please don’t talk during movie.” I just shake my head when I see the warning, and a second later, eight teen-age girls all break out their phones to see if they missed any text messages.
One other thing I have noticed recently, are all the Johnny-come-lately folks who walk into the theater 10 minutes after the movie has already started. This is astounding, given the 20 minutes of commercials and 15 minutes of trailers that occur before the movie starts. Some of these folks may have legitimate reasons for being late, but I have found most of them to be somewhat loud and disruptive. Why bother to come at all? Would you start a book on page 20, and understand what you’re reading?
I know this is sounding like a bit of a rant here, but gosh, movies are very expensive, and as paying customers, don’t we have the right to enjoy our little investment? I want to soak the movie in, understand the dialogue, figure out clues and hidden messages, and experience the subtle nuances in the direction (or big explosions, depending on what I’m in the mood for). What I didn’t pay for was perpetual yakking, raucous ringtones and last-second party crashers. It all comes down to respect, and being considerate to others. Somebody should make a movie about these lost arts and call it Audience Behavior and Etiquette 101. Cell phones not admitted, exit stage left…
I like to sit in the back of the theatre, so I try to get there a little early in order to improve my chances of securing that prime real estate. The reason I sit in the back? Call me crazy, but I actually like to hear the dialogue and sound effects of the film that is on the screen in front of me. I am not really interested in other movie-goers’ personal issues, what they did that weekend, or how hard they partied the night before. These are matters that would be more appropriately discussed before or after the movie. So, in order to cut down on the unwelcome and obnoxious chatterboxes, I choose to sit in the back.
There is one drawback, however, to sitting in the back. And that is seeing all the neat little cell phones lighting up like whack-a-moles at an amusement park. What is so important that people feel the need to just look at their cell phones as if they were expecting some profound announcement like they just won the lottery? Most likely the message goes something like this, “OMG, Britney, that’s so LOL!”
What’s amusing in all this, is that the theatre management actually states clearly and boldly on the screen, “Turn off your cell phones,” and “Please don’t talk during movie.” I just shake my head when I see the warning, and a second later, eight teen-age girls all break out their phones to see if they missed any text messages.
One other thing I have noticed recently, are all the Johnny-come-lately folks who walk into the theater 10 minutes after the movie has already started. This is astounding, given the 20 minutes of commercials and 15 minutes of trailers that occur before the movie starts. Some of these folks may have legitimate reasons for being late, but I have found most of them to be somewhat loud and disruptive. Why bother to come at all? Would you start a book on page 20, and understand what you’re reading?
I know this is sounding like a bit of a rant here, but gosh, movies are very expensive, and as paying customers, don’t we have the right to enjoy our little investment? I want to soak the movie in, understand the dialogue, figure out clues and hidden messages, and experience the subtle nuances in the direction (or big explosions, depending on what I’m in the mood for). What I didn’t pay for was perpetual yakking, raucous ringtones and last-second party crashers. It all comes down to respect, and being considerate to others. Somebody should make a movie about these lost arts and call it Audience Behavior and Etiquette 101. Cell phones not admitted, exit stage left…
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