I've really got to start writing some of this down
From the category archives:
Seth Godin uses a classic clip from the old I Love Lucy TV show to illustrate one of the key themes in his latest book, Linchpin. What happens when the factory goes away?
It brings back not-so-fond memories of the college summer I spent a couple of weeks working on an auto assembly line in St. Louis.
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Growing up in Kennett, Missouri, in the 50’s and 60’s, we got our TV from Memphis, 100 miles to the south. But we were blessed with a great selection of movies. One station, WHBQ, billed their offerings, “Million Dollar Movies.” And there was a great sub-set of horror movies (Dracula, Wolfman, Frankenstein, etc) presented as Fantastic Features. The Monster of Ceremonies was SIVAD, the only vampire with a hush-puppy southern accent.
How big was Sivad? He drew 30,000 fans to the Mid-South Fairgrounds, breaking the Beatles attendance record). You can learn more about Sivad –and alter ego Watson Davis– on this fan site and here.
Much thanks to Charles Jolliff for tipping us to this pop-culture flash-back.
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First, I am assuming this was a paid commercial. And I’m assuming Domino’s Pizza paid a premium. The ultimate “live read.” As I watched, I realized I was paying very close attention, trying to figure out what I was seeing.
| The Colbert Report | Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Alpha Dog of the Week – Domino’s Pizza | ||||
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Whose idea was this? The show’s writers? You damn well better have good writers if you’re going to try this. Was it Domino’s idea? Their ad agency?
My next thought was, this is a one trick pony. You can’t do this every night. Or even every week. But then it hit me, you wouldn’t need to. This segment had 100% of my attention. I clearly got the message that Domino’s Pizza was trying to make their product a lot better. I don’t need to see some mindless 30 second spot over and over.
This… whatever it is… didn’t insult my intelligence. It played to it in a tongue-in-cheek manner ideally suited to those who watch The Colbert Report. I have no trouble imagining an advertiser paying big bucks for this.
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I’d hate to see the math on what DirecTV really costs, based on how many channels/programs I watch each month. And I thought I wouldn’t live to see a) cable/sat unbundle programming or b) a serious alternative. But maybe I was wrong.
“Apple is eliciting tentative interest from some networks in its proposal to offer a TV subscription package via the Internet. Theoretically, customers would be able to tune in online, allowing them to cancel their cable or satellite subscriptions.
Broadband Internet subscriptions to TV networks could potentially destabilize the bedrock of the television business, which relies on subscribers paying for dozens of bundled channels.
The blog All Things D reported last month that Apple was proposing a $30-a-month supplement to its iTunes service to the networks. The networks would receive monthly payments from Apple.”
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More than 15,000 people lost their jobs in 2009 in the newspaper industry. I couldn’t find the number for radio and TV reporters. But if reporters are becoming an endangered spieces, it might be a good idea to identify their habitats (so we don’t accidentaly run over them).
I’ve started a Google map for this purpose. I stuck a few pins in yesterday (representing some of our reporters here in Jefferson City, MO), but this is a work-in-progress and I’ll need help from readers.
The blue pins represent radio reporters, the red-ish pins are newspaper reporters and the green are TV folks. [In cities where there are multiple pins, you'll have to zoom in to make out individual pins]
Since I’m making this up as I go, I’ve decided only full-time reporters get a pin. I realize I’ll miss a lot of hard-working folks but fractions will just get too crazy.
For now, I’m defining “full time” as 40 hours a week gathering and reporting news. So, if you’re a radio sales rep who also covers the chamber of commerce meeting… no pin. Like I said, this is seat of the pants.
I could just make a list but I’m a visual guy, so the map works for me. If you work at a TV station or newspaper and can help me with some pins, hit the comment link or email me at stevemays at gmail.com.
I’ve worked much more closely with radio stations over the years but I think I’ll save those pins for last. But we’ll see.
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LocalNewser: Michael Rosenblum on the Death of Local News from Mark Joyella on Vimeo.
“Michael Rosenblum’s been around the local news biz for decades, along the way helping create New York’s all-news NY1 and Al Gore’s Current TV. Rosenblum’s consulted for stations across the country and around the world, and yet he believes the model that’s kept local news alive since the 1950s is broken, and the only way to repair it–drastic changes in the way news stations operate–just won’t happen. Rosenblum tells LocalNewser’s Mark Joyella local news is like GM: sticking with a recipe that put them on top five decades ago, but will drive them to bankruptcy today.”
My favorite line: When Google does news in New York, it aint gonna start in the CBS building with a chopper. Or something to that effect. Video runs about 2 1/2 min.
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Missouri’s senior senator, Kit Bond, will be on The Daily Show Monday night, promoting his new book, The Next Front (about spread of Islam in Southeast Asia). I learned of this from a blog post by Missourinet reporter (and Fox News mole) Steve Walsh.
Steve refers to Stewart’s “disdain for conservatives” and notes the senator “will have to be on his guard” as Stewart “probably tries to poke fun” at him.
Makes you wonder why any good conservative would appear on The Daily Show. Why put yourself through that ordeal? Wait, I think I’ve got it…
Book sales. And, ultimately, money. And the opportunity to sound a clarion call to warn the pinkos who watch Stewart of the next big threat to American freedom. (Didn’t we do the Southeast Asia thing already?)
My guess is the hubris and arrogance that courses through the veins of every member of congress assures them they are more than a match for some comedy talk show host.
A final note: Why are there no (intentionally) funny Republicans? Didn’t Fox try to produce a conservative answer to The Daily Show a couple of years ago? [video]
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“If you think local TV news is irrelevant and has long sacrificed real news coverage for flash and trash, just wait until stations have no money to even pretend they’re covering the important stuff.”
— Michael Schneider, Variety’s television editor, in an unflattering story about the cuts and consolidation in the local TV industry, especially in Los Angeles. [via Lost Remote]
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My dreams always seem to happen at night. Rather the dream scenario unfolds after dark. Or so I’ve always thought. Could be all those episodes of I Love Lucy.
“A 2008 study at the University of Dundee in the U.K. found that people who grew up when television was invented sometimes have dreams in black and white, while those who have experienced only color television usually have colorful dreams.”
“…almost all of our dreams have a narrative quality. Most of the ones we remember also have some sort of troubling aspect to them, which is why they stick out in our minds.”
From article on what blind people see when they dream.
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