ROLEY

Tag: Reality TV

  • Wednesday, August 14th 2024

    The New Rules

    Look at this post from Dave Winer of Scripting News. Yes, I know, it’s from this.how, it’s his index. I really like these ideas. It’s a damn shame we won’t get that from cable news, but that’s not really the job of cable news. This is what I meant yesterday when I said we deserve better. We deserve journalists who call bullshit when they see it. We need folks who understand that there cannot possibly be two sides to some things. And we need folks who aren’t afraid of losing ‘access’, whatever that means.

    I think we also need to get back to separating news from comment. Again, this is where cable news has changed the norm and blurred the lines between the two. They also turn up the sensationalism to attract the most eyeballs to watch through the ad breaks. In practical terms that matter right now, they’ve turned the Election into a a reality show. Why not, considering the candidate they can’t bear to fact check or stop covering altogether.

    We’re not an electorate, we’re a demographic. We should demand better.

  • Yay. More Reality TV. Great.

    This may not be a very popular take, but what the hell.  I think there are two kinds of reality TV.  There’s one that takes you through a process that has a tangible result at the end.  The other kind is trash tv that manufactures conflict for the effect.  Laughs, Screams, WTFs, whatever it is.   You might have guessed that I’ll watch the former but hate the latter.  It wasn’t always the case; for example, I watched Gene Simmons’s Family Jewels. I’m sure I watched other stuff, but so much of it is so forgettable…I’ve forgotten it.  I have never watched a Kardashian do anything, I have no interest in Real Housewives of Insert city here, I could care less about your love before, during, or after lockup, I just don’t care.  About the only things you can count on in 2023 on TV are a Law and Order, an NCIS, a Chicago, and somebody upending a table and going after someone nails first because they…well, I assume a producer told them to.  

    I mean, we all know the drill at this point, yes?   Reality TV is not real.  Maybe it was at one point that I was naive and gullible in my “When people stop being polite and start getting real” youth.  I thought The Real World NY and LA were legit.  I thought Survivor season 1 was legit.  Of course, living here in Virginia Beach, I had to root for Rudy the retired Navy Seal.   But after that, and before Gene Simmons, certainly, by the time Gene Simmons came around, Reality TV started blurring the lines.  Manufacturing conflicts, Inventing roadblocks, and conjuring plot twists are all designed to get you…to the other side of the ad break.  Cynical, I know, but let’s face some facts.  If reality TV was really “Reality”, as in totally unscripted, it would be boring as fuck.  So they gin it up.  

    The other thing about Reality TV that you may or may not know is how utterly cheap it is to make compared to scripted TV.   The reason is that they have a simple production value and a much higher ROI than NCIS.   Hell, Game of Thrones was around 6 million per episode in the first season.  Reality TV episodes might reach 1 million per episode these days, but that’s probably the big ones like Real Housewives.  They are not paying a million for Mama freakin’ June’s latest train wreck, I promise you that.  

    Regardless, TV is chock full of ‘reality’ish TV, and I hope you’re OK with that because that’s gonna be the only new stuff we see for a minute.   For the first time in 60-some-odd years, the Writers and the Actors are on strike together at the same time.  That pretty much stops everything being filmed right now that’s not reality TV, I would imagine.  Hell, it might stop *some* reality shows but not all, and it certainly won’t stop the networks from coming up with every crazy idea you can think of.    Also, if you believe some reports, management will try and wait this out.  I saw a quote somewhere about the WGA coming back to the table once people start losing their homes.  That’ll be around October or so, and depending on how desperate management is, I expect a phone call.   I’m joking.  Not really.   If you get to me and my crazy ideas, you’re scraping the bottom of the barrel, I assure you.  And just so we’re clear, I’m not scabbing for anyone.   If someone seriously ever wanted my shit, they will be paying me.  

    But what can we do?  Well, for a start, if you’re a creator, don’t give your shit away for magic beans when they come calling.  Don’t cross the line.  You’ll be remembered if you do.  Consumers?  I’m not sure what to tell you.  I want to tell you to stop watching TV, but that’s tricky.  One of the sticking points that caused the strike is streaming.  If I’m binging Season 12 of NCIS right now on Paramount Plus, for example, am I part of the problem? And what about AI?  I had heard that they want to take an extra, scan them, pay them once, and use that image in perpetuity.  I don’t believe that’s cool at all, and if that’s true, they need to come up with another arrangement. 

    Finally, if we just leave the labor unions’ point of view for a second, I heard something this morning that may not cross your mind so I’ll bring it up.  Keith Olbermann on his Countdown podcast—yes, I’m a fan, don’t hate—brought up the tiers of businesses in and around the film and TV industry that a prolonged strike will hurt.  Caterers, Dry cleaners, Custodial staff, Waitpersons and Bartenders, the people down here like you and me that work in what Keith called possibly the last company town in America.  He may not be wrong.   For that reason alone—the little guys who take your order at that bar on Sunset—that this gets resolved quickly, and someone can get back to work writing Gibbs back onto my favorite GD tv show. 

  • ZPM Diary, October 2nd 2022

    This is Oreo. I am not sure of Oreo’s origin, but I know that she absolutely adores the wife. Up until a few days ago, she lived in the space between my fence and the neighbors. I do believe that she belongs (or belonged) to someone, because she successfully used a litter box. I don’t think feral cats do that as a general rule, so Oreo’s been potty trained. With Hurricane Ian bringing tropical force winds and cubic assload of rain to Virginia Beach, Kimmers asked if she could bring Oreo indoors. By asking, I mean that it was made clear that Oreo is coming in the house AND YOU DON’T MIND, DO YOU.

    DO. YOU.

    Of course not. I was worried about the existing Queen of the house being territorial, but we’re now on day three and they seem to tolerate each other. They’re sleeping on the same bed as I type this. So, it would appear that Kim has been chosen by another cat. A very affectionate, very talkative cat. Reminds me of my Siamese cat Darth in that regard. You could carry full conversations with Darth, Oreo is not far off.

    My guilty pleasure these days are HGTV or MotorTrend restoration shows. I find them a little different from the normal “Reality TV” fare, because there’s a tangible result at the end. They’re accomplishing something. Shows like Chrisley, to pick one out of the air, are manufactured drama, conflict, and resolution. In a word, bullshit. However, left to my own devices, I’ll just zone out and watch back to back restoration shows. It’s not exactly healthy, but let’s face a little fact: I’ve worked at the day job for a year straight with no time off until last week, and one week off wasn’t near enough to cure what ails me. The burnout is real. So, maybe self care is a endless train of Flip or Flop and Wheeler Dealers.

    Don’t hate.

    We’re now in the middle of the changing of the weather guard here. Kim likes fall, she just likes the changing of seasons. I spent the years between 5 and 12 in Hawaii, Virginia Beach and Gitmo. Yeah, I’m FROM Maine, but there’s a reason I say I’m FROM Maine. I DO NOT LIVE THERE NOW. I hate being cold for a number of reasons, but mainly because I’ve really never spent more than a couple of weeks at a time in Maine, mainly during Summer vacations, the exception being the Winter of 1982-1983. That was more than enough for me to vow I’d never go back there in the Winter. Hell, even October is too much. When we took my grandmother home after she passed, October 30, 2003. That morning it was 20 degrees. I’d rather not, thank you very hard.

    This week I ported all the posts from the old Squarespace site over here to the new WordPress site. There’s more photos I’ll add that never appeared anywhere, and the poddlement will be returning shortly. ALSO: I finally figure out what the hell to do with the Patreon. I’ve paused it for the time being, and when I bring it back, there will be only one five dollar tier. You’ll get audio that I make just for the Patrons that will be a daily nugget with what I think is important that day, my stupid ass take on it, and when it fits, and stories about why you should absolutely use me as a bad example. The trouble has always been that my ambition is way larger than my ability to match that level of ambition. What I need to do is produce what I can realistically give you consistently. So, I’m gonna give that a try. I anticipate that we’ll start November 1st, but we’ll see. It’s possible I’ll wait until January 1st so that I’m not starting and then breaking for Thanksgiving and Chhristmas. Let’s leave the frequent absences from work to Congress.

    I need to check on the feline armistice, so that’s all for now.