Right so there ahas been quite a bit of talk as of late, about this being the 'golden age of television' which I have to say, is rather ridiclous. Firstly how can we say that now is the golden age, TV barely 60 years old, and colour TV 40, so all we are really saying that TV today is better than it was 40 years ago, and that isn't saying anything huge.
Firstly there is a heck of a lot more TV around today, than there was 40 years ago, in the US alone there are hundreds of channels, and probably about 100 new shows released each year. The television business is booming, with huge amounts of pilots being developed, so yes television is better, but that is partly a numbers game.
Secondly with the huge amount of TV out there, standards certainly have gotten better, just due to increased competition. People may tend to say that shows in the 70's and 80's, where a rating of 30 or 40 was common, were better, as clearly everyone was watching them, but firstly there was no cable, only 3 broadcast channels and thus no competition. Audiences have become more fickle, with so much content, so much internet, our attention span has gotten shorter, and we demand better, if not, there's plenty else to entertain us. So television is getting better, but that doesn't nessiraly mean that we are in a golden age of TV.
One argument people make is that some channels such as HBO and showtime have a model that is designed around producing absolutely stunning content, with long production schedules, big budgets ect, but I mean this is again like a game of numbers, there are some absolutly crap shows out there, so saying that just because there is quality (that sounds demeaning, there are definitely some great shows out there), doesn't mean we're in the golden age of television.
Also another thing people look at is the dominacne, 98% of americans own a TV, almost all of them have more than one, and cable, and large percentages have more advanced cable. Theres also about 35-40% of americans watching TV each night. While these are all great figures, I don't think this really justifies being called the golden age of television, its more to do with the meadium.
So while I definitly think this is a great time to be making TV and there is definitely some great TV being made, because of this new level of competitiveness surrounding TV, that doesn't necessarily make it the 'golden age of TV' and really I think you can only assign that tittle retrospectively, so this is a good age of TV, maybe even great, but not golden.
Sunday, 3 June 2012
The importance of TV
I was talking yesterday about the important of TV, and why I think we do watch TV, and so I decided why not continue on my blogging binge, and write more about TV
I think another huge part of why we watch TV is the aspect of community asciated with it. Ever since TV was first invented, it was always a family thing, it was an hour or whatever a week were the whole family would gather together to watch TV. Of course there has been some subjestion that watching TV as a family is actually not good, because it connects you to the TV, and not to each other, to which I reply, that is misusing the purpose of TV.
As I was talking yesterday we watch TV to get that burst of emotion, that lets them know they are human, and can feel and experience emotion. And so when we get this emotion, which is such a rare thing in our lives, we want it to last, and the best way we know how to do that is to share it. To talk about it with our friends.
Before the internet these friends would live close to you, and you would probably see them the next day at school/work or whatever, in which you could talk to them, but today, the world is so connected, we have friends from all around the world. We don't have to wait till the next day to talk to people, we can log onto a chat room and talk about the show right then and there, we can capitalise on our feelings, and explore them, while they are still fresh, and that is why we pirate, because we want to be caught up in the show to experience the emotions fresh, to fully explore and revile in them.
I streamed last nights episode of Fringe and was completely blown away by the ending, that I just had to talk about. Fringe does what I was saying, it manipulates my emotions so much, that by the end I was just bursting with emotion, and I was completely sucked in, and felt so many different things it was amazing. For at least another hour after the episode, I couldn't talk coherently about it, because I still had all that emotion inside of me, and for another 6 hours, I could still feel that emotion, that excitement, that heartbreak. Because I talked about it on the internet I explored it, and I explored it with people who same way as I did, they experienced the same emotions, understood what I was feeling, I understood what I was feeling, if only for an hour, and to be understood that way is a very rare thing.
So while yes, these emotions are false, and maybe we should spend more time seeking out physical communication instead, TV is certainly is not some form of flitting unreal communication, the best of it at least, really is art, and incredibly impressive art as well, given the limitations placed on TV (really it one of the far more limiting art forms, tight budgets, set time limits and a very small amount of time to create such things-what other medium has that many requirements) so I really believe that TV can and is, important, and definitely not to be disregarded.
So while yes, these emotions are false, and maybe we should spend more time seeking out physical communication instead, TV is certainly is not some form of flitting unreal communication, the best of it at least, really is art, and incredibly impressive art as well, given the limitations placed on TV (really it one of the far more limiting art forms, tight budgets, set time limits and a very small amount of time to create such things-what other medium has that many requirements) so I really believe that TV can and is, important, and definitely not to be disregarded.
TV in repeats
Well I was going to do a whole bunch of different intualetual posts on the quadruple bond, and the Republican politics, but then I realsied that what I really wanted to do was talk about fringe and other TV I watched, and damnit this is my blog so I can talk about what I feel like, and often I feel like talking about TV. I've also unfortunatly as its non-ratings in the US and Aus TV just sucks, it was more of a catch up week for me, so here are some of the shows I'm currently catching up on
right well many of my US shows were in repeats which was highly annoying, so I started watching revenge, and I actually can't believe I liked it. I've been hearing about it all season, how its soapy goodness guilty pleasere, and usally I hate those shows, but I actually really liked revenge for some reason, and it got nominated for a golden globe, so its totally not all that bad right? It's a very interesting type of show, and a lot more episodic than one would expect, where as opposed to the case of the week type show, it has a revenge take down mission of the week, which I actually kinda liked, I also liked just how deranged and heartless Emily is, not to mention the seeming number of gun-wielding psycopaths that reisde in the Hamptons, speaking of, where exactly are the Hamptons? like I know its were really rich new york people go over the summer, but is it actually in new york? because its all beachy, and new york has sucky weather, anywho, suprisingly good show, that I think i'll be checking out for a while, esepcially if we go into repeats again
I've also been watching more of the X-files, and again trying to plow my way through SVU. I really like SVU, though sometimes its just too much. Ie SVU is about as episodic as it comes, I don't think they've ever done a 'previously on' or carried storylines across episodes, as opposed to most of the other very stand alone shows out there, that usally have a few moments in every episode that builds throgout the season to the finale, the finale in SVU is just a more dramatic episode, which is kinda good, because you know exactly what your up for, character driven drama, a case of the week, and some very good acting and filmaking, which is why this is the only offshot of the Law and Order Franchise that is still standing, but it does lack the OMG I have to come back next time factor, I mean you come back because its a great show, but it will always be a great show, there isn't a burning desire to find out what happens next, so I find that I watch SVU off an on when I'm in the mood, because 13 seasons, it seems like such a daunting task
I've also continued watching the X-files. Now I'm going to be frank, the only reason I'm watching this is Fringe, but it is actually very enjoyable. I'm only up to the first season, so at the moment its very episodic, very much like first season fringe, actually really like -1 season fringe, if you back tracked the tragjecotry of epsidodic to mythalone, but still very enjoyable, I'm going to post more on this later, but its actually very refreshing to watch a series in which everything is not ok, unlike most TV on the air today, where the good guys always catch the bad guys, and the end scene is usally a celbration that the world is a slightly better place, the end scene of the X-files is usally whatever got 'solved' unsolving itself, showing that there efforts were in vain, and really creepying you out a bit. I've heard that it gets more seralised and less predictable a bit later on, which I look forward to, but for now, although it hasnt hit the Must.Consume. Level yet, I'm really enjoying the X-files
I've been watching a bunch of other stuff which I'll no doubt talk about later, but for now, thats all I'm catching up on.
right well many of my US shows were in repeats which was highly annoying, so I started watching revenge, and I actually can't believe I liked it. I've been hearing about it all season, how its soapy goodness guilty pleasere, and usally I hate those shows, but I actually really liked revenge for some reason, and it got nominated for a golden globe, so its totally not all that bad right? It's a very interesting type of show, and a lot more episodic than one would expect, where as opposed to the case of the week type show, it has a revenge take down mission of the week, which I actually kinda liked, I also liked just how deranged and heartless Emily is, not to mention the seeming number of gun-wielding psycopaths that reisde in the Hamptons, speaking of, where exactly are the Hamptons? like I know its were really rich new york people go over the summer, but is it actually in new york? because its all beachy, and new york has sucky weather, anywho, suprisingly good show, that I think i'll be checking out for a while, esepcially if we go into repeats again
I've also been watching more of the X-files, and again trying to plow my way through SVU. I really like SVU, though sometimes its just too much. Ie SVU is about as episodic as it comes, I don't think they've ever done a 'previously on' or carried storylines across episodes, as opposed to most of the other very stand alone shows out there, that usally have a few moments in every episode that builds throgout the season to the finale, the finale in SVU is just a more dramatic episode, which is kinda good, because you know exactly what your up for, character driven drama, a case of the week, and some very good acting and filmaking, which is why this is the only offshot of the Law and Order Franchise that is still standing, but it does lack the OMG I have to come back next time factor, I mean you come back because its a great show, but it will always be a great show, there isn't a burning desire to find out what happens next, so I find that I watch SVU off an on when I'm in the mood, because 13 seasons, it seems like such a daunting task
I've also continued watching the X-files. Now I'm going to be frank, the only reason I'm watching this is Fringe, but it is actually very enjoyable. I'm only up to the first season, so at the moment its very episodic, very much like first season fringe, actually really like -1 season fringe, if you back tracked the tragjecotry of epsidodic to mythalone, but still very enjoyable, I'm going to post more on this later, but its actually very refreshing to watch a series in which everything is not ok, unlike most TV on the air today, where the good guys always catch the bad guys, and the end scene is usally a celbration that the world is a slightly better place, the end scene of the X-files is usally whatever got 'solved' unsolving itself, showing that there efforts were in vain, and really creepying you out a bit. I've heard that it gets more seralised and less predictable a bit later on, which I look forward to, but for now, although it hasnt hit the Must.Consume. Level yet, I'm really enjoying the X-files
I've been watching a bunch of other stuff which I'll no doubt talk about later, but for now, thats all I'm catching up on.
Comedy's may not be the devils advocate after all (working through mini crisis with TV)
I remember the very first post I made of this blog talking about all the different things I might blog about, yet I seriously don't know why I bothered doing that because all I ever want to talk about is TV. Its not that all I talk about in real life is TV, but maybe because I don't talk about this in real life, I need to get it out of my system so I do so on this blog, but whatever the reason, I'm going to be talking about two very sore topics-TV and my so dubbed quarter life crisis.
Anyway because of this so dubbed quarter life crisis my TV habits have changed slightly, I mean I still watch my usual insane amount of it, but I have added 2 new shows to my repotriave that are right out my usual ball park, that right I Emily have started watching a Comedy.
To any sane person this wouldn't seam like such a big deal, but I never watch comedys, I mean if I'm eating dinner, and theres nothing else on I'll watch an episode or two of the big bang theory, and I'll laugh and enjoy watching it, but comedy's have never had that pull for me, like I'll never seek it out to watch it, and I'll never obsess over it like I do some shows, I'll almost definitely talk more about this same point later, but to cut to the chase I've started to watch, and really enjoy, 30 rock and girls.
Now in my defence, or how I sell it to myself, neither show is a haha comedy, 30 rock has won dozens of emmy's and girls is almost definitely garenteed to win some, they're more intellectual, and for 30 rock at least, the humour comes more from wit, than anything else, and there a lot of pop culture references that you really have to be on your toes to get, so I am still engaging with the TV and blah, but really I watch it because they are really enjoyable shows, and a hidden side effect that I have just discovered about comedy's is that the characters are so relatable.
The things with Drama's, especially network and really espeically CBS dramas, is that everyone on the show is so good, they all have this super-power which makes them like the best in the business, and because of that they can do these amazing things, so they're really fun to watch, but with comedy's the people are more normal, well usually at least, and instead of exploring how awesome they are, with the occasional flaw, comedy's explore their characters faults, usually just for laughs, and so while funny, they don't really have a compelling plot line to pull you back in.
But I've gone way off topic, what I am trying to say is that there is something just so refreshing about Liz lemon from 30 rock, and even though I am in very few ways like her, she's really one of the most relatable characters I've found on TV. I suppose its
The real thing 30 rock and girls have in common (and the reason I started watching girls in general) is that both shows are created, written, and sometimes directed by the leading lady. They're shows based loosely on their own lives, which in a way is good. Because you see these girls messing up their lives, making mistakes all over the place, but at the same time you realise in the back of your mind that this same person is now the showrunner of a very successful show, that they haven't screwed up their lives, they're actually fulfilling their dreams so to speak.
It's probably my current headspace about feeling so unsure of my future and my life that makes me like these shows, but its really actually refreshing to see such normal people, in like non-life or death high pressure situations, and I love high pressure situations, but, there is something oddly satisfying about watching people screw up, and not in a haha I'm so much better way, in an OMG I totally do that way. its like watching people without the TV magic wand, that makes everything happen because of a good story, and thats probably what I actually really like about them. That without a magic TV wand, while still screwing up absolutely everything, these people still went on to do the things they dreamed about, and so can I.
Saturday, 2 June 2012
Glee isn't all that gleeful
As you may have guessed by this blog a) I watch a heck of a lot of TV and b) I'm in the middle of a quarter life existential crisis, and am expressing my feelings through blogging about technically different issues, but really are all the same thing. Today's topic-the Glee Final. Yes I finally watched it, and I thought it was actually pretty good, I mean glee has definitely had some problems this season, mostly because it *cough* Ryan Murphy *cough* got to full of itself and thought it was such a great show and going to change the world, and usually I'm okay with that, but theses final episodes really depressed me.
In the heyday of Glee, by which I mean the first and some of the second season, it was great, it was funny ridiculous and had heart, but the thing that it did better than anything else was portray lost dreams. It did a beautiful job of painting a town were dreams just didn't come true, where adults lived their dull everyday reality, while the kids sung and dreamed of better. It was TV in one of its truest forms-escapist-allowing the audience to indulge in the kids dreams, it was a show about making you feel better (come on THE song for glee is don't stop believing, if that doesn't say its a show about dreaming I don't know what will) until they return to their more boring lives. Unfortunately there only so long you can do something like that, which glee soon discovered.Had this been airing on showtime or a non-USA cable network, the show would explore the kids not achieving their dreams, but that it was okay to do so, it would show the kids failing, but never stopping to believe. Unfortunately it's on fox, and while for the first season, thats kinda what it did do, you knew from the outset that the third season would be about the kids getting everything.
And boy did they, Winning nationals after a mere day rehearsing? check, large celebratory party where the kids are finally treated like heros? check. and the majority of the graduating class going on to a ridiculously wonderful post high school adventure? check. It the epitomy of getting your cake and eating it too. And this is where I had a problem. I mean I fully understand and get that a large part of this is because my mindset has changed so much, but just seeing these kids, who we were expected to believe were ordinary teens, become insanely insanely talented through just three seasons, and get absolutely everything they ever wanted. Ohh man, that practically sent me bawling. Its the whole american dream thing of anyone can do anything, anyone can achieve their dreams, but not everyone can achieve their dreams. The majority of people are just normal, aren't going to be stars, no matter how much you tell yourself in the bathroom mirror rachel berry, some people just have to live normal lives, and that's okay. Or that's what the show should be telling us.
Instead its telling the typical fairy-tale message-you work hard, be good, and your wildest dreams come true, which is what really set me off, because I work hard, so so so hard, and yet none of my dreams come true, instead of getting wrapped up in the misique and magic of the show, I got bogged down by reality, and the contrast was startling. After watching the finale I wasn't filled with confidence that my dreams would come true, I practically cried because they aren't going to, because that's life, and as vocal adeline can no don't adhere too, dreams don't come true. Vocal adrenaline worked harder, longer, and were quiet frankly better, but because of TV magic, the new directions won, and that is why the glee finale was so not gleeful to me, because there is no TV magic to make my dreams come true.
In the heyday of Glee, by which I mean the first and some of the second season, it was great, it was funny ridiculous and had heart, but the thing that it did better than anything else was portray lost dreams. It did a beautiful job of painting a town were dreams just didn't come true, where adults lived their dull everyday reality, while the kids sung and dreamed of better. It was TV in one of its truest forms-escapist-allowing the audience to indulge in the kids dreams, it was a show about making you feel better (come on THE song for glee is don't stop believing, if that doesn't say its a show about dreaming I don't know what will) until they return to their more boring lives. Unfortunately there only so long you can do something like that, which glee soon discovered.Had this been airing on showtime or a non-USA cable network, the show would explore the kids not achieving their dreams, but that it was okay to do so, it would show the kids failing, but never stopping to believe. Unfortunately it's on fox, and while for the first season, thats kinda what it did do, you knew from the outset that the third season would be about the kids getting everything.
And boy did they, Winning nationals after a mere day rehearsing? check, large celebratory party where the kids are finally treated like heros? check. and the majority of the graduating class going on to a ridiculously wonderful post high school adventure? check. It the epitomy of getting your cake and eating it too. And this is where I had a problem. I mean I fully understand and get that a large part of this is because my mindset has changed so much, but just seeing these kids, who we were expected to believe were ordinary teens, become insanely insanely talented through just three seasons, and get absolutely everything they ever wanted. Ohh man, that practically sent me bawling. Its the whole american dream thing of anyone can do anything, anyone can achieve their dreams, but not everyone can achieve their dreams. The majority of people are just normal, aren't going to be stars, no matter how much you tell yourself in the bathroom mirror rachel berry, some people just have to live normal lives, and that's okay. Or that's what the show should be telling us.
Instead its telling the typical fairy-tale message-you work hard, be good, and your wildest dreams come true, which is what really set me off, because I work hard, so so so hard, and yet none of my dreams come true, instead of getting wrapped up in the misique and magic of the show, I got bogged down by reality, and the contrast was startling. After watching the finale I wasn't filled with confidence that my dreams would come true, I practically cried because they aren't going to, because that's life, and as vocal adeline can no don't adhere too, dreams don't come true. Vocal adrenaline worked harder, longer, and were quiet frankly better, but because of TV magic, the new directions won, and that is why the glee finale was so not gleeful to me, because there is no TV magic to make my dreams come true.
thought about other-emily
This is going to be a far more serious and personal blog post, infact I really considered not writting it, but I'm relying fairly heavily on the fact that absolutly no one is reading this blog, or at least people I know, and I kinda want to write and talk about it, and posting it is just a way of getting it out there, and out of my system, so here it goes.
I've been thinking a lot about my double.
Why? Well I very reccently applied to a very presitgous program, I spent time, effort, money and mental stress thinking and applying, and I got rejected. I kinda knew it was coming, it was a very prestigous program, but I just felt like I was such a perfect fit, that I should be going, but I just didn't get in. Someone, on a blog post about the program mentioned that there were a thousand different univerese created when the admit list went up, to accodoate all the possible future of people getting in, and not getting in, and the huge Fringe fan in me, got me thinking of other Emily, and how she would be like, and how her life would be different if she got in.
But quite frankly that sucked. Going back to Fringe, I know Walter and Elizabeth tried to find solace that there was a peter somewhere out there who survived, but all I could think about was how much better other Emily would have been, she'd be having fun, meeting amazing people, living in an amazing place, A place she's dreamed of living for years, she'd be feeling like she's doing something with her life, feeling like its worthwhile, and going on and getting a great job. Which in no way gives me solace, because I feel none of that.
I hate university, I mean I don't mean that I hate it, I just hate the concept. I feel like I'm wasting my life, wasting time, and I feel like I don't have time to waste, I'm lonely, I barely see my school frineds, and when I do, we nevee talk or catch-up, I don't feel as close to them, I feel like we're drifting appart, but I hae nothing to frift to, I know that I have to give it time, but I have really no friends in uni, there all just acquaitences, and evertime I think I'm getting close, I never am. It's my birthday soon, and I feel like I'm so ridiclously old, and I think of the kid who went to uni at 12, or all the people who go early, and wish so badly that I could have. I feel like I have to waster the next 7 or so years of my life, which I didn't mind so much in school, because its school, and everyone has to go to it, but now I feel so normal, so un-scpecial, so mundane, and I hate it, I'm so self-centred, but I just can't stnd doinf things at the same pace as other people, I just can't be in the same class.
and I know its just my persecetive, but I just feel so normal, I'm going to some run-of the mill university, and going to get an average job at the end, but only after I endure god-knows how much mundane touture, of sitting bored in lecture theatres, and thats what really rubs me about alt-emily. She gets to use her potenital, to be in a reconsided and respected program, she gets to be special, when I am just normal, and I want so badly to be special. I have this complex where I strive, I need to feel speical, well everyone does, and its more a condition of generation Y's over coddeling, (more about this later, but after much thought of on the issue, I've come to the conclusion that telling absolutly everyone they're special, by handing out awards for everything, may not actually be the best thing) and god I hate this feeling, I hate normal, and its probably for because the first part of my life I felt special and if I could do everything (you're going to be reading a TON of blog posts on this issue, because its so much on my mind at the moment) but know I feel like nothing, like everything I've worked for isn't going to pay off, I feel like I'm working to avoid falling down into the absis, not rise above everyone else.
But Alt-Emily is rising, she's doing things, she's on her way, and I'm not, and that, for lack of a better word sucks.
I've been thinking a lot about my double.
Why? Well I very reccently applied to a very presitgous program, I spent time, effort, money and mental stress thinking and applying, and I got rejected. I kinda knew it was coming, it was a very prestigous program, but I just felt like I was such a perfect fit, that I should be going, but I just didn't get in. Someone, on a blog post about the program mentioned that there were a thousand different univerese created when the admit list went up, to accodoate all the possible future of people getting in, and not getting in, and the huge Fringe fan in me, got me thinking of other Emily, and how she would be like, and how her life would be different if she got in.
But quite frankly that sucked. Going back to Fringe, I know Walter and Elizabeth tried to find solace that there was a peter somewhere out there who survived, but all I could think about was how much better other Emily would have been, she'd be having fun, meeting amazing people, living in an amazing place, A place she's dreamed of living for years, she'd be feeling like she's doing something with her life, feeling like its worthwhile, and going on and getting a great job. Which in no way gives me solace, because I feel none of that.
I hate university, I mean I don't mean that I hate it, I just hate the concept. I feel like I'm wasting my life, wasting time, and I feel like I don't have time to waste, I'm lonely, I barely see my school frineds, and when I do, we nevee talk or catch-up, I don't feel as close to them, I feel like we're drifting appart, but I hae nothing to frift to, I know that I have to give it time, but I have really no friends in uni, there all just acquaitences, and evertime I think I'm getting close, I never am. It's my birthday soon, and I feel like I'm so ridiclously old, and I think of the kid who went to uni at 12, or all the people who go early, and wish so badly that I could have. I feel like I have to waster the next 7 or so years of my life, which I didn't mind so much in school, because its school, and everyone has to go to it, but now I feel so normal, so un-scpecial, so mundane, and I hate it, I'm so self-centred, but I just can't stnd doinf things at the same pace as other people, I just can't be in the same class.
and I know its just my persecetive, but I just feel so normal, I'm going to some run-of the mill university, and going to get an average job at the end, but only after I endure god-knows how much mundane touture, of sitting bored in lecture theatres, and thats what really rubs me about alt-emily. She gets to use her potenital, to be in a reconsided and respected program, she gets to be special, when I am just normal, and I want so badly to be special. I have this complex where I strive, I need to feel speical, well everyone does, and its more a condition of generation Y's over coddeling, (more about this later, but after much thought of on the issue, I've come to the conclusion that telling absolutly everyone they're special, by handing out awards for everything, may not actually be the best thing) and god I hate this feeling, I hate normal, and its probably for because the first part of my life I felt special and if I could do everything (you're going to be reading a TON of blog posts on this issue, because its so much on my mind at the moment) but know I feel like nothing, like everything I've worked for isn't going to pay off, I feel like I'm working to avoid falling down into the absis, not rise above everyone else.
But Alt-Emily is rising, she's doing things, she's on her way, and I'm not, and that, for lack of a better word sucks.
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