| September 12th, 2005 03:04 PM |
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| Jumping Jack |
Anyone who voted for this guy should be very proud.
Dumbing down the news, one pod at a time
By BRONWYN LANCE CHESTER, The Virginian-Pilot
© September 8, 2005
Last updated: 7:31 PM
Question: What would happen if “Saturday Night Live’s” Wayne and Garth received a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting?
Answer: “Current TV.”
For the hopelessly unhip stuck in an era of camera-less cell phones and Palm Pilots — so 20th century — “Current TV” is a 24-hour news channel founded by former Vice President Al Gore, and aimed at impatient, Internet-savvy 18- to 34-year-olds. Cox Hampton Roads’ viewers can’t get Current; DirectTV satellite customers can.
It’s hook? “You are the viewer and producer.”
Like the inner workings of a Valley Girl’s mind, “Current” flits from topic to topic via short news segments called “pods” — many of which are sent in by viewers — interspersed with the most popular Internet searches of the moment.
For the attention-challenged, a bar at the bottom of the screen tells viewers — who can also vote for what goes on TV — how much time remains in each pod.
“Current,” which debuted Aug. 1, has pompously touted itself as “a tapas bar of ideas,” and “an outpost in a locked-down television landscape.”
Instead, it’s more like ADHD TV.
Being on the cusp of the network’s demographic, I’ve tried — honestly — to give it a shot.
But every time I’ve channel-surfed to “Current,” its “news” more closely resembles a narcissists’ convention held at Ripley’s Believe It or Not.
One segment featured a guy obsessed with his Air Jordan shoe collection. Another lionized graffiti “artists” in Japan.
Yet another consisted of self-absorbed twenty-somethings bleating about their “quarter-life crisis.” One participant actually wailed, “I don’t know whether to do my medical residency in San Francisco or Boston!”, while his colleague dithered over becoming an acupuncturist or a music organizer.
And what was “Current” showing as Hurricane Katrina was about to blow the Gulf Coast off the map? A bald guy getting tattoos lasered from his scalp.
An unintentionally entertaining segment — sorry, “pod” — was a how-to for snagging a medical marijuana permit in California, after which the host disclosed that the piece was taped prior to the Supreme Court’s June decision upholding prosecutions for medicinal toking.
Not very current.
Inexplicably, this posturing channel has become the darling of media critics. The New York Times called Gore’s efforts “betting a network on youths who think.” Only if they’re thinking of committing a felony.
I understand the appeal of not having a bunch of stuffy suits decide what you’ll see on the news.
But that’s why millions of us simply surf the Internet for our dose of current events or compulsively change channels.
And the flip side of not having execs select your news is having Biff and Tripp at Theta Chi choose it for you. Which must explain “Current’s” content.
After all, it’s easier to laugh at the dude with the tattooed head than understand the Iraqi constitutional process or what’s going on in Gaza.
The real travesty is that this grab-the-Ritalin channel supplanted the genuine journalism of Newsworld International, whose signal it now occupies.
That network featured broadcasts from Germany, Japan, Great Britain and, most prominently, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation . Think an entire network of cool, calm Peter Jenningses reporting in-depth, thoughtful stories.
“Current” is trying to be the Schoolhouse Rock of headlines. That’s not a bad thing.
This is: Instead of civics,
it’s passing off graffiti and lasered bald heads as significant.
Young Americans deserve better. But since this channel’s content is largely viewer-driven, I’m not certain we want better.
However, a Current-inspired tattoo-removal trend for teens? Now that would be newsworthy.
Bronwyn Lance Chester is an editorial writer for The Virginian-Pilot. Reach her at 757-446-2307 or e-mail her at [email protected].
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| September 12th, 2005 03:08 PM |
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| Nellcote |
Didn't Al invent the internet? |
| September 12th, 2005 03:13 PM |
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| Jumping Jack |
What happened to the Dolphins? |
| September 12th, 2005 03:18 PM |
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| pdog |
Current TV ain't bad, it ain't great. It's just a buch a short clips. i like the premise, if it flies it'll be pretty cool. It's not media BS and it's not left or right! |
| September 12th, 2005 03:18 PM |
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| jb |
They won, unlike tonight, when the Eagles will kick the Falcon's asses. |
| September 12th, 2005 03:23 PM |
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| Jumping Jack |
TO better keep that Sharpie in his pants if he knows what's good for him. |
| September 12th, 2005 03:26 PM |
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| Nellcote |
I went home for lunch today, ESPN was playing the 2004 Eagles Road to the SuperBowl 1 hour special. I watched the 1st 10 minutes, then switched to The Roberts Hearings.
Sadly for such Eagles fans, the outcome was the same as in February of this year...
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| September 12th, 2005 03:28 PM |
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| jb |
quote:
Nellcote wrote:
I went home for lunch today, ESPN was playing the 2004 Eagles Road to the SuperBowl 1 hour special. I watched the 1st 10 minutes, then switched to The Roberts Hearings.
Sadly for such Eagles fans, the outcome was the same as in February of this year...
We shall crush the patriots this year and reclaim our title as the winningest frachise since the 1967 merger. Remeber, 17-0 will never be matched..... |
| September 12th, 2005 03:35 PM |
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| Nellcote |
JB, are you smoking Ricky Williams roaches?
See me in February '05...
All we have to do is play 4-2 thru the 1st six games this year, (toughest 1st six games in the NFL), we are on the way to Detroit, where you will be playing golf in February....You read it here 1st...Tell your friend I met in Bahston that we've got an ex-con on a snow plow waving at him.... |
| September 12th, 2005 03:38 PM |
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| Jumping Jack |
The only explanation for yesterday is that the whole Dolphins team got into Ricky's stash. |
| September 12th, 2005 03:41 PM |
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| monkey_man |
quote:
pdog wrote:
Current TV ain't bad, it ain't great. It's just a buch a short clips. i like the premise, if it flies it'll be pretty cool. It's not media BS and it's not left or right!
The premise seems kinda dumb but I haven't seen it. What channel is it on in the bay area?
MM |
| September 12th, 2005 03:50 PM |
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| gimmekeef |
quote:
jb wrote:
They won, unlike tonight, when the Eagles will kick the Falcon's asses.
jb..just when we were getting along so nicely1..As a resident of the ATL >>Go falcons!!!!!... |
| September 12th, 2005 03:58 PM |
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| jb |
quote:
gimmekeef wrote:
jb..just when we were getting along so nicely1..As a resident of the ATL >>Go falcons!!!!!...
I like Ron Mexico. |
| September 12th, 2005 04:27 PM |
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| Ten Thousand Motels |
Well it's about time Gore did something, anything. He's been pretty idle since Bush stole the election. |
| September 12th, 2005 05:32 PM |
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| Joey |
quote:
Nellcote wrote:
Didn't Al invent the internet?
No , that was one Peter Denis Blandford Townshend , circa 1971 . |
| September 12th, 2005 05:37 PM |
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| Jumping Jack |
RELAY that to Gore young Joey, he hasn't gotten the message. |
| September 12th, 2005 05:48 PM |
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| monkey_man |
quote:
Jumping Jack wrote:
RELAY that to Gore young Joey, he hasn't gotten the message.
Maybe we should relay the message to you that Gore is a has been and flogging his campaign slogans from 5 years ago is as dull as watching Al kiss Tipper! |
| September 12th, 2005 05:48 PM |
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| Joey |
quote:
Jumping Jack wrote:
RELAY that to Gore young Joey, he hasn't gotten the message.
Oooooooo ! I LIKE the ' Relay ' reference . |
| September 13th, 2005 05:25 AM |
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| Jumping Jack |
Did someone say ASS KICKING?
Detroit is cold in in the winter, but the Stones and the Falcons will make the trip worthwhile!!! |
| September 13th, 2005 02:51 PM |
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| Joey |
quote:
Jumping Jack wrote:
Did someone say ASS KICKING?
Detroit is cold in in the winter, but the Stones and the Falcons will make the trip worthwhile!!!
Detroit is a BUST year round ................ |
