Well, being the entertainment junkie that I am, I have to admit that this summer-without-TV experiment has been a bit rough. So, I've turned to the interwebs for my television viewing, and thankfully, have found some new faves along the way. I'm always up for recommendations, but here's what's been tickling my fancy lately.
Mad Men. OK, those of you that I see on a regular basis are probably sick of hearing me talk about this show. Whatever. I love it. The costumes, the advertising world, New York City. It's all great. The setting takes you right back to the 1960's, and if you overlook a few things (the treatment of women, the booze, and the incessant smoking), you almost want to live there with them. Watch season one before the second one starts next Sunday.
Californication. Thanks to Netflix, I was able to catch up on this show's first season. I attempted to watch the show when it aired on Showtime, but wasn't convinced. Since then, however, I have fallen for the boozing, meandering ways of Duchovny's Hank Moody. He's witty and gritty, but he does it so well.
Weeds. After a lackluster last season, which ended in Mary Louise Parker fleeing her suburban neighborhood, the show has made a comeback. A lot has changed- gone are Helia and Conrad- Nancy's pot providers. Also gone is the "Little Boxes" theme song. The content, however, is back and better than usual. It's no second season, but Nancy's border-crossing drug dealings are keeping me tuning in.
So. There you have it. My recent television obsessions. Any suggestions? I'm more than happy to entertain (no pun intended), a new venue.
So. I made the big move. I said goodbye to Texas. I ate Mexican food for weeks, drank some Lone Star, and got my Alamo Drafthouse fix. Ready or not, here I am. As I settle into my small (yet FREE) living quarters- wherein I cannot open my closet and front door at the same time- one would think, why would someone leave the cheap-to-live, easy-to-work in state of Texas?
To get the job of my dreams, of course! I am participating in an amazing program at MTV networks and am beyond excited. We are placed in a department (mine's MTV), and every friday we work as a team on a special project. An amazing network has been set up for us, and I am so proud to be a part of it.
That being said, moving to New York with the indefinite mindset is a bit scary. Eventually, the meal ticket stops. No longer is the housing free, no more are the dorm meals (not such a loss). Once this "real" phase of adulthood kicks in, I fear I may have myself a full-blown panic attack. Scary!! Alas, I'm embracing it. In a generation where many of my colleagues have taken a just-to-get-a-job sort of vocation, I am fortunate enough to be in the position to (hopefully) get a job in the field where my passion lies.
So, cross your fingers for your departured comrade. As I said in my previous post (before I found out about my employment), I may soon be eating top ramen morning, noon, and night.
As graduation looms, I know many of us are attempting the ever-so-grown up task of looking for full-time employment. Don't get me wrong, I am really excited about working, I really can't wait to work a million hours a week (I'm a freak, what can I say), but looking for jobs, not so much my favorite task.
Alas, I persevere. A friend in the entertainment industry turned me on to Cynopsis, a self-described free-trade publication written by Cynthia Turner, sent out daily to subscribers and available online. Now, some of the actual memo content is a bit over my head sometimes, but there is a handy-dandy classifieds section that lists all the media jobs becoming available. Sure, it doesn't list all, and some companies insist on hiring internally, or through their own website, but its a pretty good resource for media jobs, if that's your thing.
So, good luck to those of us embarking on the big-kid world. I think we'll be OK. Of course, this is the optimism of someone still in school. Talk to me in a few weeks, when my health insurance drops me and I'm eating Top Ramen everyday. Fun Times.
As I was reading the opinion section of the Austin American Statesman online the other day, I came across an article very relevant to our class. Leonard Pitts, frequent editorial writer, and Pulitzer Prize winner, shed light on the recent Youtube phenomenon and the proverbial quest for 15 minutes of fame that has ensued. This incident is a bit more serious than that of the British divorcee we discussed in class, but alas, here goes.
As Marcela also blogged about this week, a recent incident involving several 17 year-old girls beating one of their friends, has popped up on Youtube. The girls lured their friend to a house, beating her, while two boys kept watch. She takes blows to the head, barely covering herself, while the girls tell her to "make it good" because only 17 seconds of video remain. "Disgusting" as Pitts describes it, is that the girls show no remorse over the beating, only that they will miss cheerleading practice due to being incarcerated. Even more so is that the parents of the bullies defend their children, stating that the victim was "trash talking" online. Pitts' article examines not just the act itself, but the startling motivation behind it- Youtube fame. Pitts worries that 15 minutes of internet fame may just have been the catalyst behind the brutality here. And sadly, I agree. What I most agree with, and appreciate, about his editorial, is that he worries about what "fame" actually represents in contemporary society. It used to be, he says, that you got famous because of a discernible amount of talent over others, an extraordinary quality. Those days are gone.
I know I've blogged about the "starmaking" quality of Youtube before. I stand by the fact that yes, some people use Youtube in a beneficial manner. We've all watched the same videos of little kids saying quirky things, and fashion commentators utilizing it to get media exposure. This is a different story. I should say that I'm amazed that people would stoop so low as to violently beat a friend of theirs (rendering her blind in one eye and deaf in one ear), but I'm not. Some people cannot filter things. They cannot differentiate between right and wrong, and when they see Youtube manufacturing notoriety, they take note.
Or, as Pitts more succinctly puts it, these are not smart girls:
"No, these are the video-besotted children of an era where only suckers can't find some way to become known. Fame is democratized now, no longer the exclusive province of the talented, the heroic or even the lucky, but rather a commodity accessible to anyone willing to seize it by any means necessary."
So, what do you think? Is this the downfall of society? Fame by any means necessary? Or is this a case, like that of the myspace girl who committed suicide, of tactless people in a tactless environment? Help me decide, because honestly, I just don't want to live with the fact that these girls did it because they thought we'd all have a laugh while bored at work.
As much as it pains me to use this as my example, here's the "O'Reilly Factor" coverage of the incident. It's all I could find, I promise.
Oh, how I remember it so well. We've all watched it, admit it. The 20th (20th!!?!! Really?) season of MTV's once-popular reality show, Real World, is set to make its debut in Hollywood this year. This season, the network is taking a more interactive approach with the show. Real World Dailies allows viewers to get access to "daily, uncensored clips" of what takes place in the house. Apparently, that which is shown on TV is actually the vanilla content.
The site includes cast bios, confessionals not shown on the show, and most recently, producer blogs. Executive producer Jon Murray blogs about move-in day:
"We have some concerns about Brianna; only a few weeks ago she got into a fight with her boyfriend and the police were called -- and she was arrested. She will have to return to Philadelphia for a court hearing at some point but we hope it doesn’t happen during the taping of the show, and remove her from the house."
Oh lord. Here it goes again. Does anyone remember Real World Seattle? Or the older seasons, like San Francisco? The cast used to be semi-intelligent, and there were some decent conversations and interactions to be witnessed. Lately though, it's gone downhill. Take Las Vegas, for example. That was the first season where all I can remember is nudity and stupidity, all fueled by alcohol. Is this indicative of our culture? Are we drunken idiots, who in a rage, end up hitting one another- eventually involving the police? It seems to happen every season! I'd like to think not. I have higher hope for our generation, and I'd like to think that MTV does too. Alas, people will keep watching, and drunks/idiots/fratboys/beauty queens/anorexics will continue to be cast. They'll stop being polite, and start being real.
19. Companies can now communicate with their markets directly. If they blow it, it could be their last chance
I completely agree with this. Take the Southwest Airlines example. Now, I’m not ragging on Southwest one bit. Sure, my mom works for American Airlines, but that doesn’t sway me. As we know, the airline industry is often at a bit of a crossroads with their publics. Granted, airline travel is a necessary evil, but as an industry, it’s generally not one that we shower in support.
There are several problems fueling the hatred. Forced grounding of over 500 flights by several airlines. Sky-high jet fuel prices, frequently lost bags. Planes stuck on the runway without food and water for hours upon hours.
What I’m saying is that there’s a lot to overcome here. This is what I think is so successful about the Southwest Airlines blog. There is obvious readership, and feedback that’s consistently positive. This is an extraordinary example of a company really responding to its publics, and utilizing new media in effective ways. The rest of the airline industry needs to jump on this bandwagon. Of course, an ineffective company blog could blow it, but if they are as willing and able as the crew (no pun intended) at Southwest, then they have a lot to gain.
I mean, c’mon. If they’re gonna take away the pillows and peanuts, then by golly, they could throw us a blog post or two.
talk about this show. Whatever. I love it. The costumes, the advertising world, New York City. It's all great. The setting takes you right back to the 1960's, and if you overlook a few things (the treatment of women, the booze, and the incessant smoking), you almost want to live there with them. Watch season one before the second one starts next Sunday.
providers. Also gone is the "Little Boxes" theme song. The content, however, is back and better than usual. It's no second season, but Nancy's border-crossing drug dealings are keeping me tuning in.
