Monday 21 November 2011

Say what! I feel a rant coming on


For those of us with an attention span of reasonable duration – we know who we are – we are perfectly capable of watching a whole programme without feeling bored.

I don't know about you, but I am frustrated by programmers and drama makers who believe we all only have the attention of a canary i.e. a bar of a song and we need a break. Now, let's face it, such a concept is insulting to a canary who can belt out quite a repertoire if it so chooses.

We are often surrounded in enclosed spaces with people who are permanently glued to their phones, ipods, mp3 players, computers and pads. We get rather fed up with all the tinny noises emanating from ear phones and electronic music advertising the numerous flow of idle chit chat in the form of texts – don't get me started on those who shout private and often intimate conversations down their phones.

Every second of every day, or so it seems to the rest of us, needs to be filled with a vast array of app choosing, music blasting, texting etc. TV seems to be heading the same way in that producers feel we all need to be told over and over again, as though we all have collective amnesia, what is going to happen, what has just happened and repeating it at least twice just in case we didn't take it in first time around. 30 minutes programmes, when you take out adverts and this constant re-telling, can actually be as short at 15 minutes.

However, what has prompted this rant is something we watched on Click yesterday - in short – the bizarre concept of 2 screen viewing.
Apparently, bored with not having enough seconds in the day to fill – nanoseconds now need to be taken care off.

2 screen viewing enables you to 'watch' your programme as well as text about it onto Facebook, Twitter etc. all at the same time. Or, you can watch your programme and simultaneously call up extra information. Well, I don't know about you, but why bother to watch something if you're not taking it in, enjoying it, disappearing into a make believe world.

Personally I think it is one step too far and I only hope it is a short lived craze. 

More importantly, I sincerely hope that programme makers don't think the rest of us have lost the plot and that 30 minute programmes will begin to have only 5 minutes of content.

2 comments:

  1. I totally agree with you. I especially hate those programmes which tell you what's going to happen, show it happening and then remind you what's happened as if you've forgotten. I also hate all the stops for advertisements. Give me a programme from start to finish without any interruptions. I'll be able to take it all in - really.
    Hi, I've called in on your blog before and will certainly be calling in again.
    Love from Mum
    xx

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