This corner of the internet is becoming more "Australified." As of this moment, visits from the United States are for the first time below 50%, more importantly, visits from Australia are 2nd behind the United States at 17%. My goal by the end of Spring is for Australian visits to number 25% or higher.
Even if I don't hit that percentage, I just want to thank all the Aussies for visiting, and hope you enjoy it enough to linger.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Miracles Can Happen, They Can Happen to Jeremy Piven?
Either he's well stocked on voodoo dolls or blackmail photos, but somehow Jeremy Piven has managed to avoid getting any penalties levelled against him for his disappearance from Speed The Plow.
And he cited MLK Jr. in his arbitration performance?!
That's an ego run rampant.
And he cited MLK Jr. in his arbitration performance?!
That's an ego run rampant.
Huh?
While the focus of this corner of the internet is media,* you'll have to pardon this foray into the travel business. Perhaps it's just my own mind that is having trouble comprehending this, but how on god's green Earth is the US West Coast competitive for Australian incentive (read: conference) travel?
Guam, I understand.
Hawaii, I understand.
I don't think a 12+ hour flight to talk shop is an easy sell, A$1000 or not, due to the time issue.
Friday Bonus: More from one of the best Designing Women episodes ever.
* Theatre is a media. It's just the offerings are so dire these days that I don't even bother covering it.
Guam, I understand.
Hawaii, I understand.
I don't think a 12+ hour flight to talk shop is an easy sell, A$1000 or not, due to the time issue.
Friday Bonus: More from one of the best Designing Women episodes ever.
* Theatre is a media. It's just the offerings are so dire these days that I don't even bother covering it.
Friday, February 27, 2009
ESC 2009: Serbia
Ana Nikolic--who in a just world would've already been an Eurovision veteran--is making another run to represent Serbia (this time Montenegro-less). Based on what I've heard from the Beovizija previews so far, she's got the strongest song. (Although I'd be happy if Serbia at least since something with a danceable beat.)
That said, her song is not as strong as Romale Romali from 3 years ago. (Note the stories on the "Washington Times" during her postcard.)
That said, her song is not as strong as Romale Romali from 3 years ago. (Note the stories on the "Washington Times" during her postcard.)
Humour Impared
The blogger who started Foley-gate apparently is rather uptight.
He writes in the Huffington Post about a pilot's joke that he calls an "insult," which I find rather funny.
Ok, I saw the fuselage get towed hither and yon from my window for several days.
I think calling the Hudson River "US Airways' new runway" is a good chuckle. Perhaps Mr. Hudson is rather sensitive since his own name lends itself to many puns itself.
And could we lay off the canonisation of "Sully?" The man was doing his job, not to mention the fact that everyone survived was not purely due to his efforts but of the whole crew doing what they were trained to do.
He writes in the Huffington Post about a pilot's joke that he calls an "insult," which I find rather funny.
Ok, I saw the fuselage get towed hither and yon from my window for several days.
I think calling the Hudson River "US Airways' new runway" is a good chuckle. Perhaps Mr. Hudson is rather sensitive since his own name lends itself to many puns itself.
And could we lay off the canonisation of "Sully?" The man was doing his job, not to mention the fact that everyone survived was not purely due to his efforts but of the whole crew doing what they were trained to do.
It's Thanksgiving in Spring
...as in a big fat turkey.
Matthew Perry and Zac Efron? This is going to be very bad. I don't think Efron is anything without the High School Musical franchise* (and this is the wrong role to prove the opposite), and Perry is really nothing full stop--even sadder he's playing second fiddle to Zac Efron.
*He was pretty much inconsequential in Hairspray.
Matthew Perry and Zac Efron? This is going to be very bad. I don't think Efron is anything without the High School Musical franchise* (and this is the wrong role to prove the opposite), and Perry is really nothing full stop--even sadder he's playing second fiddle to Zac Efron.
*He was pretty much inconsequential in Hairspray.
I Thought Overclass Was A Slur
Chris Rock once said that there is difference between being wealthy and being rich.:
"Shaquille O' Neal is rich. The guy that signs his checks is wealthy."
Lee Hawkins's Newbos multimedia onslaught which airs tonight does not seem to address this difference, in fact by focusing on the entertainment/media side, it really seems to reinforce the rich versus wealthy divide.
Kudos to some of the people featured for trying to think long term, but I would be more interested in seeing a special on how blacks became wealthy (and Hawkins has a lot of rich people and few wealthy, by the Chris Rock definition) via ways other than sports and entertainment.*
* The fact that Hawkins looks very close to NBC reporter/former NFL player Tiki Barber (and his brother Ronde) also seems a bit too convenient.
I personally believe they're out there, but don't quite fit into his book's thesis.
And yes, overclass is a pejorative term, don't praise these guys.
"Shaquille O' Neal is rich. The guy that signs his checks is wealthy."
Lee Hawkins's Newbos multimedia onslaught which airs tonight does not seem to address this difference, in fact by focusing on the entertainment/media side, it really seems to reinforce the rich versus wealthy divide.
Kudos to some of the people featured for trying to think long term, but I would be more interested in seeing a special on how blacks became wealthy (and Hawkins has a lot of rich people and few wealthy, by the Chris Rock definition) via ways other than sports and entertainment.*
* The fact that Hawkins looks very close to NBC reporter/former NFL player Tiki Barber (and his brother Ronde) also seems a bit too convenient.
I personally believe they're out there, but don't quite fit into his book's thesis.
And yes, overclass is a pejorative term, don't praise these guys.
ESC 2009: Russia & Spain
No, Russia and Spain have not chosen their representative, but will do so this weekend.
Both of my favourites for Russia will likely be disqualified (due to the October 1st rule), but nonetheless, I'll still hold out hope for Venger Collective or Polina Griffith to pull off a miracle.
As for Spain, it's Soraya's or Melody's to lose, and I think Soraya will take it.
Both of my favourites for Russia will likely be disqualified (due to the October 1st rule), but nonetheless, I'll still hold out hope for Venger Collective or Polina Griffith to pull off a miracle.
As for Spain, it's Soraya's or Melody's to lose, and I think Soraya will take it.
Here Comes the V
The Fairfax newspapers go inside the 777-300ER that will form the V Australia fleet.
The verdict? Chic, retro, and very Australian. (The Southern Cross is even featured in the mood lighting.)
I'd support them.
The verdict? Chic, retro, and very Australian. (The Southern Cross is even featured in the mood lighting.)
I'd support them.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
A Current Listening Affair
First it was the ABC's turn, and now it's Nine's. Except in this instance, the reporter is only accused of using a concealed listening device, it's what he was recording that is interesting.
As an American, the fact that this was A Current Affair (and the reputation that the US version had) makes this even funnier.
Nonetheless, mayors plotting to kidnap and kill rentboys? We don't get stuff like that anymore on our tabloid television.
As an American, the fact that this was A Current Affair (and the reputation that the US version had) makes this even funnier.
Nonetheless, mayors plotting to kidnap and kill rentboys? We don't get stuff like that anymore on our tabloid television.
Is La Perry Scared of doing a pure comedy?
Don't think for a second that I've lost my marbles and actually given my money to support La Perry, but I wanted to call attention to Alonso Duralde's review of Madea Goes to Jail.
Why?
Duralde calls attention to a major problem lurking in Perry-land, particularly if he wants to keep his ivory tower in good condition.
He needs to start delivering on his hype.
From the review:
Audiences expecting a comedic extravaganza built around the smack-talking, larger-than-life Madea (played by Perry in drag) will be disappointed to discover that her incarceration is very much a secondary plot here...
Therein lies the major structural problem with a lot of Perry's work. He does a lot of bait and switch, you think you're getting a comedy, but you're really getting a weak, sermonising drama. That was not so much a problem in his earlier work, but the time is coming when the audiences will not be content to be conned.
[Perry] knows how to push [his core audience's] buttons and get tears and laughter — and there is some laughter to be had — when he wants to. It’s just disappointing that the most successful African-American filmmaker of this generation refuses to try any harder than that.
God help me, but if I can pass on any advice--not that he'd pay attention to anyone else but himself--it would be make a goddamn comedy, Tyler. By comedy, I mean an absolutely sermon-free comedy. You've got the money to go out on a limb, so do it.
Why?
Duralde calls attention to a major problem lurking in Perry-land, particularly if he wants to keep his ivory tower in good condition.
He needs to start delivering on his hype.
From the review:
Audiences expecting a comedic extravaganza built around the smack-talking, larger-than-life Madea (played by Perry in drag) will be disappointed to discover that her incarceration is very much a secondary plot here...
Therein lies the major structural problem with a lot of Perry's work. He does a lot of bait and switch, you think you're getting a comedy, but you're really getting a weak, sermonising drama. That was not so much a problem in his earlier work, but the time is coming when the audiences will not be content to be conned.
[Perry] knows how to push [his core audience's] buttons and get tears and laughter — and there is some laughter to be had — when he wants to. It’s just disappointing that the most successful African-American filmmaker of this generation refuses to try any harder than that.
God help me, but if I can pass on any advice--not that he'd pay attention to anyone else but himself--it would be make a goddamn comedy, Tyler. By comedy, I mean an absolutely sermon-free comedy. You've got the money to go out on a limb, so do it.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
ESC 2009: Moldova & Romania
First off, Moldova sends a song that is not only in Moldovan, but also liberally name-checks it every ten seconds. Nelly Ciobanu (with liberal help from a bunch of frenetic dancers) performs Hora din Moldova.
Just a little off to East from Moldova is Romania, which returns to their pop formula (although it was dance pop that actually did them favours not sugary pop) after last year's May-December dirge. Performing The Balkan Girls is Elena Gheorghe, and I have to now put on my lyric-sensitive cap. Admittedly, this song is not deep by any stretch of the imagination, but the verses and the chorus do not mesh well...unless Elena (taking fashion cues from the mid 1980s) is trying to make a statement about how a party lifestyle is ultimately unfulfilling.
Just a little off to East from Moldova is Romania, which returns to their pop formula (although it was dance pop that actually did them favours not sugary pop) after last year's May-December dirge. Performing The Balkan Girls is Elena Gheorghe, and I have to now put on my lyric-sensitive cap. Admittedly, this song is not deep by any stretch of the imagination, but the verses and the chorus do not mesh well...unless Elena (taking fashion cues from the mid 1980s) is trying to make a statement about how a party lifestyle is ultimately unfulfilling.
The Emirate of Cards
Abu Dhabi bails out Dubai, so says Bloomberg.
I always thought Dubai's development defied long-term sense, and apparently others thought so as well.
I always thought Dubai's development defied long-term sense, and apparently others thought so as well.
There's Nostalgia and Then There's Just Laziness
Apparently over at the CW they'd like to turn the clock back to the 90s (a time when the CW itself wasn't even in existance--read into that what you will). The latest effort at nostalgia (according to TV Tonight) is a revival of Melrose Place, which is now greenlit for a pilot.
What next? The Heights?Party of Five? There's a slew of old Fox shows to cannibalise.
This just seems extremely lazy to me, but if we're going to have a 90s revival, then may I advocate bringing back house music like Black Box (and skipping the majority of grunge)?
What next? The Heights?Party of Five? There's a slew of old Fox shows to cannibalise.
This just seems extremely lazy to me, but if we're going to have a 90s revival, then may I advocate bringing back house music like Black Box (and skipping the majority of grunge)?
ESC 2009: Bulgaria, Germany, Hungary, Norway, and the UK
Quite an odd quintet here. First off, there is the Bulgarian entry Illusion performed by Krassimir Avramov. Whatever prejudices or preconceptions one might have a Bulgarian entry are surely going to be met with this one. Krazy Krassy is a male soprano and shrieks his way through a song while the backing singers sing in some of the most heavily accented English this side of the Danube.
All that said, I think this will do well, especially since they throw everything including the kitchen sink onstage.
Germany decided to do an internal selection and the end result was the duo Alex Swings Oscar Sings with the song Miss Kiss Kiss Bang. It's an ambitious effort, but honestly I think Roger Cicero was the better version of German swing. This is just kind of daft, especially with a poor homage to Cab Calloway at the end.
And now we have the first new male eye candy (Sakis has been around this block before) of this year's contest. Some background first: This is the 3rd song selected by Hungary to go to Moscow. The first choice was found out to be a copy of a song originally performed by the Swedish Big Brother contestants, the second choice performer was too busy for Eurovision duty, and now the honour falls upon Adok Zoli with Dance with me. Personally, I hope this one sticks because well: a) He's good looking, and b) the song is pretty good (even though it will need some serious cutting).
It's a folk year in Norway (for some reason Norway always seems to follow a pop song entry with a folk entry the year after), and instead of elves, we have elfin young men playing fiddle with dancers doing Russian cossack inspired dancing. The song is entitled Fairytale and the performer (and composer) is Alexander Rybak. Despite his somewhat cutesy singing, Rybak is no fool. He made sure he has the rights to the song and now stands to get quite a windfall with the song topping the Norwegian charts. Even though I find the song (and Rybak's performance) too cute, it should hold its own in Moscow.
With much fanfare the UK selected Andrew Lloyd Webber (with Diane Warren's help) to compose this year's entry It's My Time. The search for a singer occupied much of January with Jade winning the lot at the end. It's overwrought and bombastic (what a surprise), but Jade and her pageant hair do a decent job with it. I think it'll be a dark horse for a high placing. Win? I don't think so.
All that said, I think this will do well, especially since they throw everything including the kitchen sink onstage.
Germany decided to do an internal selection and the end result was the duo Alex Swings Oscar Sings with the song Miss Kiss Kiss Bang. It's an ambitious effort, but honestly I think Roger Cicero was the better version of German swing. This is just kind of daft, especially with a poor homage to Cab Calloway at the end.
And now we have the first new male eye candy (Sakis has been around this block before) of this year's contest. Some background first: This is the 3rd song selected by Hungary to go to Moscow. The first choice was found out to be a copy of a song originally performed by the Swedish Big Brother contestants, the second choice performer was too busy for Eurovision duty, and now the honour falls upon Adok Zoli with Dance with me. Personally, I hope this one sticks because well: a) He's good looking, and b) the song is pretty good (even though it will need some serious cutting).
It's a folk year in Norway (for some reason Norway always seems to follow a pop song entry with a folk entry the year after), and instead of elves, we have elfin young men playing fiddle with dancers doing Russian cossack inspired dancing. The song is entitled Fairytale and the performer (and composer) is Alexander Rybak. Despite his somewhat cutesy singing, Rybak is no fool. He made sure he has the rights to the song and now stands to get quite a windfall with the song topping the Norwegian charts. Even though I find the song (and Rybak's performance) too cute, it should hold its own in Moscow.
With much fanfare the UK selected Andrew Lloyd Webber (with Diane Warren's help) to compose this year's entry It's My Time. The search for a singer occupied much of January with Jade winning the lot at the end. It's overwrought and bombastic (what a surprise), but Jade and her pageant hair do a decent job with it. I think it'll be a dark horse for a high placing. Win? I don't think so.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Dick Wolf's Insurance Plan
Call me even more stunned: Law & Order has gone overseas to the UK.
I'm not talking re-airing US episodes, I'm talking full on local production.
It's a safe bet that UK Law & Order will air on Bravo before the end of the year.
I'm not talking re-airing US episodes, I'm talking full on local production.
It's a safe bet that UK Law & Order will air on Bravo before the end of the year.
Does Anyone Care About Mel Gibson Anymore?
In what has to be one of the most shameless attempts at relevance, Mel Gibson apparently regrets not helping Heath Ledger.
He also claims that he helped Britney Spears get through her "rough patch."
Someone needs to help Mel with his sense of delusion.
He also claims that he helped Britney Spears get through her "rough patch."
Someone needs to help Mel with his sense of delusion.
Stunned
You know, I spend a weekend watching Australian TV, and the last thing I expect to see when I reconnect to the world around me is serious talk of nationalising the banks.
Given my own stance on nationalising, I am pretty much in favour of it, but I'm also just...stunned.
Stunned, because it is surprising on just how fragile our own economic security has been.
Stunned, because it is just amazing that we as a country have survived on what looks like fumes instead of fuel.
I freely admit that I am not in any way, shape, or form an economic whiz, but it has seemed apparent to me that the government's role is to ensure the security (economic, social, and political) of its citizens to go on and live their lives.
I also view this from an "entertainment" perspective: This economic meltdown (as many are describing it) is going to manifest itself in terms of what gets green-lighted and what comes out of seemingly nowhere to become a hit.
NBC, for example, sees ER end its run this Spring, and with the bizarre Jay Leno @ 10/9 pm choice has thrown the successful Law & Order shows into possible cancellation before their own time. (Not that this is much of a surprise, since NBC programming executives have had no real strategy for their main brand since the mid-nineties.)
CBS has imported a Canadian drama and is getting relatively good ratings for it (even if it got the axe in Australia).
Ultimately, what I believe is going to happen is that we--as an audience and media consumers--are going to see a trend of co-productions and imports. We are also going to see programs that are not so much "whiz! bang! pow!," but focused strongly on developing story and character.
Not that the procedural is dead. It'll just have to be interesting and gripping for less.
The real genre to watch will actually be the sitcom*. I don't think that we've seen the show that will revive it to its former heights, but I believe within the next two years, we will be seeing a rush on sitcom productions.
*Some might argue reality TV will flourish in this market, but I have to wonder this: "Would I really want to see some failed actor from the Valley win a big bucket of money when I'm trying to just keep a roof over my head? I don't think so."
Given my own stance on nationalising, I am pretty much in favour of it, but I'm also just...stunned.
Stunned, because it is surprising on just how fragile our own economic security has been.
Stunned, because it is just amazing that we as a country have survived on what looks like fumes instead of fuel.
I freely admit that I am not in any way, shape, or form an economic whiz, but it has seemed apparent to me that the government's role is to ensure the security (economic, social, and political) of its citizens to go on and live their lives.
I also view this from an "entertainment" perspective: This economic meltdown (as many are describing it) is going to manifest itself in terms of what gets green-lighted and what comes out of seemingly nowhere to become a hit.
NBC, for example, sees ER end its run this Spring, and with the bizarre Jay Leno @ 10/9 pm choice has thrown the successful Law & Order shows into possible cancellation before their own time. (Not that this is much of a surprise, since NBC programming executives have had no real strategy for their main brand since the mid-nineties.)
CBS has imported a Canadian drama and is getting relatively good ratings for it (even if it got the axe in Australia).
Ultimately, what I believe is going to happen is that we--as an audience and media consumers--are going to see a trend of co-productions and imports. We are also going to see programs that are not so much "whiz! bang! pow!," but focused strongly on developing story and character.
Not that the procedural is dead. It'll just have to be interesting and gripping for less.
The real genre to watch will actually be the sitcom*. I don't think that we've seen the show that will revive it to its former heights, but I believe within the next two years, we will be seeing a rush on sitcom productions.
*Some might argue reality TV will flourish in this market, but I have to wonder this: "Would I really want to see some failed actor from the Valley win a big bucket of money when I'm trying to just keep a roof over my head? I don't think so."
Thursday, February 19, 2009
ESC 2009: Catching Up
I'm not going to even try to catch with Melodifestivalen, but there have been some rather interesting developments in Eurosong-land.
First, Georgia (as in the country that was overrun by Russian tanks last year, not the American state of a million peachtrees, Delta, and La Perry) chooses a song that--I hope intentionally--uses fragmented English to make a political statement against Putin. (Made even more ironic given the rash of Russian entries for whom English grammar is a not real concept thing.)
And it's a funky Sly Stone political statement to boot.
That they are taking to Moscow.
How's that for guts? I think I have my favourite for this year.
Meanwhile, France sends Patricia Kaas--think Marlene Dietrich (well, she is part-German). The song is a return to the traditional deep French ballad with a strong jazz twist, and it's not bad, but I kind of miss the multilingual agitprop of the previous two French entries.
Meanwhile the Dutch pick a catchy song for De Toppers, although it sounds to me like a cross between something from Simply Red's back catalogue and a boyband castoff.
And sex-on-legs from 2004 & 2006 co-host Sakis Rouvas will be singing this ditty in Moscow, but if he doesn't bare anything more than his sternum, Athens 2010 isn't going to happen. (Believe didn't win because it was that good of a song.) I will cut Saz some slack for his national final performance since he was ill and lip-syncing, but usch...This isn't a triumphant return.
First, Georgia (as in the country that was overrun by Russian tanks last year, not the American state of a million peachtrees, Delta, and La Perry) chooses a song that--I hope intentionally--uses fragmented English to make a political statement against Putin. (Made even more ironic given the rash of Russian entries for whom English grammar is a not real concept thing.)
And it's a funky Sly Stone political statement to boot.
That they are taking to Moscow.
How's that for guts? I think I have my favourite for this year.
Meanwhile, France sends Patricia Kaas--think Marlene Dietrich (well, she is part-German). The song is a return to the traditional deep French ballad with a strong jazz twist, and it's not bad, but I kind of miss the multilingual agitprop of the previous two French entries.
Meanwhile the Dutch pick a catchy song for De Toppers, although it sounds to me like a cross between something from Simply Red's back catalogue and a boyband castoff.
And sex-on-legs from 2004 & 2006 co-host Sakis Rouvas will be singing this ditty in Moscow, but if he doesn't bare anything more than his sternum, Athens 2010 isn't going to happen. (Believe didn't win because it was that good of a song.) I will cut Saz some slack for his national final performance since he was ill and lip-syncing, but usch...This isn't a triumphant return.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Back from Oblivion
Don Johnson is suing the makers of Nash Bridges for withholding profits from him, according to Reuters.
Several things:
Several things:
- Don Johnson is still relevant?
- I know Nash Bridges seemed to run for ages (5 years?!), but $300 million in revenue?
- In a Don Johnson versus Mark Cuban battle, I shockingly think Don Johnson comes out better.
- Cheech Marin comes off better than both of them by not even joining in the fracas.
Wednesday Jukebox is Pretty in Pink
Let's take a breather from things antipodean and go back Stateside. In this particular case, Ariel Aparicio's cover of Pretty in Pink (yes, that Pretty in Pink as in the theme song from the Molly Ringwald, Jon Cryer, and Andrew McCarthy film...feel old, I do.)
Ariel, you might know from his brilliant song Life and Times a few months ago. (Get it!!!) His version of Pretty in Pink is better than the original in my view, and even Richard Butler (lead singer of the Psychedelic Furs) gave it a rave, saying "Well done!"
The song starts out with the vocal being hidden by the violin, but for me that works, even though I can't put my finger as to why.
The video (directed by Chris Cassidy) is quite killer. Not to get all analytical, but the choice to make the video all Ariel emoting underlines what I feel is the slightly deranged nature of the song. The song is a bit of a psychosis when you think about it. Or is it just me?
Perhaps I should just get on with it and go to the video.
Pretty in Pink is available on iTunes, and you can stream the whole EP on Ariel's Myspace.
Ariel, you might know from his brilliant song Life and Times a few months ago. (Get it!!!) His version of Pretty in Pink is better than the original in my view, and even Richard Butler (lead singer of the Psychedelic Furs) gave it a rave, saying "Well done!"
The song starts out with the vocal being hidden by the violin, but for me that works, even though I can't put my finger as to why.
The video (directed by Chris Cassidy) is quite killer. Not to get all analytical, but the choice to make the video all Ariel emoting underlines what I feel is the slightly deranged nature of the song. The song is a bit of a psychosis when you think about it. Or is it just me?
Perhaps I should just get on with it and go to the video.
Pretty in Pink is available on iTunes, and you can stream the whole EP on Ariel's Myspace.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
A Tale of Two Dramas
I'm back Stateside with several DVD box sets in tow, namely Underbelly and Canal Road.
Underbelly (which is now in its 2nd season) could best be summed up as a somewhat Australian spin on The Sopranos, and it has Sopranos level hype and ratings attached to it. Canal Road on the other hand limped through its first, and was subsequently cancelled.
Although I didn't see much of a commonality between the two (I figure that airing on the same network would pretty much guarantee a high amount of difference), TV Tonight did see some, and I agree for the most part.
Now, let me first state that I enjoy/ed both of these shows immensely, and for different reasons.
Underbelly--in my view--is interesting in spite of the sex and violence, because the sex and violence is a key part of that world. Granted the occasional scene went on for a bit too long, but let's be honest here: gangsters don't have a long life span, so it makes sense for them to live to the extreme. It doesn't distract from the plot wherein the viewer is wondering just when or who is going to buy the farm in a given episode. Even though it's based on real events, the show does a great job at creating suspense with impressive scripts that give an insight into the interior mind of the characters.
Canal Road, on the other hand, creates suspense by using cagey dialogue and editing tricks while still having a good solid foundation in terms of character development. It feels like it is almost ripe, but still not ready, which is why I agree with the TV Tonight article. The cast is good, the plots are good, but the execution ultimately fails both of them, because the show doesn't know what it wants to be (or rather: didn't know what it wanted to become), and A$10 million is a lot to invest in soul-searching.
Who is to blame?
It's hard to say. Television is always a gamble, but the questions that all creators must ask themselves are these: "Is this an authentic moment?" "Is this an authentic character?" The fact remains that audiences will figure out when they're getting titillation without reason.
Underbelly (which is now in its 2nd season) could best be summed up as a somewhat Australian spin on The Sopranos, and it has Sopranos level hype and ratings attached to it. Canal Road on the other hand limped through its first, and was subsequently cancelled.
Although I didn't see much of a commonality between the two (I figure that airing on the same network would pretty much guarantee a high amount of difference), TV Tonight did see some, and I agree for the most part.
Now, let me first state that I enjoy/ed both of these shows immensely, and for different reasons.
Underbelly--in my view--is interesting in spite of the sex and violence, because the sex and violence is a key part of that world. Granted the occasional scene went on for a bit too long, but let's be honest here: gangsters don't have a long life span, so it makes sense for them to live to the extreme. It doesn't distract from the plot wherein the viewer is wondering just when or who is going to buy the farm in a given episode. Even though it's based on real events, the show does a great job at creating suspense with impressive scripts that give an insight into the interior mind of the characters.
Canal Road, on the other hand, creates suspense by using cagey dialogue and editing tricks while still having a good solid foundation in terms of character development. It feels like it is almost ripe, but still not ready, which is why I agree with the TV Tonight article. The cast is good, the plots are good, but the execution ultimately fails both of them, because the show doesn't know what it wants to be (or rather: didn't know what it wanted to become), and A$10 million is a lot to invest in soul-searching.
Who is to blame?
It's hard to say. Television is always a gamble, but the questions that all creators must ask themselves are these: "Is this an authentic moment?" "Is this an authentic character?" The fact remains that audiences will figure out when they're getting titillation without reason.
Monday, February 16, 2009
The Flying Roo Gets Desperate
Hands up if you think Qantas is going to wind up renationalised.
Is that about 30 million hands I see?
Make that 30,000,001 as I definitely think so, based on my own experiences* and this article (and the comments).
* Not allowing a passenger to pay for an upgrade--due to lack of ticket purchasing facilities at the gate doesn't bode well for the airline to survive in its current form.
It's just a matter of time, pets.
Is that about 30 million hands I see?
Make that 30,000,001 as I definitely think so, based on my own experiences* and this article (and the comments).
* Not allowing a passenger to pay for an upgrade--due to lack of ticket purchasing facilities at the gate doesn't bode well for the airline to survive in its current form.
It's just a matter of time, pets.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Fearless Leader: Trisha Goddard
I have been spending my down time here in Australia reading the biography of talk show host Trisha Goddard, who I really only knew as the black woman who took over Vanessa Feltz's talk show in the UK during my college years.
Well, consider me newly schooled.
Apart from the fact that she became the first black presenter on Australian television, her life was quite remarkable before she even got in front of the camera: including a stint as a wife of a closeted right-wing politician, flight attendant, and survivor of domestic abuse as well as an air crash.
Her autobiography, called As I Am (which does not delve into her recent battle with breast cancer) is most likely not to be found at US outlets, but if you can scrounge up a copy, it is certainly worth it, as Goddard is very candid, frank, and avoids new age speak.
"Thursday" Jukebox Goes Down Under
I cannot tell you how refreshing the music scene is over here, compared to the US. (And 2 of the networks devote their overnight programming to airing nothing but music videos!)
Believe you me, if I could get a chance to see them in concert while I was here, I would...and I am not a big concert person.
For starters, indie dance music is really doing well on the charts. Here are two really prime examples.
Sneaky Sound System are a trio that I find really blends the funkier aspects of House along with a strong dash of rock, and have just released their second album, appropriately entitled 2. This is their latest video and single 16.
Believe you me, if I could get a chance to see them in concert while I was here, I would...and I am not a big concert person.
The other act I think is worth highlighting is Empire of the Sun. I have no problem in admitting that I am no fan of the Polyphonic Spree and their neo-hippie sun, light, and peace pap, but Empire of the Sun manage to stay in the same vein and amazingly don't come across as smug Hare Krishnas busking for dollars. This is their latest single We Are The People.
Unnatural Media Disaster
Yes, I'm in Australia.
And although this post may look like it was done on Thursday morning, it's actually nearly midnight here.
First off, I have to say that either American news networks have much to answer for in terms of mawkish coverage or the Australian news operations have just been really bored for a long time because there is virtually wall-to-wall Hurricane Katrina-meets-September 11th coverage here.
Coverage that is low on information and astoundingly high on exploitation. (Although to be a touch fair, one of the presenters on Sunrise, did actually admit on air that they were getting exploitative--Would Matt Lauer do that? I think not.) Exploitation with no real merit, except to make people feel guilt--even the Queenslanders who have been flooded for quite some time are expressing guilt. It's battle of the natural disasters!
Listen, I'm not going to be completely cold and deny the news-worthiness of the event, particularly in a country where nature can be deadly and quick to strike, but where are the minds of the news directors? We are bombarded with figures of how much the Bushfire Appeal Fund is racking up (certainly bound to go up higher after Nine's umpteen hour telethon has finished), but very little on how to contact people missing or even a reminder on common sense such as "the house is not worth dying for."
No, we have an endless loop of some sodding koala getting fed water and presenters and reporters reaching into the nearest thesaurus to find new ways to say "devastated." Is this really news or the latest season of Big Brother on a massive scale?
On the positive side of things, the news coverage is beginning ever so slowly to delve into the practical side of things, like banks that were charging mortgage fees to fire victims and how the government has been dragging its feet in implementing a fire warning system. More importantly, it is very refreshing to see a nation where the majority of the populace is not losing it in front of the cameras in the face of tragedy. (This has the added bonus of making the news operations look even more like sharks, because the locals just won't cry, and further illustrates how bad the coverage is.)
I can only hope that whatever media watchdogs that are in place will take the private networks to task on this. (The ABC has been rather smarter than its commercial mates.)
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Tuesday Jukebox Ponders Ema
As in the Slovene selection for Eurovision (note the spelling of Ema, which is just three random letters thrown together and isn't an acronym).
For me, Ema is all about 3 women, who define the quality of Ema and whose fortunes and failures at Ema have caused it to be pratically revamped every single year.
The first one has to be Karmen Stavec. Karmen pretty much sang her very tall butt off in EMA 2001 only to be beat out by the manic force that is little Nusa Derenda (who we will come to next). That was understandable. What wasn't is how her disco number Se in Se managed to come in 2nd behind the politically advantageous but rather absymal Samo Ljubezen performed by drag act Sestre, only because Sestre won the jury vote and Karmen won the televote (the televote and the "expert" jury vote are given equal weighting). Karmen supposedly stormed out the studios in anger and tears and let's just say that Sestre was not given a warm winner's welcome to the stage by the audience. Nonetheless, here is a comparison between the two "winners." Samo Ljubezen is first.
And here is Karmen performing Se in Se. In my opinion, she pretty much owns the song and stage, and even her amusing "white girl getting down" dance moves near the end work for her. Taking all the farcical voting and glitches into account, I don't blame her for having a full on shit fit, even if it escalated into a homophobic riot and parlamentary discussion.
Which is why Karmen's participation in Ema 2003 was so strange. Yes, Slovenia probably doesn't that many outlets where local musicians can get a proper international debut, but watch this clip from the Ema 2003 postcards between each performance. Karmen's postcard featured her taking out a would be mugger while singing Samo Ljubezen, deliciously giving the refrain a menacing sarcasm to it.
Granted Sestre also took jabs at Karmen both in 2002 & 2003, but Karmen's 2003 win at Ema did have a whiff of sympathy vote for her rather than her song.
This brings us to Ema 2003 aka the super diva Ema because it had not only Karmen Stavec (who was riding a wave of sympathy after the 2002 fracas), but also the aforementioned "manic force" Nuša Derenda who is still well-regarded for being the performer who got Slovenia one of its best placing ever, and just consistently being the right person at the right time with the right talents, plus the Ema debut of Alya and Slovenian jazz & soulstress Alenka Godec (who was at the very first Ema back in 1993).
Suffice to say, it was a year that Ema was going to be high on camp theatrics as evidenced by Pika Bozic's sixth placed entry which features Pika basically acting pissed off while stripping in front of the audience.
Pika Bozic - Ne bom cakala te (EMA 2003)
Meanwhile Alya's own debut performance was the weirdest thing I've ever seen at Ema, but since it seems to be locked away in a vault somewhere, may I present her 3rd placing at this year's Ema with the out-matched Rudi?
Not outmatched by a long set comes Derenda versus Stavec: Ema 03 style.
And here is Karmen's song which still sounds like it is basically Superstar as doo-wop.
Personally, I think they are both thinking the original lyrics to this very song.
Which brings us to one major question.
Why did such a no-name hacky stunt win Ema 2009?
For me, Ema is all about 3 women, who define the quality of Ema and whose fortunes and failures at Ema have caused it to be pratically revamped every single year.
The first one has to be Karmen Stavec. Karmen pretty much sang her very tall butt off in EMA 2001 only to be beat out by the manic force that is little Nusa Derenda (who we will come to next). That was understandable. What wasn't is how her disco number Se in Se managed to come in 2nd behind the politically advantageous but rather absymal Samo Ljubezen performed by drag act Sestre, only because Sestre won the jury vote and Karmen won the televote (the televote and the "expert" jury vote are given equal weighting). Karmen supposedly stormed out the studios in anger and tears and let's just say that Sestre was not given a warm winner's welcome to the stage by the audience. Nonetheless, here is a comparison between the two "winners." Samo Ljubezen is first.
And here is Karmen performing Se in Se. In my opinion, she pretty much owns the song and stage, and even her amusing "white girl getting down" dance moves near the end work for her. Taking all the farcical voting and glitches into account, I don't blame her for having a full on shit fit, even if it escalated into a homophobic riot and parlamentary discussion.
Which is why Karmen's participation in Ema 2003 was so strange. Yes, Slovenia probably doesn't that many outlets where local musicians can get a proper international debut, but watch this clip from the Ema 2003 postcards between each performance. Karmen's postcard featured her taking out a would be mugger while singing Samo Ljubezen, deliciously giving the refrain a menacing sarcasm to it.
Granted Sestre also took jabs at Karmen both in 2002 & 2003, but Karmen's 2003 win at Ema did have a whiff of sympathy vote for her rather than her song.
This brings us to Ema 2003 aka the super diva Ema because it had not only Karmen Stavec (who was riding a wave of sympathy after the 2002 fracas), but also the aforementioned "manic force" Nuša Derenda who is still well-regarded for being the performer who got Slovenia one of its best placing ever, and just consistently being the right person at the right time with the right talents, plus the Ema debut of Alya and Slovenian jazz & soulstress Alenka Godec (who was at the very first Ema back in 1993).
Suffice to say, it was a year that Ema was going to be high on camp theatrics as evidenced by Pika Bozic's sixth placed entry which features Pika basically acting pissed off while stripping in front of the audience.
Pika Bozic - Ne bom cakala te (EMA 2003)
Meanwhile Alya's own debut performance was the weirdest thing I've ever seen at Ema, but since it seems to be locked away in a vault somewhere, may I present her 3rd placing at this year's Ema with the out-matched Rudi?
Not outmatched by a long set comes Derenda versus Stavec: Ema 03 style.
And here is Karmen's song which still sounds like it is basically Superstar as doo-wop.
Personally, I think they are both thinking the original lyrics to this very song.
Which brings us to one major question.
Why did such a no-name hacky stunt win Ema 2009?
Tuesday Jukebox Thinks That's It!
It was a particularly taxing weekend for me, and apparently in Eurosongland as well. I'm going to try to address all of these in one post, but I am only one man. So I am going to try to hit at what was one of several Super Weekends in National Final Land bit by interesting bit.
This post's bits? Denmark and the most bizarre but still quite logical forms of voting ever.
Now, we all know that crap Ronan Keating Trainy Mess won, but as is often the case with Denmark the more interesting entries came from entries that placed 2nd and beyond.
2nd being Someday by Hera Björk, which really was Iceland meets Sweden in Denmark.
The favourite of this corner of the internet "Det 'det" came in that funny 3rd or 4th place that was the 2nd round of voting.
Now vocally I understand the placing. These girls/women are all over the place during the latter parts of the song. They get close to keeping the energy of the studio version, but then go into pageant show mode and seems kind of dead.
Plus there's the whole thing of the trio looking like Hillary Duff, Amy Winehouse, and Baby Spice. Still it's a kicker of an opening thanks to very well timed edits.
This post's bits? Denmark and the most bizarre but still quite logical forms of voting ever.
Now, we all know that crap Ronan Keating Trainy Mess won, but as is often the case with Denmark the more interesting entries came from entries that placed 2nd and beyond.
2nd being Someday by Hera Björk, which really was Iceland meets Sweden in Denmark.
The favourite of this corner of the internet "Det 'det" came in that funny 3rd or 4th place that was the 2nd round of voting.
Now vocally I understand the placing. These girls/women are all over the place during the latter parts of the song. They get close to keeping the energy of the studio version, but then go into pageant show mode and seems kind of dead.
Plus there's the whole thing of the trio looking like Hillary Duff, Amy Winehouse, and Baby Spice. Still it's a kicker of an opening thanks to very well timed edits.
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