kottke.org posts about TV
Just finished watching the final episode of Six Feet Under. Don’t worry, there’s no spoilers here in case you’ve got it TiVoed for later viewing. The show ended in a good way, I think, a sad happy ending true to the show’s focus. Poignant, I think they call it. SFU always did poignancy rather well in a medium possessing little patience for it. Many people will probably disagree that it ended well, that it wasn’t Six Feet Under enough for them, but it’s difficult to do a “normal” show as a finale; that approach would have failed in a different way.
But what do I know? I’ve seen every single episode of the show, many of them twice, and at this point I’m not sure how much objectivity I have in talking about it. Somewhere along the way, Six Feet Under became a soap opera for me. In many ways, this is the viewer’s goal in seeking out entertainment, to stop the analysis of everything and just let go and enjoy the experience. To relax. As some have argued, the show may have gone downhill after the first two seasons, but I don’t regret not noticing those flaws and just enjoying the ride.
PBS has put up a companion web site to the Nova program on Einstein airing in October. Features include audio clips of several physicists describing e=mc^2 to non-physicists.
Another take on why movie theater revenues are declining. The ads suck, the movies suck, ringing cell phones suck, and you can watch your Netflix at home on your widescreen TV. Again, no mention of piracy.
PBS will be offering an online-only show called NerdTV starting this fall. The series will feature “PBS technology columnist and industry insider Robert X. Cringely’s interviews with personalities from the ever-changing world of technology”.
A few months ago, Parade Magazine ran an article by Norman Mailer in which he answered the question: if you could do one thing to change America for the better, what would it be? His answer: ban television commericials because the constant interruptions by TV ads were interfereing with our children’s ability to concentrate and thus to read and succeed in school and in the world.
I’m not sure Mailer chose the best problem to focus on here (if the “constant interruption” thing is even an issue…look at how long kids stay glued to the television), but I believe he’s on the right track in focusing on education. In choosing an answer to this question that would make the most impact, it seems prudent to focus on answers that satisfy two requirements:
1. Get ‘em early. Kids are the most malleable members of a society and much significant change starts with the younger generations. Anything that impacts education will likely have a large eventual effect.
2. Choose a course of action with significant emergent behavior and a positive feedback cycle…basically a cascade effect. Find the best place to punch a tiny hole in the dam so the whole thing eventually bursts.
Nothing I have come up with so far satisfies those criteria and you’re collectively supposed to be much smarter than I am, so I’m asking you: if you could do one thing to change America for the better, what would it be (and why)?
Some changes coming to Sesame Street. “After destroying several garbage cans due to rage issues, Oscar receives a more modern plastic garbage container. Sadly though, the new receptacle has an air-tight lock designed to keep a newly homeless Ernie out. Oscar suffocates and the neighbourhood must now figure out how to properly mourn someone they didn’t really like.”
Old Computer Bowl programs on archive.org. Computer Bowl was a technology trivia program from the late 80s/early 90s that featured Bill Joy, Bill Gates, Mitch Kapor, Andy Herzfeld, and Esther Dyson as contestants.
I’m going to be on Attack of the Show on G4 TV this afternoon/evening. The show airs live at 7pm ET/4pm PT. So check your local listings and watch me be awkward and make mistakes in real-time (kinda like what I do on kottke.org already).
Update: Well, that wasn’t so bad. The show’s barely been over for 20 minutes and Matt already has a torrent of the segment up on his site. Meg and Lia took pictures. Thanks, guys.
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