Once in a while , a TV show comes along that inspires a generation and changes pop culture forever. I don’t think this is going to be one of those shows.
A tech based sitcom called Silicon Valley will premiere on HBO. The premiere is scheduled for April 6, 2014. It’s created by and stars Mike Judge. That’s right: the same Mike Judge that gave us Beavis and Butt-Head, King of the Hill and Office Space back in the 1990s. It also stars Thomas Middleditch? and Josh Brener, among other young rising actors. Middleditch’s character, Richard and his friends live with a dot com millionaire for free so long as they help the millionaire run his affairs. But he also works for online company Hooli. Eventually, Richard gets caught in a bidding war between his boss at Hooli and billionaire venture capitalist vying for Richard’s services. This season is expected to last eight episodes and it may or may not get picked up for a second.
I say don’t hold your breath. I better warn you, this is not family entertainment! I’ve seen a 30 second trailer and in that trailer there were at least 5 dirty words and sexual references. But the reason I’m pessimistic about Silicon Valley is because we’ve seen this all before. A bunch of introverted geeks with a token woman in the show: sounds like Big Bang Theory to me. And wasn’t The Intern movie based on the Silicon Valley? When I think of movies dealing with bad bosses, I can think of Office Space, Horrible Bosses, the lists goes on and on. Now I like good racy humor, but even Southpark can go 30 seconds without cussing everybody to death. These kinds of characters have been seen so many times it’s becoming stereotypical: the introverted nerd, the mean boss, and the hot chick that nobody can get. The reason Mike Judge succeeded back in the 1990s is because those shows had originality. I don’t see much here. Do you think Silicon Valley will be picked up for a second season?
Ever hear of the Hashtag Bowl? It’s a contest of which social media sites see how many times they’re mentioned in Super Bowl ads.
Hastags were mentioned in 57% of all Super Bowl commercials that aired last night. Of the social media sites, Facebook was mention five times, Twitter four, and? You Tube three. The percentage of hashtags in Super Bowl ads have gone up. Social media sites Instagram and Google Plus weren’t mentioned at all, for what it’s worth. Hyundai and Subway had the most mentions. Budweiser had a lot. Nearly half of Super Bowl ads, 41% had a URL in them.
What’s to make of this Hashtag Bowl? It seems to me Instagram and Google Plus needs to step up it’s promotion skills. Speaking of You Tube, I saw many of these commercials on You Tube even before the Super Bowl. For instance, the Budweiser commercial that celebrated the soldier coming home: I saw that one on You Tube several times. It was a wonderful ad and message, but by last night, it already felt old to me. That’s my other point: don’t let social media spoil your Super Bowl ad. Keep these ads secret. We consumers love the element of surprise. And if you You Tube, Facebook, or Tweet your ad too much too early, you’re going to ruin that surprise. What did you think of last night’s commercials?
And now we come to the word ‘selfie’. It’s been used so much it’s now in the dictionary. In fact, ‘selfie’ and ‘twerk’ will probably go down as the words that capture 2013.
Network ABC is putting a pilot together called Selfie, from the creators of the hit comedy Suburgatory. The plot is as follows: A twenty something lady suffers a break up that is caught on camera, then on social media. This embarrassing incident gets so many hits she becomes the next instant celebrity, whether she wants to be or not. But instead of hiding, she goes to a marketing agency and tries to spin this in her favor, while repairing her image.
It’s just in it’s newborn stages; Selfie may or may not even be picked up. Yes, these kinds of shows are timely, but they still I think ABC is taking a huge gamble. Most social media trends don’t last that long. The selfie may not even be that popular by the end of this year. Remember that You Tube video It’s Friday? I don’t either. Plus, this may hit too close to home for too many people. How many people have lost jobs other opportunities because of a bad social media post? It seems like you can’t even use the bathroom these days without risking it being caught on camera. Most TV shows are successful because they take us to a world few will ever know, not because it’s our daily reality. Selfie can be a hit, but they better be creative in doing so. What’s going to be next: A reality TV contest called Twerk?
Last Thanksgiving, I visited my cousin’s family. A question about jazz came up. Back in my day, I would have had to get an encyclopedia, maybe even research it at the local library. All they had to do today is go to Wikipedia and their question was answered…just like that!
That shows you the power of Wikipedia on the Internet today. And it’s getting more powerful: Wikipedia is adding celebrity voices to preserve their legacies long after they’re gone. The project is called WikiVIP. They’re also calling on scientist, artist and other people who have made their mark on this generation to record their stories. One of the first to agree is Stephen Fry. He’s a British TV star and activist. They hope Fry’s influence and popularity, will inspire others to follow his lead. The BBC is giving Wikipedia short clips of it’s long history for perseverance.
I’m glad Wikipedia is taking this step. I hope?American celebrities follow this cause. Let’s face it, none of us are going to be here forever; none of us are even going to see 150. We have a rich history and culture. This is a great way to honor it and teach future generations.?What if George Washington, Fredrick Douglas,? Abraham Lincoln, or Elizabeth Cady Station had the voice technology we had today?
We all know about the triumphs of online streaming TV giants Netflix and Hulu. Even World Wrestling Entertainment is producing it’s own TV network. What’s Amazon doing?
Amazon is talking to major?media companies, asking their licensing permission to?possibly?start their own pay TV service. Amazon hopes to take advantage of those giving up on cable TV and other pay TV services. Yesterday, Amazon insists they aren’t starting a pay TV service. But they?plan to build their Prime Instant Video library and?start their own shows, produced on Amazon’s own studio lot. While Sony and other companies?are trying to do likewise, Amazon?is already building relationships with the right media companies?and have their?own studios.
I don’t know if Amazon will start their own pay TV or not. But I do know this is another nail in the coffin of traditional cable and/or satellite TV.?And if Amazon produces their own shows, that means more shows and stars will be stolen?from mainstream cable companies. And what if Amazon?produces an?Emmy award winning show? Netflix did.?Why go to the movies?when you know?it will be on Amazon, perhaps the?next month? Will Amazon go?Pay-TV? The way cable is going, will it even have to for it’s continued downfall?
We’ve turned to premium cable stations like HBO and Showtime to bring premium entertainment, from the latest movies to shows like Sopranos and Sex and the City. Not only is online streaming challenging their popularity, they seem to be taking it over.
According to an independent research firm called NDP Group, subscriptions to premium cable channels six percentage points between spring 2012 and summer 2013. Meanwhile, on-demand services like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime Instant Video increased by four percentage points. But HBO says it gained a million subscribers since January 2013. Starz says it added 1.2 million. But Netflix alone has increased subscriptions by 24% in a year difference.
Let’s look at some other stats. I read somewhere that cable companies are among the most hated companies in the US. They’re definitely among the most expensive for what you’re getting. Some are switching to satellite. Yes, the service and product is better, but you’re often at the mercy of the weather. But you can get Netflix at $7.99 a month. So is Hulu Plus. Netflix is already producing their own shows, and winning awards for those shows like House of Cards. Whether they want to admit it or not, online streaming is the wave of the future. People are even hooking up systems so they can watch You Tube on the big screen. Maybe cable companies can lower their rates, treat customers a little better, or produce better shows. Does premium cable have a chance against online streaming TV?
