afv in the new age.

While watching tv pretty aimlessly the other day I came across what used to be my favorite show, AFV, or America's Funniest Home Videos. Obviously, I tuned in. While watching it, I began to question the show's relevance in the age of the viral video. When camcorders come with the ability to upload videos directly to your YouTube account, where it can then be instantly accessed by millions - without the "witty" commentary of Tom Bergeron, or Bob Sagot. The idea of catching a funny clip on video and sending it (via mail) to be judged, and maybe aired to a limited audience months from now, to maybe win money in a season or two from now, seems ancient to me. As much as I love the show, I was absolutely stunned when the host, Tom Bergeron's voice over made reference to Sarah Palin. What??? I thought, this isn't running on syndication? Now don't get me wrong I enjoy a good blooper reel as much as the next guy, but in the age of YouTube, Funny or Die, and the viral video, where does this show fit in? Mind you most of the clips were circa 1993, but that live studio audience was still alive, kicking and dressed to the nines. When I decided to further research the fate of this show ( ... and by research I mean go to wikipedia) I was surprised to find it selling 30 second commercial spots for almost $100,000 and pulling in viewership ranging from 6.8-10.23 million per episode. I was puzzled as to why so many shows are struggling for television viewership above online streaming, and here is AFV, a show whose content you can find by simply typing in 'blooper reel' on YouTube - thriving with time slot ratings in the top five, every week. So, what is the draw to a show whose variety of humor is at our fingertips 24/7? Tom Bergeron's comedic genius and witty voice overs? The "Naughty File"? The classic "Head, Gut or Groin"? Or, is it the comfort and familiarity of a show that has been on air for twenty seasons with little change to its format, function or furniture?

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Times they are a changing ....

When I was a kid we had VCRs not PVRS. CDs not MP3s. Facetime not Facebook. It wasn't Mii and Wii, It was Me and We. Things were simple then. Growing up, what we watched on TV was always determined by what was on, period. It was a simple task of narrowing down the options from what the preview channel delegated. When watching movies, you watched what your VHS collection had to offer, or at most what blockbuster had available. However, rainy days just got a whole lot more complicated. With the ever broadening collection of television shows and movies available on countless free streaming sites, watching television is not the brainless act it once was. Somewhere along the way the common frustrations related to watching television changed, from "there is nothing on" to "there is too much on." You can no longer just sit back, relax and tune-in. Don't stress though, Jinni has solved the problem. Jinni is a website whose slogan is "Watch what you wish for" ... and then some if you ask me. Jinni acts as a 'taste engine' for movies and TV shows, one can search by mood, plot, genre, time period, place, audience or praise. So, with that problem taken care of, what is next?

Image Credit: flickr *Tiny Dancer*

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In the split-second culture we exist in today, it is extremely difficult to make or create anything with a social relevance that lasts longer than fresh produce. Insert Landline TV, my personal favorite small scale production company that spits out parodies like sunflower seeds. A business who on Facebook lists their Company Overview as "Comically Relevant ... at least for a week or so" has latched onto an idea that illustrates just how short our attention spans have become, even when it comes to comedic culture. Their parodies target televisions shows, their stars, their characters and then some. They range from topics of politics, to sports, to reality television, just about anything culturally relevant. A few film titles being, "Obama's Boo-yah Address," "Lady Gaga's Christmas Album," "The Real Housewives of Lancaster County," and of most resent comedic interest to me was "Little Jersey Shore." Even if these videos are only funny for a few weeks, they create a great two minute time capsule of what was worth making fun of at that exact time.

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