Seemingly Intractable Questions In Pop, No.1 in a Series

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

How do you make pop work on TV?

Comments

[piratemoggy.livejournal.com]

+interviews and stuff BUT THEN PLAY THE WHOLE DAMN SONG AFTERWARDS RATHER THAN TINY CLIPS GRR!
+editing so that the shit stuff doesn't make it onto the telly
which means +budget so that can afford to do a lot; this sort of show used to be quite cheap but basically if you want it to succeed these days I'm pretty sure it's gotta be fairly blank chequed
+decent presenters actually interested in music as in, people who buy CDs rather than knobs who want to take the piss out of music; there is a ratio of genuine interest to knobbishness of course but the show needs to be FOR THE NERDS in order to have any audience because most people would rather watch TMF really innit

-'OMG WE ARE SO FAR OUT KEWL CUS WE'RE A BIT IRONIC ABOUT POP MUSIC' I loved Popworld during its heyday but Alexa what's-her-face was basically the epitomy of everything that is bad about pop music
-replacing it with Big Brother for four months of the year E4 MUSIC I AM LOOKING AT YOU.

[piratemoggy.livejournal.com]

'everything that is bad about pop music on tv' is what I meant in first - point.

[bengraham.livejournal.com]

most people would rather watch TMF

Really? What makes you say that? Or are you saying that most people THAT YOU KNOW would rather watch TMF? I know that whenever I've seen TMF, I've been bored after about 10 minutes max, and that's assuming that within those first 10 minutes, they haven't played anything that I dislike enough to change the channel. Same goes for all dedicated music television in my opinion. Dedicated music TV only works as "background" TV. I doubt many people would have a conversation such as:

What are you doing tonight? Fancy coming to the pub?
Nah, I'm staying in to watch an hour or two of TMF

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

I've been bored after about 10 minutes max, and that's assuming that within those first 10 minutes, they haven't played anything that I dislike enough to change the channel

Ah but then you change it to Hits!TV, where there's always something good on. :-)

[piratemoggy.livejournal.com]

...and then you realise you've been flicking between the two for FIVE HOURS and your house is on fire.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

In my second year of uni I had MTV, MTV Base, MTV Dance, MTV2, Smash Hits TV, Kerrang TV (never tuned in to this) and a WHOLE LOAD of others on tap.

I didn't do very well in my second year.

[piratemoggy.livejournal.com]

I meant in terms of 'ooh I fancy some music telly' people will watch TMF rather than wait until a dedicated program is on because most people don't get much more out of one than they do from dodgy old freeview music channels.

I have infinite patience with TMF and The Hits, although TMF should go back to actually playing music occasionally.

[http://users.livejournal.com/xyzzzz__/]

They haven't played much music at weeknights but they do play quite a lot at the weekend.

re: 'background'. I think that's quite fine...I quite like reading to it and glancing every now again to catch a video I haven't before or listening to a song I like again.

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure I agree with the whole song being played - I have a short attention span, and if they play the best bit then I will be motivated to seek out the full version. Playing the entirety of a song is great for Hits!TV and TMF though, I've started mentally noting down all the videos that say 'The End' at the end (ie all the Spice Girls ones)!

[piratemoggy.livejournal.com]

It always used to send me into spasms of apoplexy when they cut off a really good video in the middle, though. This was before I had freeview or broadband, mind you, so I didn't see it any other way.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

I am pro it if it stops more people putting "plots" in their videos (or enrages those who do!)

[piratemoggy.livejournal.com]

This is a VERY good point. Who on earth thinks 'oh yeah, people are totally going to want to see these irrelevant talky bits that interrupt the song NINE MILLION TIMES in the next three weeks and this will definitely help to promote my otherwise very good song' ffs?

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

It's not even the "video mixes with bonus talking" that annoy me, it's structuring videos as a narrative, especially when (as seems to be the case in 95% of them) that narrative is about 'wild-hearted outsiders seek refuge from THE MAN'.

I blame Unkle.

[carsmilesteve.livejournal.com]

NO!!!

what ov TAKE ON ME???? still one of the top 5 vids EVAH and entirely due to PLOT.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

OBVIOUSLY the rule that says "Any video with a cartoon character in it is good" is more primary than this other rule, that's all!

[braisedbywolves.livejournal.com]

haha snap!

[braisedbywolves.livejournal.com]

I blame NERD.

No wait hang on, you're describing 'Take On Me', pinnacle of human civilisation!

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Timberlake this means you.

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

God I can't stand that awful vid with Scarlet whatsherface. It spoiled a perfectly good song.

Have you seen the vid for Avril's 'When You're Gone'? It's absolutely ridiculous and has enhanced the song for me greatly. Apparently Avril came up with the idea herself...

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

I haven't! I hated the song so much I never bothered to watch it. Must remember to.

Favourite video of this year for me is Dizzee Rascal's 'Sirens', which somewhat redeems a song i don't particularly like...

I like literalism in pop videos a lot. Like Beyoncé having an Actual Box To The Left, To The Left in 'Irreplaceable'.

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

If you get bored then fast forward to the last 30 seconds for the full gobsmacking OTT splendour.

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

I like the plots! But agree that vague ones are better e.g. Fergie's 'London Bridge':

SCENE 1. EXT. Driveway. Ridiculous car pulls up in 'London'. Fergie steps out. She is annoyed at something.

SCENE 2. INT. Gentlemen's club. Fergie decides to dance on the table.

SCENE 3. EXT. Buckingham Palace. Fergie seduces guard with fluffy hat. Two girls dressed as guards with fluffy hats breakdance.

SCENE 4. INT. Snooker table room. Fergie writhes around on snooker table.

SCENE 5. EXT. River Thames. Boat sails under 'unspecified bridge'.

SOMEHOW all this nonsense managed to be one of the best videos of 2006!

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Yes I think only in the world of diggerdydum would this qualify as a 'plot'!

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

That was so much fun to write out. I might do more.