Change cometh

Internet Killed the TV Star

The folks over at theBurg.tv have a message for you... "Only Losers Watch Television" (2:08). There are only 4 TVish shows I can think of that I watch now (phew!): the Online Newshour at pbs.org, SouthPark on iTunes, Colbert Report on iTunes, and the Burg at theburg.tv.

Today I watched the newest episode of the Burg, Secret 2. At 3:23 o'video, when Courtney is taking down a herpetic phone number (long story), Hipster Tip #29 appears "Never use a pen to take someone's phone number. True or False?" When I clicked to test my hipster acumen, I entered a new world. In this world, advertising ties in to entertainment on the one hand and fashion on the other. The advertisement becomes worth my while to watch lest I be left behind, and the product, Motorola's MotoRIZR, is folded in. How did I fare? I'm so ironically there.

Note - the Burg uses a Creative Commons license.

Aside: Speaking of the Burg, I had the pleasure of paying homage to Williamsburg a couple of weeks ago when I was out that way for my Princeton reunion. Best coffee? Oslo Coffee Co. Best place to hang out? Roebling Tea Room. I can vouch for their Smoked Salmon w/ Creme Fraiche & Beet Relish.


Update (Aug 22, 2007): According to Times Online, Google has announced a comparable method of advertising that it's incorporating today into its YouTube videos, where a transparent advertisement will appear at the bottom of each video for 15 seconds. The advertisement tries to be unobtrusive. The viewer can close it or open it or ignore it. Of course, each ad won't be folded into the video's storyline as is done with the Burg, but I imagine Google will try to match ads on the basis of a video's tags. (Sep 10, 2007) Here's an example. Hat tip: NewTeeVee


Update (Sep 9, 2007): More from Williamsburg on TV. I love this video Seen It On TV from The Violets. They sing,

You can stop feeling so careful, 'cause no one's going to notice you when you fall. It's going to be alright, be OK. I seen it on TV.

There's a craving for media that's more true to life. I think this will hold true not only for the content of video but also for the advertising folded in. Any hint of being unreal, and the audience will flee.

random thought - Last week I saw the movie Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. There's a feeling there that I sense more widely that the kids and adults in the younger generation need to take on the task themselves of educating themselves to equip themselves, sequestered from unreal bureaucracy, tuning into the wisdom of previous generations as best as they can. Whereas this calling was more sporadic in my generation, perhaps it's more widespread now given the power of the open media. Get real, video.