Filed under: Comment
So a while back I was in the US and as usual, I was jetlagged to within an inch of my life.
So to distract myself for a bit, I turned on the television and I saw this:
Yes, that is a white haired old man doing something disturbing with him hands as a super, in the bottom right hand corner, proudly announces “The Future Is In Your Seed”.
No, it’s not the porn channel, it’s the religious channel.
I must admit I’m quite obsessed with late night US television … or should I say, late night advertorial and/or God shows … mainly because I find it fascinating how they sell their stuff and who they sell it too.
As I wrote about the dodgy porcelain dolls, given these types of shows have been continuously on television for seemingly ever, someone must be buying/watching them to justify their production.
The thing is, whether it’s a 30 minute program showing how a Z-grade celebrities cosmetic range can make you look 90 years younger or some four hour religious special talking about how you can live a ‘higher life’, they both seem to use the same premises and promises in their pitch.
1/ Always use happy, attractive people.
2/ Make sure they are dressed in the sort of colourful clothing that outside of a television studio would have them arrested.
3/ If talking about something serious, use older presenters. But older – attractive presenters.
4/ If talking about family, always ensure there are photos of the presenters family in the background.
5/ Never do a show without some ‘World renowned’ expert on hand.
6/ Have perfectly white, crowned teeth.
7/ Pretend everyone is an old, old friend.
8/ Have a set that is either futuristic house or a replica of a typical middle America home.
9/ Intersperse supposed ‘real life customers’ throughout the program, where they talk adnauseum about how their life has been changed for the better because of product X or god Y. [Before and after photos are always a nice touch]
10/ If you ever have to say something negative, always shake your head side-to-side in an overly exaggerated way.
11/ If you can run to it, get some celebrity to endorse whatever it is you’re selling. The fact that your show goes out at 4am means they can be assured their core fanbase will never see it. The benefit to them is that it’s much more convenient to earn a shitload of cash than flying all the way to Japan.
12/ Always promise the happiest, healthiest, wealthiest life … but only if you follow the ‘instructions’ to the letter.
And there you go … the 12 key rules to make a late night/early morning television show, regardless of what you’re trying to sell.
Now the weird thing is that despite them always following the same template, I can’t take my eyes off them.
It’s like a car crash … you know you shouldn’t look but you can’t help yourself … but what do you expect when you get religious nutters saying things like “Your Future Is In Your Seed” with an absolute straight face or whole programs dedicated to selling some of the worst tat ever created, even though they try and sell it like it’s the technological breakthrough of the century, like this – the iPhone TV hat.
And before you ask, yes, I have ordered one … but at least it’s cheaper than a Dalek.
That isn’t a good enough excuse is it? Oh the shame …
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of course you bought one of those shit hats. youre a fucking sad bastard.
best post youve written in years. its still shit just less shit than usual thanks to not talking about any fucking planning bollocks and generally being a pisstaking smartass.
and that permatanned religious zealot looks like hes ranking off 2 blokes at the same time in that photo. probably priests. or kids.
Comment by andy@cynic March 17, 2011 @ 6:21 amand wheres chris this morning? fucking lazy bastard isnt first, dont tell me hes got a fucking life all of a sudden. not possible, hes probably sat on the shitter with a bad case of the squirts after a vindaloo. lightweight.
Comment by andy@cynic March 17, 2011 @ 6:24 amYou seriously are the Olympic champion at offense aren’t you. Poor Chris … what’s he ever done to upset you?
Stupid question, no one has to do anything to upset you.
Comment by Rob March 17, 2011 @ 7:52 amSpiritually Uplifting half hours don’t record themselves.
Comment by Chris March 17, 2011 @ 3:11 pmYou might be the new Oprah, Chris.
Comment by Rob March 17, 2011 @ 5:56 pmA frightening thought, Rob.
Comment by Chris March 17, 2011 @ 6:38 pmNot as much as it is for Oprah!
Comment by Rob March 17, 2011 @ 7:21 pmwow… that could be straight from SNL.
Comment by Age March 17, 2011 @ 6:31 amawesome.
You forget to mention point #13: every show must be made up of an audience that has the full range of demographic and cultural diversity and they must all be wildly enthusiastic about every minor detail and express this through an overexaggeration of gesticulation.
Comment by Pete March 17, 2011 @ 6:57 amonly you could make a comment that doesnt mention campbell being a twat for buying that fucking horse mask shit.
Comment by andy@cynic March 17, 2011 @ 7:01 amI didn’t mention it because Rob buying weird stuff isn’t weird.
Comment by Pete March 17, 2011 @ 7:04 amgood fucking point. bollocks.
Comment by andy@cynic March 17, 2011 @ 7:07 amWell said Pete – even if that makes me look a sadder bugger than normal.
Comment by Rob March 17, 2011 @ 7:51 amI know some women who should buy that tv hat when they go out in daylight.
Comment by Billy Whizz March 17, 2011 @ 7:08 amyou mean you know some women you shagged who should buy that hat when they put the bedside lamp on. funny fucking thing is billy, theyre saying the same about you.
Comment by andy@cynic March 17, 2011 @ 7:09 amTruth hurts Billy.
Comment by DH March 17, 2011 @ 7:11 amYou mean because they don’t want to see my face and realize what they’ll never have again? Yeah, have that problem all the time.
Comment by Billy Whizz March 17, 2011 @ 7:15 amtwat.
Comment by andy@cynic March 17, 2011 @ 7:17 amSemi good post today Rob. Feeling ill?
Comment by DH March 17, 2011 @ 7:12 amIf you wear that hat out in public, I’ll buy you a starfucks. Small cup. House coffee naturally.
Comment by DH March 17, 2011 @ 7:13 amyou wouldnt have to buy him one dave, the fucker will walk in and be their millionth fucking customer or something and get the key to the fucking free starbucks city. i dont know who he fucked to get all this good luck but i wish id been on that casting couch before him. mind you, campbell would be more effective by threatening to fuck someone unless he gets what he wants. i knew being an ugly bastard had some positives about it. why the fuck was i born so fucking hot?
Comment by andy@cynic March 17, 2011 @ 7:19 amWhat on earth are you talking about with all this free shit?
Comment by Rob March 17, 2011 @ 8:06 amfree fucking flights from lee.
Comment by andy@cynic March 17, 2011 @ 8:21 amWould it make you feel better to know I’ve paid for the ticket?
Comment by Rob March 17, 2011 @ 10:56 amim not fucking answering because youll only say you didnt to fuck me off more. bastard.
Comment by andy@cynic March 17, 2011 @ 11:16 amwheres baz? why dont you get jobsy to buy it, rebrand it the imask and make a fucking killing while sitting back and laughing at how fucking gullible youve made the fucking planet. wheres my fucking ipad 2? bet youve got campbell one. campbell gets more fucking freebies than paris fucking hilton.
Comment by andy@cynic March 17, 2011 @ 7:16 amMy sympathies for your good looking misfortune.
Comment by DH March 17, 2011 @ 7:20 amits a fucking curse.
Comment by andy@cynic March 17, 2011 @ 7:22 amYes I know buying a TV Hat is sad, but compared to rocking horse sheep, daleks, Communist clocks, R2D2 robots and a whole manner of other “best-left-to-the-where-are-they-now-dustbin”, it’s really not that bad.
Well, that’s what I’ll be telling Jill anyway.
Comment by Rob March 17, 2011 @ 7:54 amyoure just saying youre less fucking stupid than you normally are and that is very fucking stupid.
did you get the bollocks tv hat free as well? you fucking did didnt you.
Comment by andy@cynic March 17, 2011 @ 8:03 amIt’s an iPrat.
Comment by john March 17, 2011 @ 9:52 amgood response doddsy, pity campbell fucking matched you.
Comment by andy@cynic March 17, 2011 @ 11:17 amMatched me? Yeah right. He simply revealed that he doesn’t stay out late on a week-night.
Comment by john March 17, 2011 @ 6:53 pmI do actually Doddsy, but only because W+K make me do some work every now and then.
Comment by Rob March 17, 2011 @ 7:01 pmstop being a whiny little bitch doddsy, you give it you got to take it.
Comment by andy@cynic March 17, 2011 @ 8:27 pmGood one Doddsy
Comment by northern March 17, 2011 @ 10:34 amSeriously, more money than sense
Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.
Besides, I got called that for the dalek and it’s just got double the money that it cost so maybe I’ve just bought my pension scheme … though in reality, it’s more likely to be my ticket to the mental asylum.
Nice to see NP writing comments in my timezone – though he is currently in Singapore so that’s to be expected – so what’s Doddsy’s excuse, other than being a proud owner of a iNoLife.
Comment by Rob March 17, 2011 @ 10:50 amwhat do you mean groper is in the same time zone? what the fuck is going on over there. lauren. mortimer. now groper. are you fucking paying them or something?
Comment by andy@cynic March 17, 2011 @ 11:18 amwhat the hell?
Comment by lauren March 17, 2011 @ 10:07 pmits all gone wild and fucking crazy. read, stupid and fucked up.
Comment by andy@cynic March 17, 2011 @ 10:23 pm