Max Lugavere
Posted on 08/04/2005 4:47:32 PM PDT by ejdrapes
Invasion of the Pod People Like the memory of Al Gore's presence on the political scene, his just-launched new cable venture, Current TV, feels strangely stranded in the '90s. It's as '90s as a Tracy Chapman ballad, as '90s as the debate over political correctness, as '90s as an asymmetrical bob. Watching the network for hours at a stretch, as I've been doing the past few days to research this piece, you start to get an odd, airless feeling. To quote a song that's being advertised in endless rotation on the network (by the very '90s-esque Canadian band Hot Hot Heat) you're "Stuck in the Middle of Nowhere." As you're probably aware if you've followed any of the hype about Current, its great claim to innovation is the "pod," an eight-minute-or-less segment of nonfiction, viewer-contributed programming, introduced MTV-style by a young host or hostess. These podjays (peejays?) appear before us alone, always alone, in a vast circular structure that recalls a Jetsons set or an abandoned World's Fair building, filled with all-white modular furniture and a single orchid. The quintessential Current peejay is perhaps Max Lugavere, a tall, toothy fellow who likes to recount how he landed the gig by contributing, along with his friend and fellow host Jason Silva, a short video called "Textures of Selfhood." The texture of Max's own selfhood is perfect for the Current zeitgeist; he's youth culture as imagined by Al Gore. In fact, Max looks a little like a young Al Gore, with the former vice president's unique mix of sincere enthusiasm, leaden delivery, and an eagerness to please so palpable it's somehow off-putting.
Current TV is youth culture as imagined by Al Gore.
(Excerpt) Read more at slate.msn.com ...
This sounds so wonderfully cutting-edge until you start seeing viewer-contributed programming. It's the same as Coppolla's dream of everyone having access to cameras--it's a great idea, but who's gonna WATCH the stuff? Seems to me that Al's "pods" are going to be dull unless you're the one who's created them or you have a substantial interest in the subject matter, and who's gonna sit through pod after pod waiting for one they like? I mean besides the DUmmies who sit at their keyboards with their TVs blaring in the background?
Conservative-themed "pods" available at http://www.imaopodcast.com
It's Freeper-friendly, work safe, updated weekly, and you don't need an iPod to listen.
Here's an example:
http://www.imaopodcast.com/podcast/IMAO-Promo.mp3
Thanks for listening, Freepers. You're the best!
In the Market Place this is called the "Law of Supply and Demand"
If there is a demand it will succeed, if not it will fail.
In the words of G.W. Bush "Bring it on"
Non story, non issue, see you at the Bank.
Take note of reply #6.
Cool, thanks, will investigate.
I thought the segment with the male model was particularly insightful. It allowed us to see the bigotry that the self-described good looking suffer. They really are intelligent and have a lot to offer society, if only we would listen... BWAAAHAHAHAHAAA! Sorry.
Looks like lots 'a money with no place to go. Man, what dork would place a bet with Algore.
Is someone twisting arms out there? With a pipe wrench?
If we're smart, we'll record this stuff for posterity. It could become the midnight college cult movie of the 2020's. But, we have to record on Beta.
I can't view it because Comcast has blocked my access. Thank you Comcast.
...and the suicide manual giving degrees of difficulty (pain) depending on what method you choose-throwing oneself in front of a train, etc.
Current is for those with a short attention span as each segment is brief and followed by multiple commercials in a row. I think more time is spent on commercials then on the segments offered up by "buff" or "sensual" hosts.
On Directv, the weather channel is sandwiched between FOXNews and Current. Planned I suspect.
Voice over at end of Muppet Movie as credits are rolling
Fozzie: "that's a lot of names. Does anyone actually read this?"
Kermit: "Of course, They all have families you know"
Very honest review from Slate...and without ever having to watch this disaster, I know exactly what it's like from this article. Al Gore, again with this finger on the button of culture. What a loser. You know who's also to blame for his never-ending failures? His daughter. He seems to listen to her like she's some sort of guru, and she's always wrong.
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