The Shotgun Blog
« He did it! | Main | Christophers Law »
Wednesday, July 28, 2004
Conventions should be geek only events
No cares about these conventions except those attending them -- media and delegates -- and about an equal number of people who spend more time thinking and talking about politics than they do say interacting with normal people or interacting with people (if you know what I mean). So I think the Washington Post's Anne Applebaum is onto something:
"At other times, it is made to look like a late-night talk show. Speakers walk on stage to a blast of canned music -- 'New York State of Mind' for Hillary, 'Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow' for Bill -- and often get a Hollywood hug from the presenter, who is Glenn Close or someone of her ilk. At still other times, it feels like a one-sided sporting event, with chanting and a scoreboard-style video screen showing individual members of the crowd, who scream and wave when they see themselves screaming and waving.It's a formula that may have outlived its usefulness. Ultimately, all of this effort to make the convention seem 'normal,' or to make it look just like other things that appear on television, backfires because it can't really compete with other things that appear on television. Glenn Close makes a better actress than she does political presenter. Pop music is more fun when there's a dance floor nearby. This kind of show will never bring in the people who don't know one party from the next, and it might even turn them off. Why not spend the allotted hour of prime time presenting Kerry's health care policy -- everyone cares about health care -- or talking about Iraq? At least that would help explain what all of these people are doing here. The trouble with conventions isn't that they are scripted it's that they are scripted to appeal to the people who aren't watching anyway."
Posted by Paul Tuns on July 28, 2004 in Current Affairs | Permalink
TrackBack
TrackBack URL for this entry:
https://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d834515b5d69e200d8346576ac69e2
Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Conventions should be geek only events:
Comments
Boring dinosaur television. I'll tune in to the GOP one on and off, but don't expect that will be terribly inspiring, either.
Posted by: Kathy Shaidle | 2004-07-29 6:36:54 AM
What is it about the Democrats' fascination with things Hollywood? Is it because they feel an affinity with those who rise to fame pretending to be something they aren't?
Posted by: Kate | 2004-07-29 7:25:04 AM
It started with the Kennedy's Kate and as we all know all Democrats must slavishly emulate the Kennedys in every way possible. Sadly, this doesn't seem to include dying young...
Posted by: Kathy Shaidle | 2004-07-29 8:32:19 AM
This is what happens when you deprive the party convention of its real purpose of choosing a leader.
Now, I believe that more grassroots input on the process is a positive thing (esp. in the US where there's no real justification for having someone who can lead the legislative caucus). But this is the sort of ugly mess that results when you chop the head off something and let the body bumble and wander around.
Posted by: Kelvin | 2004-07-29 11:46:37 AM
The comments to this entry are closed.