What is going to kill the Video Star?
Weirdly – the Buggles lyrics are kind of profound. “Rewind in the car” – sounds like podcasting to me. Radio fights back.
And now we meet in an abandoned studio.
We hear the playback and it seems so long ago.
And you remember the jingles used to go.
Oh-a oh
You were the first one.
Oh-a oh
You were the last one.
Video killed the radio star.
Video killed the radio star.
In my mind and in my car,
we can’t rewind we’ve gone to far
I guess i am just getting old but most videos i see these days seem to be, basically, soft porn. If that’s the best that bling can buy then i am all for the return of the song. A little consciousness can go a long way.
Video needs to step up to the challenge not dumb down.
On the other hand, as Noel Coward said, “its extraordinary how potent cheap music is”
Fraxas says:
May 4, 2005 at 4:05 pm
The problem with videos is that the format isn’t compatible with the standard TV-channel advertising model. That’s why MTV and its ilk don’t, y’know, play music anymore — they have to carve their schedules into 1/2 hour Nielsen blocks so that they can get advertisers. Also, the videos that do reach high circulation — like most of the music that reaches heavy airplay — cater to the baser urges because that’s what makes people watch the shows. Same reason Cosmo and Maxim have the covers they have.
For videos to stretch artistically, there has to be serious competition and meritocracy and buzz when a good new video comes out. And that’s not going to happen while the hitmakers are still in control of the distribution venues.