The future of reality television

Everyone loves reality television right? American Idol, Survivor, Bad Girls Club, even the Housewives of wherever and the rest of their ilk continue to dominate the programming of virtually every network on television today. But you know that at some point soon (which will not be soon enough for me) there will come a ratings slump. Then what will the television execs do?

Movies have already looked at the craze for "reality" television. They have pondered the pro's and con's of the idea. They have considered the ineviable decline in interest and the subsequent efforts to spice up the programs to keep the eyeballs on theiur shows. The ultimate result, according to movies, is



or maybe an idea from 1975



Still not quite right?



I know. Not possible. That's just sci-fi movie fantasy. It could never happen.

Except that in France, 64 people on a "reality" television show gave a 'contestant' electric shocks until he 'died'.



Are you sure we are still that far away from the movies?

France and Australia have more in common than you think

Wait, France and Australia? They are on opposite sides of the world. Literally. They don't have a share history. The people in Australia like beer, France has wine. Australia is mostly a big desert known for Mad Max and Mel Gibson. France has the Eiffel Tower, cheese, and hasn't won a war (or really mattered) since a short guy named Napoleon.

These things are all true. But they are very similar in their desire to display buffoonery that mocks Blacks. For Australia its the Aborigine people that are the special focus of this backwards kind of thinking. In France it's usually Moroccans, but they really stepped up the insults with the latest venture into pugnacious "art".



The French Vogue magazine, in all its brilliance, decided that supermodels needed more attention. Which is fine if not a bit absurd. But when it came time to have photos of Black models they decided that blackface was a far more appropriate and fashionable thing to do. Yes, blackface. The key part of the minstrel show that the uneducated and repugnant of the 19th century loved.

I realize that there aren't a lot of models, or supermodels for that matter, that are women of color. It's a problem the entire fashion industry can't seem to figure out. Then again, in my experience, it's far easier to find White women the size and flat board curvaciousness of Olive Oil. And as I have said before

"I have to believe that the designers are the biggest group of fetishists in plain public sight. That's the only explanation. The women they use, or airbrush, are so far from the norm that Janeane Garafalow (her politics) is mainstream in comparison. Obviously they just saw one Popeye cartoon too many. Especially Ralph Lauren."

Still I find it hard to believe that none of the Black supermodels were available. I mean there is Naomi Campbell, Tyra Banks, Iman, Alek Wek, Liya Kebede, Chanel Iman. I mean the photographer, Steven Klein is an American. Couldn't he have had the balls to simple say what Harry Connick Jr. said to the nation of Australia? Did Klein think that no one in America would notice, or care?

Perhaps I'm not as artsy and cultured as our European "friends" or as burly as those down in Australia. But at least I am in the 20th century. Though the fact that both these nations consider racism and prejudice a normal and current way to deal with people of color in their own nations.

Vogue knows better than what they did. They had the ability to bring in Black models, they have the intelligence to know this is offensive. They knew that they were insulting tens of millions of people of color around the world. But maybe they are just like the Australian audience for Hey Hey, its Saturday night! in that they just don't care.

Considering that Blacks across the world have contributed to freedom (including saving the French in WWI, WWII, and Viet Nam), made innovations that have eased life and saved untold millions of people over the centuries, and the least of all - President Obama - you would think they might have a bit of a wake-up call. But it seems not.

I would suggest to every reader I have that buys Vogue to skip it for 3 months (or more if you would like). Send them a message in a color they are sure to respect and understand - money. Blackface is an insult. ANYWHERE in the world to ALL people of color. Perhaps France and Australia would like to join us in the 21st Century on that.

Porn stars upset over lack of exposure

Some things you just cant make up. In France, at the Cannes, there was a small group of porn actresses that were getting a bit of coverage. The reason they were there was to try to gain attention for the revival of the Hot d’Or Film Festival.

The Hot d’Or Film Festival ran from 1992 until 2001, and occurred at the same time as Cannes Film Festival. Like the U.S. Adult Video News Awards (AVN Awards), the Hot d’Or was a showcase of new porn movies. Awards were given out for Best Director, Best American and European Film, Best Actor/Actress, plus a few industry specific honors like Best Box Cover and New Starlett (American/European).

Now I have no problem with an industry awarding the best of it’s own. I just find it interesting on 2 points. The first is the fact that any event or activity related to porn has ever ended amazes me. The porn industry makes more money than all of Hollywood and Eurpoe combined, from just the U.S. alone. Which always amazes me since no one ever buys porn, of course. So to see any of their events end or fail seems to be shocking considering their success.

The second thought is the fact that porn needs more exposure to succeed. It just seems odd considering that I can’t think of another industry that receives as much exposure for it’s exposure. And in non-prudish France of all places. I mean if this were Britian I could understand the plea. But France?

There is no real point to the post. Just an observation. It caught my attention. I’m sure that no one has ever seen a porn movie anyway, let alone to be at an awards ceremony. Though I think it would be interesting to interview people in the industry or to cover an awards show. Maybe if you my readers express interest I will look into it.

Literature and the internet could have beat Hitler

The Nobel prize is an accomplishment of great order and a source of pride for any winner. Often an entire lifetime of work is summed up in this one award. And there is no question that colleagues respect those that have won.

For those of us in the general populace the Nobel Prize is beyond our expectations. Most of us do not work in various fields of science and mathematics that many past winners like Albert Einstein and such delve into. But in the area of literature we all can dream of witting that one, or several, novels that capture the essence of life and imagination. Thus many of those that have won for literature are well known to us all, or become so.

But this year, as has happened in many years past, the winner of the Nobel for Literature - Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio of France - has taken that dream of the populace and added something different. He postulated that perhaps, if the internet had existed in the time of Hitler in the 1930's, he might not have been able to do what he did.

Now this has of course drawn criticism of all sorts. I even read one article where many modern day despots and such ilk were discussed and shown to be without concern for the internet. So it is true that the internet by itself is not an answer. And that is the key.

Like writing fiction, life requires imagination. And it is the imagination of say the blogosphere that can ignite the inspiration required to buck trends and question authority. While it may not be possible in North Korea, or China, where the internet is censored and restricted to high levels it is possible in many free nations. And once that inspiration takes hold it filters to the rest of the world.

Maybe Hitler would have been denounced and ridiculed enough to prevent him from gaining an audience. Perhaps his faulty logic could have been laid bare by the comments and attention to detail the internet can provide. Perhaps it could have been as simple as a Youtube video of a gaff that could have dashed his hopes. Maybe not.

But it is the thought that it might have that is important. Because if it might have in the past, it could in the future. And that is the point I think Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio was trying to make. That if we can inspire it, and discuss it, it is possible.

The internet allows for the breaking of every barrier that has existed for millennia. Borders, language, trade differences, religion, and nationalism are all useless. And if we can have the imagination we can spark inspiration. Just like writing does and can do.

And I for one, if I understand this Nobel winner correctly, like that idea. Whether or not it would have worked in the past I can imagine it. And that can inspire us all for a better future.