August 29, 2008 8:32

Vacation Robo-Post: In Summ(er)ation

The best of summer TV 2008. The worst of summer TV 2008. Go.

Sorry so short. You try writing 20 robo-posts in a row sometime. See you after Labor Day.

August 29, 2008 12:36

The Morning After: Robo-Version, 08.29.08

While Flesh-James is on vacation, Robo-James has generated this free-for-all thread to discuss anything that's caught your eye in the worlds of TV, media, or other matters Tuned Inland-y. Think of it as do-it-yourself guest blogging.

August 29, 2008 12:07

From Midfield, Obama Throws Long

In a way, the big challenge in Denver tonight was not Barack Obama's but Invesco Field's. For days, we've heard reports of hand-wringing among Democrats and pundits over Obama's decision to hold the speech in a stadium. What if it made him seem too presumptuous? What if it looked too showboaty?

As opposed to what—a standard convention? A produced TV event, where you stand on a stage in front of a crowd packed with partisans waving thousands of placards with your name on them and then they drop balloons on you? It was a ridiculous worry, but testament to how the McCain campaign had gotten into the heads of some Democrats—if not the Obama campaign itself—with the "Celebrity" attacks, aimed at (among other things) making their opponents afraid of their own strengths. (Wait! What if he's too exciting?)

As it turned out, though, for all the fretting over the weather and the so-called "Greek Temple" columns (um, yeah—just like the Zeus-loving polytheists who founded America put all over Washington, D.C.), the stadium turned out to be a dramatic stage for the final night of the convention—and one that led Obama to dial his intensity and volume up to fill it.

August 28, 2008 8:25

Vacation Robo-Post: Favorite Simpsons Quotes

The title explains itself. I have long believed that there is a Simpsons quote appropriate to pretty much every situation in life, and life has yet to prove me wrong. Who among us, in times of trouble, has not called on the help of Jeebus?

So what's your favorite? I think it's hard to improve on "Here's to alcohol: The cause of—and solution to—all of life's problems!" But I'm sure you will.

And remember: Monster Island is actually a peninsula.

August 28, 2008 12:35

The Morning After: Robo-Version, 08.28.08

While Flesh-James is on vacation, Robo-James has generated this free-for-all thread to discuss anything that's caught your eye in the worlds of TV, media, or other matters Tuned Inland-y. Think of it as do-it-yourself guest blogging.

August 27, 2008 8:14

Vacation Robo-Post: Reruns

TV critics have a big blind spot. We're constantly focusing on the new stuff. That means, for starters, that people like me write a lot about shows when they premiere, then let them go as they stay on the air.

But it also means that we ignore something that it a huge part of ordinary people's TV-watching experience: reruns. We all hate reruns, right? Except we don't. Reruns, in syndication, make up a vast part of the TV schedule.

I don't even have enough time to watch all the new TV I should, but I still catch a Simpsons or King of the hill rerun every now and then. What shows do you still watch in reruns? (Seinfeld? Law & Order? Sex and the City?) What show would you watch in reruns if only somebody would syndicate it? Or has the fact that everything's now on DVD made reruns useless to you?

August 27, 2008 12:35

The Morning After: Robo-Version, 08.27.08

While Flesh-James is on vacation, Robo-James has generated this free-for-all thread to discuss anything that's caught your eye in the worlds of TV, media, or other matters Tuned Inland-y. Think of it as do-it-yourself guest blogging.

August 26, 2008 11:44

The Hillary Speech

A couple quick from-vacation thoughts to kick off discussion:

I have no idea whether Hillary Clinton's endorsement speech helps Barack Obama politically or not. But simply from a standpoint of televisual interest, it's funny that people have talked about this speech as a dread moment of great risk for Obama.

Why? Modern conventions are the most reliably boring events on TV. Clinton's speech introduced actual drama and suspense for once—even if the suspense was entirely trumped up by a media obsessed with imagining Clintonian intrigues. What would she say? How would she say it? Whose side would she be on? (Also, she didn't release the speech well in advance, putting us in the rare situation of watching a political speech and not already knowing what the speaker was going to say.) This ginned up tremendous interest, while almost guaranteeing—because of expectations set by the pre-speech chatter—that if she did anything short of take superdelegates hostage, it would be viewed as a cathartic gesture of unity.

In other words, she made Tuesday night appointment viewing. I don't know if that will move a single vote, but that's not exactly a bad thing for a campaign. I've watched a lot of Hillary speeches over the campaign, but I don't remember one this fiery, or this fierily received—especially the Harriet Tubman crescendo, which subtly alluded to the interconnection of women and African American's issues historically. (There was an impressive bit of visual stage management too, with floor whips handing out "Hillary!" signs for the beginning of the speech, then replacing them with blue unity signs halfway through. Update: Another notable visual—notable by its absence—was the almost total lack of pictures of Bill or of Hillary as First Lady in her intro video, though her primary campaign had treated her years as the President's wife as part of her qualifications.)

Again, I don't know how it plays in the polls. Maybe it wins Obama votes. Maybe she overshadows him. But it beats having people change the channel.

(The usual disclosure: I'm an Obama voter. Robo-James, I'm pretty sure, is still solid for Ron Paul.)

August 26, 2008 8:58

Vacation Robo-Post: Drinking in Moderation

Unless Robo-James and his comrades have overthrown the humans, the Democratic National Convention has begun by now, with the Republicans up next week. That means the general election, and next month brings the first Presidential debate.

If the primary debates are any guide, we can make a good guess as to the content of the debate questions: in an effort to appear "tough," and gin up good soundbites for the next day's news, at some point a moderator is going to spend half an hour grill the candidates over whatever the gaffe, personality story or hot-button controversy of the week is.

Of course, it's easy to criticize the moderators for what they've asked in the past. What do you want them to ask about this time?

That's the high-road question. If you'd rather just take the low road, let's create a Presidential debates drinking game. I'll start: when a moderator uses the phrase "the race card," do a shot.

And every time a moderator mentions "elitism," do a shot with a beer chaser, to prove you're down with the working man.

August 26, 2008 12:33

The Morning After: Robo-Version, 08.26.08

While Flesh-James is on vacation, Robo-James has generated this free-for-all thread to discuss anything that's caught your eye in the worlds of TV, media, or other matters Tuned Inland-y. Think of it as do-it-yourself guest blogging.