TV Archives - Page 17 of 19 - Jonathan's Blog From The Source

Lend Your Infant to NBC

Posted on: 06/26/08 10:54 AM | by Jonathan McKee

Who would lend out their infant as a reality show challenge?

Add in the fact that a teenage couple will be raising your kid on camera… and you can bet that NBC didn’t choose the brightest of teens for this challenge.

Yesterday on the plane I read a brilliant USA Today article about the new NBC reality show Baby Borrowers… and I wanted you to see it. Beautifully written. A great commentary about the direction our entertainment has gone.

Here’s a snippet:

On the heels of the now-disputed story about a New England teenage pregnancy pact, NBC is selling the show as if it were electronic birth control. Even if societal improvement were the goal, and it’s not, Baby wouldn’t do much to achieve it. Any teenager who has watched a reality show knows these kids were chosen to fail, and to be ill-behaved brats while doing so.

What manipulation can’t achieve, editing does. The show lovingly dwells on every snit-fit and flaw, particularly that adolescent know-it-all attitude that causes them to respond to criticism as if it were an assault on the deference they assume is their natural due. Still, try to keep in mind that they’ve been lent to the show as well — and by adults who should know better.

Click here for the entire article.

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8.9 Million Kids and Camp Rock

Posted on: 06/23/08 4:28 PM | by Jonathan McKee

Everyone knew it would be big… the question was, How big? I’m, of course, talking about Disney Channel’s Friday night debut of their “original movie” Camp Rock, starring none other than the Jonas Brothers (more on that boy band made up of preacher’s kids here).

I speculated about it a little bit in my Saturday blog with a few facts about it’s release. Some people even piped in saying that it wasn’t as good as HSM or HSM2 (please don’t make me type out High School Musical). It will be interesting to listen to what kids are saying. My daughters (10 and 12) watched it and said that it was, and I quote, “Waaaaaaaaaay better than HSM or HSM2.”

“Why?” I asked.

“Because the music was better… and the Jonas brothers were in it. I don’t know. It was just waaaaaaaay better!”

Hollywood Reporter chimes in with more about the debut:

Disney Channel’s Jonas Brothers movie “Camp Rock” debuted big Friday night, though it didn’t match last year’s record-setting “High School Musical 2.”

“Camp Rock,” which features a slew of musical performances, averaged 8.9 million total viewers at 8-10 p.m. Friday, making it the network’s No. 2 most-watched original movie ever behind “HSM 2,” according to Nielsen. “Camp Rock” pulled in about half of that movie’s audience (17.2 million) in its Aug. 17 premiere.

However, “Camp Rock” did rank as the network’s most-watched nonsequel movie ever, outperforming the original “HSM,” which debuted in January 2006 to 7.7 million viewers, and other original movies like “Jump In!” which averaged 8.2 million in January 2007.

I’m just happy that kids were watching something clean!

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What Teens Are Watching This Weekend

Posted on: 06/21/08 7:35 AM | by Jonathan McKee

The Malls were quiet on Friday night… the streets were a little less crowded. Where were all the tweens and young teenage girls?

At home watching CAMP ROCK on the Disney Channel.

Yes, if you thought TV’s High School Musical was big… it will be interesting to see the results of Camp Rock, starring none other than the Jonas Brothers (who if you don’t know, are huge! Click here for our Youth Culture Window about this hot Hollywood boy band of preacher’s kids that has maintained a clean slate so far.)

The show premiered on Disney last night (Friday) at 8:00 p.m. and can also be seen on ABC FAMILY on Sunday night, and DisneyChannel.com on Monday night.

E online says, “it’s pretty much guaranteed to be huge.” The single from the film is already #6 on iTunes and the Camp Rock Album release only a few days ago and is already the #11 album on Amazon.

It will be interesting to hear the “post Camp Rock” buzz Monday.

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A Blatant Commercial for Smoking Weed

Posted on: 06/2/08 9:31 PM | by Jonathan McKee

In this week’s Youth Culture Window article, I dissect pop culture, taking a look through the lens of last Sunday night’s MTV Movie Awards. In that article, I described a moment that had me scratching my head… one of the most blatant “pro pot” moments I’ve seen on television.

If pictures tell 1000 words, then video clips reveal even more. Take a look at this clip (you’ll have to watch a 30 second commercial first) from the awards show, a moment with Seth Rogen and James Franco. I could try to describe it to you… but you just have to see it.

What was the network thinking?!!

Oh that’s right. This is MTV…

Hence my article.

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Nickelodeon’s “Zoey” beats NBA Playoffs

Posted on: 05/7/08 9:03 AM | by Jonathan McKee

Ever wonder what tweens are watching?

The pregnant Jamie Lynn Spears’ show “Zoey 101” drew huge numbers last Friday night for its serier final, beating everything else on cable last week, including NBA playoff coverage.

Media Life Magazine reports:

“Zoey” drew an average 5.1 million total viewers for the hour-long finale last Friday, May 2, at 8 p.m. Another half-hour rerun that followed averaged 5.05 million, making them the two most-watched shows on cable last week, well ahead of NBA playoff coverage and the first new episode of “Hannah Montana” since Miley Cyrus’ controversial Vanity Fair pictures were released…

And if you think controversy doesn’t attract attention…

The finale was nowhere near the 7.3 million total viewers who watched “Zoey’s” third-season finale in January, shortly after the 16-year-old announced she was pregnant. The show has regularly finished No. 1 among tweens this season.

Hmmmmm.

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MTV’s Real World… Not So Real

Posted on: 04/22/08 2:12 PM | by Jonathan McKee

I love this article. FInally verbalizing what I’ve thought for years now (wondering why kids even watch this show).

The article questions why MTV even renewed its “once hit show” The Real World for its 21st season. Unlike the author of the article, I was never a fan of the show. But I think he nailed it when he said this:

Those of us who watched the show in its early years — before reality television fueled all of television, popular culture and the media — recall a series that cast people with actual lives… Now, the cast members apparently have nothing to do besides be on “The Real World” — at least, until they can permanently wallow in the MTV cesspool via its “Real World/Road Rules Challenge” shows. They sit around the house except when they leave to party or go to their producer-arranged group job, and thus have plenty of time to drink, scream at each other and make out.

That pretty much wraps it up!

(Thanks to Todd for the article)

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Worship on American Idol?

Posted on: 04/11/08 10:38 AM | by Jonathan McKee

Okay… I am constantly shocked by TV, but last night was a totally different kind of surprise. If you saw it, you were probably as surprised as me. American Idol opened up their show last night (Thursday) with the “Top 8” singing the worship song, Shout to the Lord.

Yes… the first words sung on American Idol last night were, “My Jesus, My Savior, Lord there is none like you.”

Check it out! (if you are receiving this in an email, click here to see it)

Wow!

Yes… last week (with Dolly Parton) we heard them sing about Jesus in a couple of songs. I was a little suprised then. But wow… two weeks in a row? And Shout to the Lord? Wow. (Did I mention, “Wow!”)

But then I discoverd something interesting on the internet this morning. This was the SECOND time they sang this song.

Huh?

Yeah… I missed the first time also. For the rest of you who have TIVO like me, when we watched Idol Gives Back, your recording probably ended without hearing the closing number. But if you go on YouTube today you can view the closing number of Idol Gives Back (Wednesday night) where the “Top 8” are wearing white outfits and singing Shout to the Lord. (followed by Ben Stiller coming on stage for a final word where he drops a few cuss words that have to be bleeped out- talk about a contrast)

Wait… this gets more interesting. In that previous version, they start with the words, “My shepherd, my savior. Lord there is none like you.” That’s right. They left Jesus out of it. Check it out (if you are receiving this as an email, click here to see it).

Hmmmmmmm.

It’s funny. Yesterday the internet was filled with blogs of ticked off Christians ranting about “Why did they take Jesus out of the song!” People were outraged.

Sure, I wouldn’t have liked it (if I had seen that version of the song first). But it doesn’t surprise me at all. What surprises me is that Jesus made it back in!!!

So what happened overnight that put Jesus back in the lyrics? (because I know Fox wasn’t listening to those whiney blogs)

Does anyone know why Jesus was voted back in just before Michael was voted off?

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Sex a Big Turnoff for TV Advertisers

Posted on: 04/8/08 9:34 AM | by Jonathan McKee

I’ve been researching our highly sexualized media this week in preparation for next week’s discussion forum we’ll have about the recent statistic that “1 in 4 teenage girls has an STD.”

(Side note: if you aren’t a subsriber to this blog yet, make sure you pop onto my blog page and sign up using the red Subscribe button on the left hand side bar. You won’t want to miss next week’s discussion.)

In my research I came across this interesting little tidbit from Media Life Magazine… sex, violence and dirty talk remain big turnoffs for TV advertisers.

Media Life reports:

And the shows that turned off advertisers three or six years ago still turn off advertisers, and leading that list is “Jerry Springer,” the daytime chat show in which couples often go at each other with foul language and fists.

That’s the finding of a Media Life survey of media planners and buyers that was posted earlier this week asking readers to identity the Dirty Dozen, the TV shows their clients were most inclined to avoid.

Other shows advertisers are inclined to avoid are wrestling, “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” “Cops,” “Reno 911,” “Sex and the City,” “South Park, “Family Guy,” “TMZ,” the new syndicated gossip show, “Desperate Housewives,” “Maury,” “Two and a Half Men,” “The Simpsons,” the syndicated court shows, “Cashmere Mafia,” “Dexter,” “American Gladiators,” “Nip/Tuck,” “A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila” and “Rescue Me.”

Hmmmmmm.

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Nick Focuses on Virtual

Posted on: 04/3/08 10:15 AM | by Jonathan McKee

Virtual worlds are huge with kids today… and they are about to become even bigger.

Nick announced today that it’s developing an entire virtual world, “involving games, avatars and a strong social-networking component, based on network hit ‘Spongebob Squarepants.'”

What is a virtual world you ask? Our own David R. Smith in his recent Youth Culture Window article on virtual worlds defined them as “3 dimensional internet communities that couple the attraction of online social networking with the appeal of online gaming.”

Have you heard of Gaia Online? Club Penguin? Webkins (I’ve blogged about them)? Neopets? Nicktropolis? These are just a few examples of these online worlds where kids can create a character (avatar) and live in an online la-la land.

Are these just for kids? Nope. They’ve been around long enough that many of today’s younger teenagers have grown up with them. Ypulse‘s Anastasia listed virtual worlds first as one of the biggest trend with teenagers in 2007. Anastasia shares…

I have no doubt that virtual worlds, like Habbo Hotel, Zwinktopia, Gaia Online, There and MTV’s worlds have become a hit with millions of teenagers. I just don’t sense that it’s teens en masse quite yet. But I think eMarketer got it right when they predicted that “by 2011, 53% of them will be going virtual.” This year, the real explosion of virtual worlds happened for kids and tweens. Club Penguin and Webkinz can almost be seen as the mothers or fathers of the next wave of virtual worlds for kids.

Rueters reported today about Nick’s development of an entire virtual world and…

Nick also is expected to announce that it is developing Monkey World, a social-networking and massive multiplayer game based on an original concept and not tied to any of its existing franchises.

The network also will announce that it will increase the interactivity on its Neopets site through a new virtual world called World of Neopia, and will add a paid tier to Nicktropolis, the overarching virtual world that’s divided into sections based on Nick television shows and other properties. SpongeBob, Monkey World and Neopia also will have paid tiers when they launch next year.

Nicktropolis currently averages about 1.5 million visitors per month, and executives said the paid tier will preserve that traffic by charging only for additional features like personalization. The company declined to disclose pricing details for the new tier or say what it might charge for various virtual words, though it’s likely that pay tiers could be a key part of its revenue strategy.

It sounds like eMarker’s prediction of 53% of teenagers going virtual by 2011 might not be far off.

Hmmmmm.

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The “Kids Choice Awards” Winners Clean?

Posted on: 04/1/08 8:43 AM | by Jonathan McKee

Miley, Avril, The Jonas Brothers… do these names mean anything to you? Because they mean a lot to our young kids & tweens.

If any of you have young kids that watch TV, last weekend you probably noticed that Nickelodeon’s Kid’s Choice Awards were on Saturday (If you were watching Sponge Bob, you were given glimpses of the Awards at every break).

I’m torn when it comes to these awards. On one side of the spectrum I’m relieved that most of the winners selected are pretty innocent, as today’s culture goes (I’ll list the major winners in a minute and make a few comments). But on the other side of the coin, I’m NOT a big fan of this show. Two reasons:

It’s a bunch of kids trying to grow up WAY too fast (little girls trying to be hoochies and boys copping the attitude of rock stars!)
As innocent as this content is, compared to its older sibling, The Teen Choice Awards (Every year I write an article about these awards as well)… the Kid’s Choice Awards still will award celebrities that are far from positive role models for questionable content.

Right now if you click on the Kid’s Choice Awards web site you will hear the live performance of Naked Brothers Band singing “I Don’t Want to Go to School.” (Hey kids, you can have a bad attitude and a hit band before you even hit puberty!) Watching this concert gave me a flashback of Pinocchio’s trip to “Pleasure Island.” (Remember the land where the kids ran free and were allowed to do everything they wanted?)

But I’ll admit, I was pleased with the actual awards they gave out. Some years I’ve cringed at some of the recipients, but this year, with a couple exceptions, they were a pretty clean lot.

Here’s a glimpse of a few of the winners:

Movies
Favorite: Alvin and the Chipmunks
Animated Movie: Ratatouille
Actress: Jessica Alba
Actor: Johnny Depp
Voice from an animated movie: Eddie Murphy (Shrek the Third)

Music
Group: The Jonas Brothers
Female singer: Miley Cyrus
Male singer: Chris Brown
Song: Girlfriend (Avril Lavigne)

TV
Reality show: American Idol
Show: Drake & Josh
Actress: Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana)
Actor: Drake Bell (Drake & Josh)
Cartoon: Avatar: The Last Airbender

Obviously there are a few weird ones in the bunch (Can you say Captain Jack Sparrow?), but most of these selections are pretty clean.

I have no complaints about Miley, Drake & Josh, The Jonas Brothers, and movies like Alvin and the Chipmunks and Ratatouille. I actually was quite relieved when I saw the list of the winners. Miley, if anything, has been a really positive role model. I’ve blogged about her a bit already if you want to know more about her. And the Jonas Brothers seem to be a clean cut crew. David R. Smith is writing a YOUTH CULTURE WINDOW on them right now that you’ll be seeing soon.

I guess my biggest “sigh” was Avril Lavigne. As I was reading the list of winners on a plane, I had the plane’s headphones on and Avril’s “clean version” of her song Girlfriend played. The word “clean” is relative. Sure, the “clean” version is nice enough to edit out the “f” word for us… although most 8-year-olds have no problem figuring out what she says when she sings, “I’m the mother(silence) princess.” Let me give it to ya in context:

I think you know
I’m damn precious
And hell yeah
I’m the mother f***ing princess

It doesn’t take much of a parent to realize that those lyrics probably aren’t the best to be awarding on a kids’ show.

But this is nothing new. I’ve shared my 2 cents on Avril before.

Chris Brown is another one to watch. Chris is one of the most talented young men on the charts right now. Not only can he sing, but he drops jaws with his dancing. He’s the new Michael Jackson or Usher. His stuff has stayed away from the explicit lyrics, but definitely focuses on more mature themes (and when I say more mature- let’s just say- MORE MATURE THAN MY 10-YEAR-OLD, okay!)

But when all is said and done, when I look at that list of winners, I am actually pleased. I’ve seen a lot worse.

Wow… I developed such high standards. (Sigh)

Hmmmmmmm.

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