Im aged between 18 - 24
One of the first things i learnt this year was the abscence of 18 - 24 year old males watching TV. I am 22 so i fall inbetween this age bracket, and i realsed i really don’t watch much TV at all. I only watch TV when im on the computer (i have a 2 bedroom flat). I more or less hear what is going on to drown out the othwise din of my next-door neighbours violin.
I have atheory it isn’t just 18 - 24 year old males, to refine it even more it would be straight males aged between 18 - 24.
Don’t get me wrong, im not a homophobe or anything, its just that there is very little that appeals to me on TV.
My favourite show used to be OZ. It was the only show i actually used to sit down and watch, religiously. Every other guy in my Media in Australia class watched this show, and i mean EVERY ONE OF THEM. Obviously SBS didn’t realise that they were on to something because the replaced it with Queer as Folk. and all the men (or Boys) were left with 6 foot under as the alternative. OZ has yet to reappear.
That is a fairly blatant example i guess, but i really get the feeling TV networks haven’t really asked 18 - 24 year old straight men what they want. Instead they have adopted a “we know best” attitude and we have been told what to like.
The problem is so incredibly simple. Don’t worry about interactivity or DVD’s or anything it is a culmination of two very important facts.
1. Men aged 18 - 24 have short attention spans:
its true, i can’t sit still ever, i have to be actively involved with something 99% of the time. What I’m getting at is that we may get into a program, but our attention span is broken by constant Adverts. So we wander off and find womething to do, Adverts not being all that invigorating.
2. There are no TV shows aged at straight men 18 - 24.
There really isn’t. The reason being that (i feel) most ‘people’ see what straight 18 - 24 men to be offensive to others in some way. To many girls and its sexist, to many beers and its promoting an unhealthy life style etc. People seem to overlook this. Its almost like any TV show with a 18 - 24 straight male in it is a show which is trying to make us over, eg. Queer Eye.
Take Channel 10 on a Wednesday from 6pm.
6:00- The Simpsons
This is one of the few remaining shows that men aged 18 - 24 watch. Why? Because its funny, with no moral agenda.
6:30pm- Neighbours.
Time to do something else. This is not invigorating at all, the characters are stupid (i know its an institution, but this is my opinion)
7:00pm - The Simpsons
Good Move
7:30pm - American Idol
Boring, its had its day, Its also so incrdibley annoying and repetitive. This has got to be aimed at gay men and women under 20.
8:30pm - Medium
I think this is about a psychic women. No room for men here, i could say with a degree of certainty we could not identify with the lead character.
9:30pm - Battlestar Gallactica
I don’t have a clue what this is about, i know its Sci - Fi but i ain’t really a fan
10:30pm Late News
News is the worst program on Television.
11:30pm - Sports Tonight
Finally something worth watching, what dya know its time for bed.
11:30pm ED
Need i say anything whatsoever?
So you see, they complain, but look at the crap thats on offer.
Any opinions?
Please feel free to add this to your blog.
I think it’s pretty safe to say your not going to get a lot of quality programming from any of the commercial stations, unless ofcourse you like to switch stations a lot, sort of treat them as a smorgesboard. To a certain extent, that’s how these stations seem to work though. Almost, in a sense, they narrowcast a certain times. They put on shows they know have a good audience base in other countries like the US and put those shows on at certain times because they know the Aussie market is very similar amd trends will occur.
But if you want a more intelligent view of television, as much as it is a cliche to say it, you gotta go to the ABC or SBS. Less so the SBS, as they really do narrowcast and in a lot of cases, unless you’re of a certain ethnic persuassion, it’ll do you no good - Like watching the ittalian or islamic or whatever, News. But certainly the ABC can boast at having a decent line up of television programming and a good spread of genres.
I persoanlly am rather disolusioned with whats on Television in general, I try as much as possible to stick to the News Programming or films, cause the rest, unless your interested in it, is basically crap, unless your so hungover you can’t reach the remote and settle. - And I say this as somebody who is moving to work in the TV industry!
Comment by Tiggsy — March 17, 2005 @ 4:30 pm
Believe it or not Butch, but your blog has a very trendy statement. The new trend is that everyone wants to have everything customized to their needs and desires. Specially the group of people you are talking about; men in the age of 18-24. That’s why I don’t think the future of television is in commercial television, but in pay-tv. I think that in the future you will see stations that provides niche programming aming at special groups, for example young males. That way everyone gets what they want and they don’t have sit trough ads.
And just to comment on Tiggsy comment: I don’t think ABC is any better than any of the commercial stations in providing programs to young men. When their idea of sports is; women’s basketball and Netball, you are not aiming at young males. Their programming is more family oriented and intellectual stimulating. ABC has more quality programming and gets more of their programs from the UK (BBC) than the US, like Nine and Ten. The BBC has already figured out that niche programming is the future, and we can only hope the ABC follows. Exciting to see what they make out of ABC 2.
Comment by theOven — March 21, 2005 @ 2:05 am