Hatrack River Forum: New column: Sweeps Month: A Very Special Twenty-Four/Seven

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Posted by Chris Bridges (Member # 1138) on :

Sweeps Month: A Very Special Twenty-Four/Seven

The sweeps are here! It's that magical time of the year when television studios throw away their last shreds of self-restraint, dignity, and continuity to openly beg for viewers by promising extravaganzas, controversy, and bizarre plot twists. More than usual, I mean.

"Sweeps" refers to the time when a couple million randomly selected people across the country are asked to record what programs they're willing to publicly admit they watch. This information is then used by network affiliates to negotiate their ad rates. Of course, the networks quickly realized that those numbers could be artificially pumped up to fool advertisers into thinking that more people watched television than actually exist on Earth. This led to the practice of using sweeps to showcase the networks' most thoughtful and insightful shows.

Ha! No, seriously, this led to ridiculously over-hyped spectacles like sit-com weddings, gratuitous nude scenes, and Geraldo Rivera.

Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :

[Evil]

Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :

quote:
This February also includes the Super Bowl (which used to be in January), the Academy Awards (which used to be in March), and the Grammys (which used to be good).

Posted by digging_holes (Member # 6237) on :

[ROFL]

That was my favourite column so far, Chris.

Posted by Chris Bridges (Member # 1138) on :

I would like to take this moment to totally brag: yes, those are actual quotes from Neil Gaiman. What a kidder!

I'm pretty sure he was kidding...

Posted by SteveRogers (Member # 7130) on :

[ROFL]

Edit:

quote:
Zaphod Beeblebrox

Rock on!!

Chris that was fabulous.......absolutely fabulous..........where those quotes from Neil Gaiman real?

Edit of the Edit:

Ok so yes the Neil Gaiman quotes are real........that is awesome............just curious but have you ever done a column on comic book movies..........I think a lot of people would read it.........you could

a) mention the ones that have already come out and categorize them

b) talk about upcoming ones you are looking forward to

c) entirely discount my opinion and write about whatever you want

[ February 16, 2005, 08:43 AM: Message edited by: SteveRogers ]

Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :

[Laugh]

Neil Gaiman

Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :

[Hail]

Chris

Posted by Chris Bridges (Member # 1138) on :

Ha! Just got e-mail from someone who found my column because of their Yahoo! news alerts for Joss Whedon. It worked! Bwahahahahahahahaha!

Posted by Jay (Member # 5786) on :

I would think with digital TV and DVR’s on the rise that in the future an almost completely accurate rating will one day be possible.

Posted by AntiCool (Member # 7386) on :

quote:
if I were to continue mentioning "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" in future columns, especially columns that had nothing to do with "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," merely to get Google hits from fans of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," I would be guilty of pandering. And that's a line I simply won't cross.

Posted by mothertree (Member # 4999) on :

[Big Grin]

Chris, if you were a woman, I'd kiss you right now.

Posted by AntiCool (Member # 7386) on :

[Confused]

Posted by Olivetta (Member # 6456) on :

Wah! I love this, Chris. I read the thread xnera linked to about the last column. I still find it strange that any Buffy/Whedon fan could have gotten angry over anything you said.

But glad the press was good. [Smile]

Posted by Shan (Member # 4550) on :

Ahhhh! The groogy Wednesday morning blues have now gone bye-bye. Bless you, Chris!

[Big Grin]

Posted by Boris (Member # 6935) on :

Awesome man [Smile]

Posted by saxon75 (Member # 4589) on :

I have to say, Chris, that may be your best yet. [Cool]

Posted by Stan the man (Member # 6249) on :

I knew I liked Wednesdays for a reason.

Posted by Ryuko (Member # 5125) on :

HAHHAHAA. OMG awesome.

Neil Gaiman lives in my state! My friends have met him! (because they got to go to Fiddler's Green. [Grumble]

Of course even if I'd read anything by him at that time, I wouldn't have had enough money to go.)

Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :

"although if Joan and Melissa Rivers make a move towards each other on the red carpet I am so out of there."

Oh my. I almost choked.

Posted by Chris Bridges (Member # 1138) on :

Let's see, my column is linked from whedonesque.com, mentioned in Neil Gaiman's latest journal entry, and Google and Yahoo news alerts are popping up all over the place.

Soon, my plans will come together. Soon...

Posted by Bob_Scopatz (Member # 1227) on :

Chris, that was brilliant! I'll give you a dollar to mention my name in every line of your next column.

[Wink]

Great stuff, as always!

Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :

My friend met Neil Gaiman in Chicago on two occasions and got to have dinner with him.
Jealous.