I should have been clearer but, I am not arguing that people are too dumb to know that 2 & Half men sucks, it’s that they are dumb because they are too lazy to find something. When it’s 8 o’clock on a tuesday they go to the major networks because they know it’s “primetime” television. A lot of people don’t want to waste their time digging around cable channels trying to find some shit. It’s why I work with people who have never heard of Mad Men or Always Sunny. They don’t even consider looking at those channels when they are looking for content. They do what is easy and the big networks know this. That’s why you got so much bullshit white bread content on major networks.
The networks don’t have to chase down the viewer because they can slap whatever they want up and chances are people will watch it as long as it’s an easy show to get into. It’s why these shows exist. This is also a reason why most of the ways to find content on the internet sucks because for people who just want to flip through and find something it’s not that easy. You have to actively search and know what you want. I use hulu desktop all the time but unless I know what I want to watch I have to sift through a bunch of irrelevant anime bullshit just to find something.
It still beats using terrible cable interfaces but for the average person who just wants to turn on their tv, flip through and easily find something to view they will probably stick with cable until the internet comes up with a better way to find content. Steps needs to be reduced to make finding things faster and easier.
i guess hulu or whatever service someone uses could be easier. but one of the things i like about using the web to find things that i read/watch/listen to is that it forces me to be proactive. i need to be curious and willing to say “this program does not satisfy me.” could hulu be more intuitive? probably. but i worry that if the basics are changed too much, it just encourages passive intake all over again, which allows charlie sheen to continue his career.
oh yeah for sure, I also like that I have to be more proactive. It makes me watch shit that I actually am interested in rather than sitting through an episode of something because I’m bored and willing to put up with. I’ve seeked out shows I put off watching and because I can view it instantly without the hassle of buying or renting a box set I’ve been watching a lot of content that I have put off for years.
At the same time though I would like some amount of balance in how content reaches viewers. Youtube leanback is a step in that direction but needs to be better rather than just dumping a stream of shitty videos on you. I don’t think it will get as complacent as standard television because there is just too much content on the internet.
Also I feel like discovering things is easier this way rather than having to find out ahead of time and then searching for it. Like flipping through netflix suggested titles. Hulu only has suggested on it’s site and it’s not that good. Hulu Desktop doesn’t offer it at all so even finding something via a network is a pain because there are so many. I’m still waiting to try google tv maybe that will be better. windows media center is a fucking joke, I don’t even bother with that.