Harry, I've never worked on a "reality" TV game show but I have done a lot of aleatory art at one time or another. It is always as good as the performers. Certain types of literal types of performers don't do as well. Some of the great symphony musicians for example. The best are described as explorers. Sometimes the creative artist tries to escape quality to deliberately mine the mediocre because mediocre is always unrefined and complex. I watched a couple of the shows and found them within a scope that I was familiar and therefore predictable. I also didn't care to support the elevation of those without skill and subtlity. I feel that using the best material provides interesting ideals for an audience like watching great baseball players. But the TV stations go the cheap route for less than artistic reasons. Game shows don't interest me much because the type of information doesn't interest me. But its OK for people at certain times in their lives and I like both entertainment (relaxation) and challenge.
For all of you on the list who would like to experience a wonderful symphonic performance. Jose Serebrier has recorded three early Ned Rorem symphonies from the 1950s on Naxos with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. It has been nominated for a Grammy in three different catagories. I'm listening now. It is fine music from the man who is America's finest living composer in my estimation. I hope we can develop more like him in every catagory and style. The title of the album is Ned Rorem: Three Symphonies. and that American flag in the upper right hand corner has a right to be proud in a day when there are many things not to be proud of that flaunt the flag for personal gain. Its nice to see quality give back. Ray Evans Harrell ----- Original Message ----- From: "Harry Pollard" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "'Ray Evans Harrell'" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "'Christoph Reuss'" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, December 12, 2003 8:39 PM Subject: RE: [Futurework] "Survivor" -- FT PR vs. Human Nature (was Re: Slightly extended (was Re: David Ricardo, Caveman Trade vs. Modern Trade) > Ray, > > Thanks for reading carefully, Ray. I wish Chris did. > > They got rid of Rupert - the able "hunter-gatherer" because they > game was almost over. In a real hunter/gatherer situation, where > life moves into an uncertain future, they would never have gotten > rid of Rupert. His contribution was too important. > > If you remember, that on this point this thread began. In > describing Survivor, I was writing to that point. So, when they > were discussing the expulsion of Rupert, the concern that was > raised was: "What will we eat with Rupert gone?" > > Exactly the point we were discussing way back - brought to life > in a game. > > Which is why I like it. But, I don't watch basketball because the > players foul each other so much they are tossed from the game. > (All right! All right!) > > I haven't seen any of the other "reality" shows. I believe some > of them copied bits of Survivor, but don't know what they are > like. However a few weeks ago, I was at the computer while > someone was channel-surfing when I heard a glorious voice. It > turned out to be a young man who had won, or nearly won, on the > "American Idol" show. > > I remember saying 'maybe we've been missing something'. Well, I > still haven't seen it and don't really intend to, but something > enduring may come from these shows. > > Ed said something about husky young men and bikini clad girls > thronging the island. What is interesting is that an older woman > won an earlier Survivor. In the present one, a 50 year old lady > Scoutmaster is very much in the running to win as they are down > to the final four. The last three major wins have been made by > the smallest girl who has lost a much weight over the 39 days. > She beat out the two husky males - one of whom was expelled this > week. > > It's fun to watch the contestants struggle to make there way > through mostly primitive conditions, always close to hunger > (heavily bitten by insects also trying to survive). It is > difficult to work out who will win, as they conspire, ally to > others, cheat each other and so on. > > Sunday is the last session. CBS will milk it for all the audience > it can get. It's the number one TV program in the US. The three > women may throw out the remaining man. > > Although! > > Everyone liked the 50 year old Scoutmaster who was relatively > without guile, worked hard to keep them fed and sheltered, could > be trusted. It might be better for the other two women and the > man to vote her out. If she is one of the final three, the jury > composed of the previous expellees might choose her to win > because she is a nice person. Perhaps, a better tactic would be > to remove her. > > Such are some of the tactics of this game, which is why I like > it. > > I'll watch it until the writers get tired which is why most shows > fall. When the ideas begin to fade, when the twists are not > surprising, when the production becomes jaded, I won't be > watching. > > Ben Jonson really started something. Come to think of it, so did > Shakespeare. I bet Ed wouldn't patronize either one. Chris would > complain that a Jonson or Shakespeare play was an "artificial and > distorted construct". > > They sure were, but they were fun too. > > Harry > > ******************************************** > Henry George School of Social Science > of Los Angeles > Box 655 Tujunga CA 91042 > Tel: 818 352-4141 -- Fax: 818 353-2242 > http://haledward.home.comcast.net > ******************************************** > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Ray > Evans Harrell > Sent: Friday, December 12, 2003 10:01 AM > To: Christoph Reuss; [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Re: [Futurework] "Survivor" -- FT PR vs. Human Nature > (was Re: Slightly extended (was Re: David Ricardo, Caveman Trade > vs. Modern Trade) > > I don't defend Harry a lot but I don't think he did overlook that > in his statements about long term. > > REH > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Christoph Reuss" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Friday, December 12, 2003 11:28 AM > Subject: [Futurework] "Survivor" -- FT PR vs. Human Nature (was > Re: Slightly extended (was Re: David Ricardo, Caveman Trade vs. > Modern Trade) > > > > Harry Pollard wrote: > > > The interplay of "He's so good, with him our tribe will win, > so we must > > > keep him" with "He's so good, there is no way we can beat > him, so we > must > > > get rid of him" is at times hilarious. > >> The fundamental difference between real tribes and the > artificial and > > distorted construct > of "Survivor" is that in the latter, the concept is > > "everyone against everyone", so egoism against the own "tribe" > is > rewarded. > > That's the opposite of a natural setting, where a tribe would > be really > > stupid to apply the second slogan, and get rid of its best > members. > > A real tribe knows it must survive as a tribe, precisely _not_ > getting > > reduced to a single "survivor" who reaps the TV prize at the > end of the > show. > > > > I think it's very telling that Harry overlooked this > fundamental > difference. > > Confusing "Survivor" with real tribes is about as wrong as > confusing > modern > > trade with "caveman trade". With that kind of PR, the FT crowd > wants > > people to _believe_ that this antisocial scum behavior is > "natural", > > while in fact it's just the stench of America. > > > > Chris > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > ~~~~~~~~~~~ > > SpamWall: Mail to this addy is deleted unread unless it > contains the > keyword > > "igve". > > > --- > Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. > Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). > Version: 6.0.548 / Virus Database: 341 - Release Date: 12/5/2003 > > _______________________________________________ Futurework mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://scribe.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework
