Just got word that Tivijournal, the news parody show produced by ex-UQAM journalism students that I wrote about a month and a half ago, is screening its May episode tomorrow at 8pm at Les Pas Sages, 951 Rachel East (corner de Mentana).
For more of what they’re about, see my previous blog post.
Casey McKinnon and Rudy Jahchan, the couple behind the geek-comedy web show Galacticast, have started up a new venture with their company 8-bit Brownies called A Comicbook Orange (sigh). As you might guess, it is a weekly comic-book review series. Its first episode gives you an idea of what it’s going to be like: a mix of B-roll and voice-over that unfortunately looks and sounds like just about every other TV review show out there, mixed in with the fun cheesy-FX sci-fi comedy that have made them the most famous Montreal-based sci-fi sketch comedy web video show in the world.
I met Rudy and Casey for Galacticast’s 1-year anniversary a couple of weeks ago, where they promised a “big announcement” coming soon. I thought NBC picked them up for a short summer run, but I guess this’ll have to do.
While I was at their exclusive VIP party (oh yeah baby, I’ve got it made!), I had a chat with Mommy McKinnon, and after some small-talk about the weather (Casey, why did you leave me in your living room with your mother?), I asked her the only question that came to mind: What does she think of her daughter going all crazy with the Internet stuff instead of, you know, making money?
“She’ll always be my baby,” Mom said. (Awwww…) Though Mom, as a non-sci-fi fan, doesn’t get 90% of Galacticast’s jokes, she watches it every week and fully supports Casey’s endeavour. Which is good, because if I threw away a good job to do this for a living, my mother would think I’m nuts.
Speaking of Galacticast, they’ve upgraded their equipment. A new wireless clip-on microphone will hopefully solve the dreadful echo that has been distracting from the quality of the show a bit, and they’ve hooked themselves up with an HD camera (like the one that filmed this episode).
The show itself has come a long way since I interviewed them back in December, and even longer since the show began. The scripts are tighter, the special effects are less cheesy and the production is more professional (though, without any crew whatsoever, it’s pretty impressive that they manage to do anything on a weekly basis). And when you’re taking on things like LOST, the Muppets, Star Trek’s mirror universe and Super Mario Bros., how could it be the coolest thing in the world?
Just when you thought you’d had enough of those “I’m a Mac, I’m a PC” ad spoofs, the Young Liberals are at it, launching three videos making fun at the Conservatives.
Quoting their press release:
“Look, it’s no secret the Conservatives are a wealthy party who can afford all kinds of fancy marketing executives and focus groups,” admits Pickup, “but within the Liberal family we’ve got talent, we’ve got dedication, and we’ve got a clear vision for Canada of which we’re proud.”
No money, eh? Chuck Gui(l)té didn’t return your phone calls?
Come on, I expect more from you, Youth Campaign Director and Online Campaign Co-chair Denise Brunsdon (also a former McGill Daily staffer). You clearly had enough money for the press release and the website. That’s far more than the New Democratic Youth of Canada could do.
Remember those ashtray-video guys who we later learned had faked their video? They’re at it again, “returning” some doggie doo left in a park to its owner.
Calling themselves “Les Réparateurs“, they want to cure the world of its a-holes.
But now that the truth is out, you’d think they’d clean up their videos a bit and be a little more professional about this entertainment of theirs.
Apparently not.
Shortly after the Dawson shootings last September, an unknown local singer (annoying Flash warning) wrote a cheesy pop song about it. Of course, being a cheesy pop song, teenage CEGEP students ate it up, and everyone grieved together supportively.
The song was turned into a fundraising campaign (with its own MySpace page – standard MySpace warnings apply), which unsuccessfully tried to raise serious money for the college.
I wrote about the artist and campaign for The Gazette (no link, since it’s not online anymore). I pointed out that on one hand, this event brought a lot of people together and the song has been getting a lot of support. On the other hand, the song’s creator never attended Dawson, and admitted part of the reason she created the song was to increase her public profile in the hope of being signed.
Well now there’s an official video for the song. Like just about every YouTube video about things like this, it’s a slideshow of (unlicensed) wire service photos of people screaming and crying set to the tune of a song.
Forgive me, because I haven’t been involved in a catastrophic event such as this one, but I fail to see how seeing photos of people crying and running for their lives is supposed to help me emotionally. It seems to me such a thing would only make it worse. The media focused enough on the violence — perhaps we should be focusing on something else?
I’m sorry, maybe my mad newz ski11z are lacking, but how is this newsworthy? A guy puts a video on YouTube inviting people to call him, yak and run up his cellphone minutes. The point? Who knows! The impact on society? None! The news value? Tremendous!
The thing that gets me about these stories is that they aren’t interesting, but because aging baby-boomer editors are too scared to admit they don’t understand blogging and the Internet, they jump at these non-stories to hide their online illiteracy. Nobody wants to be the one news outlet not to cover the story, so it spreads like crazy, and suddenly everyone is talking about this guy like he’s doing something important.
He’s not. In fact, what he’s doing isn’t even new. Someone else did the exact same thing last fall.
So why all the attention?
(WARNING: French content ahead)
There’s a story in The Gazette today by me (you’ll have to take my word for that, since my byline accidentally disappeared during editing — my editor has promised alcohol as compensation).
It’s about Tivijournal, a group of young journalists who poke fun at Quebec media and politicians in a monthly satire show. I interviewed them last month as they were preparing their March episode of post-election humour. Pictured above is Félix B. Desfossés, the charismatic host who looks far more confident than he is in his trademark pink shirt and exposed chest hair.
It’s spring. High winds, melting snow, and Yvon Tripper is back with more political videos. This time it’s new Conservative attack ads on Stéphane Dion.
Remember kids, be careful when burning things in effigy. Habs T-shirts are quite flammable.
Not that it changes the ethical debate, or that everyone didn’t basically suspect as much, but yeah, the ashtray video was staged. Which makes it, like, the worst staged video ever.
I was thinking today about an episode of Frasier, where our lovable Dr. Crane is annoyed by being the butt of repeated impoliteness. The last straw breaks the camel’s back as a table he had been waiting for at a café is taken by a man who just arrived. Frasier loses it, decides to give him an “etiquette lesson” and physically throws him out.
The moral of the story becomes clear later, as his show’s listeners hear of his “heroic” act and teach others “etiquette lessons” of their own, answering inconsiderateness with more and more violent acts. Frasier appeals for calm, having learned his lesson that fighting fire with fire doesn’t work.
Claude Landry clearly hasn’t seen that episode, or he wouldn’t be whoring this YouTube video to the media. In it, he spots a man emptying his car’s ashtray onto the sidewalk, grabs a handful of it and throws it in the driver’s lap.
Now, the story has been picked up by CTV, CBC and The Gazette (who are still unable to link to YouTube videos in their stories), skyrocketing its exposure to over 35,000 views. According to CTV, the video even got the mayor’s blessing (this according to his brother Marcel — I guess CTV is unable to get quotes from the mayor himself). Since when is assault something that is encouraged by politicians? Did it come in a package deal with the new pro-racist agenda of the Quebec election campaign?
I’m not saying I’m perfect. Just yesterday on my way home, I got one of my buttons pushed as some inconsiderate kid tried to get on the bus without waiting in line. I nudged my way in front of him, pushing him back lightly in the process. I thought it was a bad-ass move, but I don’t consider myself a hero for it.
None of the mainstream press is making this point yet, and the blogosphere (well, the four posts I’ve found so far) is split. Basil is on my side. Dave is not. Neither is Mark. Or Grame. What’s your take?
UPDATE: Dave has a lengthy reply to my post on his blog.
As is the tradition, the monthly Yulblog meeting is tonight at La Quincaillerie. But I’ll be across the street at Les Pas Sages for the monthly screening of Tivijournal. I interviewed them during the filming of this month’s episode for an upcoming article, and I’m looking forward to seeing the fruits of their labour.
Montreal Tech Watch points out that RDS has launched its new video portal. Though Heri makes some pointed criticisms (like not being able to link directly to videos), I’m still impressed by it. I quickly looked for their highlight reel clips (30 images/seconde), which are all there for easy viewing. Unfortunately, either because of my computer’s processing speed or the bandwidth I was getting, the video is a bit choppy, and the fast-moving pace of top 10 hockey goals makes it difficult to follow on low-resolution, choppy online video.
The Gazette kept its editorial masturbation to a minimum today, with a small story on Page B2 (though it’s on the website’s homepage) about winning an award for its TV ads. Videos are on YouTube.
Andy Riga has some picks for favourite Quebec election videos, but this one (via 321Blogue) takes the cake by simply choosing some good video and creatively slowing it down to make Jean Charest and Mario Dumont appear completely wasted.
Meanwhile, at least one independent candidate (in Outremont) has a website up that puts some of the major party ones to shame. He’s financing his campaign through his videos (the sites are starting to pay contributors whose videos generate lots of traffic), but at about 150 views so far he has quite a ways to go.
UPDATE: For those worried he was left out, Drunk Boisclair is here.