The news this morning had a story about a family that moved back into its flooded home in New Orleans to find it had been invaded by water moccasins. Every time they opened a door or moved a piece of furniture, a snake slithered out to greet them.
After this piece, the anchor threw to the weatherman with this:
"...Luckily, nothing like that weatherwise is going to bug us today..."
Yes, luckily there are no poisonous snakes in the weather today. And luckily, today we will not have to return to a destroyed home after over a month away. Boy, it sure would suck to be them! Haha! Luckily, it's going to be nearly 70 today!
Do we really need a segue? In TV Anchorman School, it must be drilled into young recruits, because this is only a small example of something that happens every day. In local news, especially, but the Bigs do it, too. I would like the weather, thank you, but I'm not terribly concerned that it somehow ties to the previous story.
Just tell me that it's time for the weather.
Thanks.
*A stretch, yes. The other, less stretchy title was Where There's A Will, There's A Segue.
1 comment:
"Babe"~
I notice these kinds of things a lot the little bit that I watch TV -- especially TV "news" ("info-tainment")
I think the medium of television itselt, fundamentally, doesn't call for segues -- in fact when they are forced (as in your example) they don't work!
Perhaps Monty Python's segues were the most appropriate and truthful:
. . . "And now, for something completely different."
. . . or zoom into a picture or sign and zoom out to a different scene - 'artistic'?
. . . or just cut abruptly to the next thing
- any of these are more naturally in line with the medium of television.
For a lot more of thinking about these kinds of issues and for more critical analysis on the intellectual biases of TV (or any technology) as a medium read NEIL POSTMAN!
"Amusing Ourselves To Death"
"How to Watch Television News"
(many other titles which I have too - if you want to borrow, you know where I live part of the day)
In a single blurb - here's a Postman related link on this sort of analytical idea:
http://english.ttu.edu/kairos/2.1/features/brent/postman.htm
qflux
Post a Comment