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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (June 27, 2002)
Networks aim for ‘reality’ Reality shows regularly have been one of my pet peeves, and they always have been an easy target for the media, with shallow people mugging for the camera and playing stupid, shal low games. It was easy to poke fun at the “Survivor” contestants who were obviously hoping to jump-start acting or mod eling careers, and no effort was required to predict the downfall of civilization from the hor rid influence of the increas ingly upped ante on the game-show style pro grams. That is, up until now. The next generation of reality shows has hit "he small screen, and instead of offering a titillating view of fresh-scrubbed young bodies, the new wave gives viewers a peek at society’s institutions. Some of the shows are decent, one is great, and the trend is a refreshing change from the stupid human tricks and gross-out fests that make up “Dog Ea log” and the ridiculously named “Mole 2: The Next Betrayal.” nc networks stalled things off with “The Hamptons,” ABC’s hor rible attempt in early June to doc ument the lives of die nation’s elite as they loved, lived and lauglied. Actually might not have been the attempt that sucked, so much as it was the peo ple who sucked. If what was por trayed is the American Dream, I’ll neve< sleep again. Next came, “Boston 24/7,” ABC’s six-part look at, as their Kleckner Editor in chief Web site proclaims, “an Ameri can city and the people who make it work.” This mid-June show was halfway decent, but it was mostly soap opera and what felt like staged interviews. Then came the best of the bunch, ABC’s “State v.” Do you notice a trend here? ABC is on the leading edge of the new wave, and as the networks fight over reality viewer share, televi sion audiences win. “State v.” (Wednesday, 10 p.m.) takes an in side look at court cases from three angles: the defense prepara tions, the prosecution prepara tions and — here’s the new part — the jury deliberations. I recently served jury duty and saw the setup for a manslaughter drunken driving case, so it’s excit ing to see a jury in action. It’s es pecially exciting to see them argu ing and thank my lucky stars that I wasn’t subjected to such torture. The best part about “State v.” is it’s even-handedness. On the first episode, the director showed both sides with equal force, and I was genuinely un sure about the outcome. Contrast this with the latest in NBC’s “Law & Order” stable of pro grams, “Crime & Punishment” (Sunday, 10 p.m.). In the first episode, the audience is beaten about the head and shoulders with the opinion that the ac cused is guilty of murdering his ex-wife, despite the fact that there is no physical evidence. Instead of showing both sides of the case and cutting the footage together neatly to mimic the “Law & Order” formula, the audience is served pointless “intermission” scenes of the prosecutor relaxing with a glass of wine while he re peats to his friends all of the non evidence he presented in court. I didn’t have a problem with the eventual guilty verdict, but the bi ased portrayal made me throw things at the screen. The latest entrant (because I simply refuse to discuss Fox’s “American Idol”) is “Houston Medical,” ABC’s real-life version of “ER.” Problem is, I know “ER.” “ER” is a friend of mine, and “Houston Medical” is no “ER.” Instead of compelling dramatic interplay between the characters (which might have seemed corny, but I could have lived with it) and nail-biting emergency room procedures, audiences are given pro-hospital propaganda and gleaming portrayals of hard working doctors. I’m sure most doctors are hard-working and flirtatious; after all, who doesn’t feel a little randy in the middle of surgery? But “Houston Medical” (Monday, 10 p.m.) almost comes off as an HMO infomercial. I found myself wondering, is there some health insurance vote com ing up in Congress? When considered as a whole, the institutional reality trend is certainly better than the squalor of “Road Rules” or “Fear Factor.” Some of the shows are entertain ing, and viewers may come away with a deeper understanding of hospitals and courtrooms. But if you want to watch the best reality show currently airing, tune in to PBS at 9 p.m. today for “Frontline.” This show is regular ly the most compelling and unbi ased news program on the air. And tonight’s episode, “Shattered Dreams of Peace: The Road From Oslo,” examines the Middle East conflict from the 1955 assassina tion of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin to the present. Now there’s a topic about which Amer icans genuinely need to gain a deeper understanding. Contact the editor in chief at editor@dailyemerald.com. His opinions do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Emerald. Chumbawamba’s latest: Simply Dumbawamba? CD REVIEW Album shows band is washed up By William Mills The Gamecock (U. South Carolina) (U-WIRE) COLUMBIA, S.C. — Chumbawamba’s latest release, “Readymades,” is a dance album scattered with the ramblings of a once-great group of aging British anarchists. The album is chock full of electronic beats driven along by mediocre vocals and lyrics. “Readymades” sounds less like an album created by members of the early ’70s Brit-punk scene and more like a soundtrack to a Japan ese anime film. Also, the liner notes are littered with anarchist propaganda that expired three decades ago. One thing that can be said for them, however, is that they do have admirable perseverance. “Readymades” is the group’s fourth full-length release on a ma jor U.S. label, and one of the few albums to not have a name like “Anarchy,” “Criminal Injustice” or “English Rebel Songs.” Chumbawamba hit the U.S. dance scene with the release of “Tubthumping” in 1997, a song that reached No. 1 on the Billboard mu sic chart. That presence culminated with “WYSIWYG,” a release that was voted one of the worst albums of 2000 by USA Today. They do de serve some recognition for not total ly retreating after such a reception. However, even if “Ready mades” was graded on effort, it would not rise above a “D.” Though the lyrics invoke and preach against all that is non-PC, they never touch the listener on an emotional or intellectual level. “Readymades” is a death rattle for a group that began its slow de mise after the release of its only American hit, “Tubthumping.” These one-hit-wonders have dug a deep hole for themselves, and it will take a shovel a lot more dy namic than “Readymades” to dig up some record sales. New CD is ‘Readymade’ for success By Toni Bartone The Pitt News (U. Pittsburgh) (U-WIRE) PITTSBURGH — Chumbawamba’s politically - charged 10th full-length album may surprise those who remember this band only for the Super Bowl friendly mega-hit “Tubthumping” from 1997. However, the radical flavor of “Readymades” is nothing new for these outspoken Brits. True nonconformists, Chum bawamba departs from the catchy style of “Tubthumper” on “Ready mades.” Though the band has al ways dabbled with folk music, “Readymades” abandons infec tious, shoutable choruses for a softer sound with more emphasis on lyrical meaning. Walking a fine line between so called sell-out pop musicians and DIY punks, the band has unapolo getically criticized globalization and corporations, the British monarchy and the United States’ war on terrorism. “Readymades” employs elec tronic beats and haunting vocals to address specific issues. The lyrics fully describe the atmos phere of the larger issue they each refer to, and each song is ex plained in the liner notes. The bottom line is that “Ready mades” offers a comforting yet stirring soundtrack for those who seek change. Classifieds: Room 300, Erb Memorial Union PO. 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