I'm less interested in discussing the poor content of last night's debate - for my money, Red describes (via Digby) the absurd, meta, SNL-like qualities of the questioning perfectly - than I am about the mechanics. Even if I wanted to show you the SNL clip of the opening (which was hilarious), or the much discussed (but less seen) Tina Fey hilarity on supporting Clinton, I really can't - unlike say, Jimmy Kmmel and his naughty words; and similarly, I can't really show you any clips of the debate.
That's because NBC (and its parent company, Universal), unlike CNN (and ABC, in the case of Kimmel), is vigilant about keeping content off of YouTube. As we discussed at the beginning of the TV season (which seems long ago and far away), NBC pulled content from YouTube, and from iTunes, preferring to set up their own, closed, advertiser driven system. And although there are no numbers yet, I'd say a quick tour of the zeitgeist says the wider exposure of NBC and Universal content... isn't happening... much.
In which case I'm not sure there's any way to really discuss the lasting impact of last night's debate, or its aftermath. Outside of people who tuned into MSNBC last night (still one of the smallest audiences for news on basic cable), most people will see little, if anything of it (nor did MSNBC follow CNN's example of making a live web feed of the debate available, a key reason I've been able to see them, along with my Mom). What they will see will probably be stage managed by TV news people into easy sound bites that confirm the current storyline - Obama is vague and wonderful, Clinton is mean and desperate. And tomorrow, even fresher footage will be used to do exactly the same thing.
What little I did see in the cherry picked selection NBC graciously allowed me to watch after commercial (after commercial), was unimpressive. Brian Williams lacks the gravitas of more seasoned anchors, and comes off - still - as junior league and trying too hard. Russert, as always, substituted mind numbing detail for actual probing of people for ideas that would illuminate actual - as opposed to media created - differences. And, as Red notes, though Clinton was probably hurt by it, the format wasn't doing Obama many favors, either.
In the end, though, with conventional wisdom hardening into amber, it probably doesn't matter. What does matter is that NBC's refusal to capitulate to the demands of new media, and the changes in audience approaches to content and content delivery means that they are cutting themselves out of the culture, and sealing their fate as a weakening media powerhouse. Their debate is most likely the tree that falls in the forest, with no one around to hear it. Without YouTube it's like it never even happened.
I hope so!
Posted by: Redstar | February 27, 2008 at 09:43 AM
Thanks for the Tina Fey link:
Bitch is the new black!
Posted by: jinbaltimore | February 27, 2008 at 05:54 PM