Opuscula Odds & EndsAgain

I LOVE TV COMMERCIALS. Some are amazing when given close attention.

I also love the so-called news media. Many of the reports are as amazing as the tv advertisements.

Better than the Sunday funnies.

Ads on the tube

Years ago I took a commercial photography class, back in the day when large format meant 8*10 (inch) film and medium format meant 4*5 (inch) film. I still have a Cambo 4*5 camera sitting on the shelf.

The instructor, in an effort to impress the students to pay attention to detail, showed us an ad for wine. The ad was submitted to an annual competition for commercial art.

Great shot. Perfect lighting. Beautiful setting. Bottle of expen$iver wine, with a delicate wine glass half full of the ambrosia. But the image was flawed and the judges quickly ruled it out of contention.

What was the problem.

Either the advertiser or the ad agency was loathe to open a $500 bottle of wine so the glass was filled with a lower cost potable. The judges saw that the wine bottle still was corked and ruled the photograph an imposter.

Actually the image above is not a good example, bad lighting obscures the product’s label and wine in the glasses, the wine is from another bottle; the bottle shown remains corked and full. Maybe the focus was on selling the fruit. (Click to enlarge the image.)

My most frequent complaint is language. MadAve seems to think something can be “very unique” and “the most unique.” This abuse of unique almost is ubiquitous.

”News” media

Listen, if you can, to a live broadcast and hear what the speaker actually says. When the “news” comes on and the ”edited for tv” version of the speech is presented, listen to what the speaker says. Nine out of 10 times the edited version will eliminate critical words.

For example, when you hear President Trump rail about immigrants on the news, know that the tv “editors” considered “undocumented” or “illegal” to be unnecessary or not politically correct and cut the words from Trump’s speech.

Are those two words — “undocumented” and “illegal” — important? Does the message change if the words are omitted? Of course it does. But can the “editors” comprehend the damage it will do? In some cases — perhaps most cases— the answer is yes.

The tv stations in my area never identify a wanted suspect by skin hue. Unless there is a photo of the wanted person, all the media tells us is the person’s sex and height; maybe hair color. “If you’ve seen this person, call ***-***-TIPS.” Got’ta be “PC” even at the expense of having cops chase the wrong person.

I will admit the local news is getting better. Discussing President Trump’s deportation plans, one station noted that the previous president deported thousands of illegals … where were the protests?