The List Channel

[GKarsEye]

... or, as it's officially known, VH1. All they play now is shows about lists they make up... and now most of them aren't even about music. It's like "Top 49 Most Awesomely Cheeetastical Cornbalistic Hairdos From Celebrity Golf Caddies" or some shit. Can someone explain this to me, please?

Oh, and the only other show I've seen on VH1 that's not list-related is people driving and singing along to music on the radio. Yes, I swear to jeebus this is a real show.

I need someone to explain VH1 to me.

 

[AntonyF]

Not VH1, but these list shows seem to be on the increase here too. I'm getting pissed off with them.

And here we have to have "celebrities" talking about each number. And the orchestration of what they say is just so contrived. You have these people talking about things from YEARS ago, that most people probably wouldn't even know about let alone remember. Yet they're full of details and opinions, and the opinions are often so similar that quotes can be intersected to create a polished look.

It really has gone too far. On Sky One today, "Top Celebrity Mingers". I swear I resent giving Sky money.

 

[Ninja_Squirrel]

Not long before VH1 changed into an amorphous puddle of nostalgia, I was actually thinking, "They finally got it right."

That was back when they were playing music more than MTV and were sticking with more mainstream music, no hard rock, no rap, no hip hop, and maybe just a hint of country. They did a good job with the Top 21 Countdown on the weekends. That was also the time of Behind the Music. Granted, Behind the Music kind of played itself out, but at least they had the right idea about interesting programming.

All the constant lists they do now? I don't get it either.

 

[GKarsEye]

What's a minger?

Yes, there was a brief window of decent VH1 programming. Behind the Music was cool at first. I think I'm the only one who saw the Genesis episode, which did a surprisingly remarkable job of getting both "periods" of the band (before and after Gabriel's departure). They had some fantastic footage of the Gabriel lineup in their prime (with the masks and such) and from when Collins first took up lead singing duties.

I wish everyone remembered a time before Genesis turned into the Phil Collin's Lite Rock Cheese Band.

Then they insisted on taking out the music from the series by:
1) Not talking about music, instead focusing only on drugs and groupies; and
2) Featuring musically vapid bands.

The Storyteller series was pretty cool, too, sometimes.

 

[AntonyF]

A minger is someone who fell out of the ugly tree and hit many of the branches on the way down.

Pronounced ming-er (ming as the in the vase, or the merciless)

 

[fisheggs]

Re: Genesis. Think there'll ever be a reunion concert/DVD of "Lamb Lies Down On Broadway"? Would be awesome!

 

[GKarsEye]

No, Pete Gabriel ain't into the past (though they did re-record Carpet Crawlers for the last hits CD, and it's performed beautifully). I frankly think Gabriel would feel silly performing that material any more and, as much as I love it, he's probably right.

Do you have the Archive Vol 1 box set? It's 4 CDs, including a complete live performance of Lamb. It is immensely enjoyable- I listen to it more than the album.

 

[fisheggs]

Didn't know of it till now. I still have a gift card for circuitcity from me sis. I doubt cc will have this in stock however . Since the weather/water Gods seem to be trying out all their "best" stuff this winter (snow, sleet, ice, freezing rain, all causing major flooding and saturation, overtime has been severly encouraged . (I prefer Undertime ) It does mean extra cash wanting to be spent . When I get time and energy, I'll have to search for it. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[KoshFan]

I am somewhat grateful to VH1. I have a fairly minimal grasp of pop culture (according to my friends), so all I know about it comes from Buffy, the Simpsons (which I didn't even watch until college) and occasional passes of "I Love the [fill in the decade]" on VH1. But then, I am a sad, sad person with no life.

 

[GKarsEye]

Wear your lack of pop culture knowledge proudly. I do. It just means we have more important things to think about.