14 August 2008

Made possible by viewers like you


I am flipping channels* last week and find a 1978 Billy Joel concert. Huh. Look how young he looks! I remember this song. And that song. I had "The Stranger" on vinyl.

After five minutes, it goes into PBS pledge drive. Foy!** I decide I am not willing to wade through 25 minutes of begging to get to the next 5 minutes of concert.

They have the nerve to say that PBS is valuable because it provides wonderful programming like the program you are watching. Like we're not going to notice that the only time of the year PBS plays something different/interesting is when they're asking for money. Chyuh.

Public Broadcasting belongs to the PUBLIC. Ergo, it should be free. Or at least free of begging.

Send me a bill. Tax me for it. Eliminate it. But stop with the begging. It's unseemly. And boring as all get out.

Better yet, just play concerts and run the phone number over the bottom of the screen, like they do at telethons. I'll bet people will get confused and send in more money than usual thinking they've stumbled on another Live Aid.



* For you non-TV people: this is television jargon.

** My dad always said "Foy!" when he was disgusted. I don't know if that was German for something or his accented version of "Fooey". Either way, I like it. Feel free to say "Foy!" emphatically to anyone who disgusts you. If it confuses them, so much the better.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I dunno... maybe PBS is onto something. I mean, if you interrupted your blog with a phon-a-thon, maybe all your loyal readers would call in and pledge $$ just to have you back writing again!!??

Rahul said...

Foy is a good one. I'm going to start saying Dagnabit.

PBS needs fundraisers to appease Big Birds coke habit.

Oh, spoiler alert.

Shannon said...

It also bums me out that pledge week is the only time they dig up Anne of Green Gables. C'mon, I need my Anne!

Anonymous said...

I relate to this on the radio level as I go through NPR withdrawl during thier pledge drive. I just can't stand to listen through the begging.

Tina said...

I refuse to support PBS unitl the bring back the old politically incorrect Sesame street - you know where Oscar was mean, Cookie monster gobbled cookies all the time and the racial sterotypes were a hoot.

Oh yeah and Mr Snuffelupagus was imaginary.

ChrisMooreMusic said...

I can't believe I've never been to see Billy Joel live, even when both he and Elton John came around a few years ago. I love Billy Joel songs and I love how he tends to stick to his own material and not play as many cover songs. One of these days...

Reya Mellicker said...

Hate the begging.

Are there any non-TV people out there? Wow, I thought everyone had been assimilated. Cool.

AbbotOfUnreason said...

It's not really public. I would support a television licensing fee to pay for it, much like the way the bbc is funded in the uk. They actually have trucks that ride around detecting TVs that don't have licenses. TV cops. What could be better than that.

On the other hand, I guess proposing a license fee for something I don't own is kinda mean.

lacochran said...

Charlotte: If I've done something to lead my readers to believe I won't accept contributions without harassing them, I sincerely apologize. Feel free to send cash at any point.

Rs27: He does look a little flighty.


Sorry.

Shannon: If you increase your pledge to the $2,000 level, they'll send it to you on DVD.

Restaurantrefugee: Yes! Same nightmare.

Tina: I'm not in support of racial stereotypes but I can totally get behind an imaginary Snuffelupagus.

Chrismooremusic: I can't believe it either, and I don't know you! Where are your priorities?

Reya: Some claim they are above the influence.

Abbotofunreason: Do the TV cops still get the handcuffs?