Mary Branscombe (marypcb) wrote,
Mary Branscombe
marypcb

How can I watch it if you're talking

Why I want to engage about what I watch after I watch it; I'm with Matt Weiner, the producer of Mad Men. A long way into this semi-verbatim report of the Bing entertainment news, (so far in that I'm going to quote it) he's discussing audience engagement and real-time audience reaction with Biz Stone of Twitter. And I agree with with Weiner completely; I pick the shows I want to watch crefully and I treat them like a film, not like background music. If I put a show on I want to watch it, I want to be immersed. If I miss a line, I'll rewind to catch it. I want the nuances, but I don't want to talk about them while I'm enjoying them. With a book, I'll often quote the snarky lines that make me laugh to Simon - he had to start rading Jennifer Crusie books because I was quoting so many lines from them - but I don't want to stop halfway through the big buildup to the final scene to discuss the book (or dinner or the news or anything less immediate than the house being on fire). I'm an immersive reader and an immersive watcher; I'm caught up in the experience. Anything else is a distraction. Matt is exactly the kind of person I'd want to watch TV with!

Danny Sullivan reporting
Biz says notice many TV shows before about to air start to trend. More people enjoying watching a show togetehr and twittering about it in the back channel. Not just sports. Lets watch the show together.

Matt, that bugs the crap out of me. Turn off the lights, pay attention to what you’re doing. Give the artist the attention for what they’re doing. Just watch it and talk to people after.

Todd but when people talk in a theater….

Matt … and you hate it….

Todd but the reason these experiences you have is the shared experience, the laughing or screaming together. That’s something television doesn’t have.

Matt, oooh ahhh is one thing.

Ryan, doesn’t it make you a little happy to know the audience is engaged.

Matt, it sounds really ugly but part of being a writer is that you do want to speak uninterrupted for a period of time … then when it’s over, then maybe you could talk to people.

Ryan, you have kids? Matt, yes. Ryan, how do they watch TV with those rules. Matt, they hate watching it with me.

Tags: entertainment, rant, technology
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