The stakes in the ratings game have been rising over the past few years, and it is killing television. Each morning after a major televised event, a mandatory sidebar details the ratings, each story lamenting how they're lower than they have been in the past.
Network news, award shows, sports championships, you name it. All suffer from deteriorating viewer bases, and it is a trend that is driving both advertisers and television executives crazy. From the boardrooms to the blogosphere to talk radio, it is everyone's favorite pastime to dissect and analyze the causes and factors involved in the lower ratings.
To me, there's only one reason and it spans the gamut of all television genres: over-saturation of the market. With so many channels to choose from, everyone seems resigned to stoop to the lowest denominator. In lieu of trying something new to become the newest pop culture sensation, the trend has turned to copying the industry leader.
A few years back, during the home-run boom, the big talk in Major League Baseball was about the dilution of talent due to expansion. The thinking was that the finite number of pitchers with the skills to play pro ball was being spread out over too many teams, therefore making it easier for the hitters to go yard. Then, whiz kids like Billy Beane and Theo Epstein found that if you just put a good product on the field, you can succeed.
The same has been true with television for the past decade. The status of both network and cable programming is crap. With a few rare exceptions ("Daily Show," "24," "Arrested Development,") television shows have been dumbed down and sensationalized to the point that few even care. If a paparazzi-fueled show on VH1 about celebutantes (a mix between celebrity and debutante - see: Paris Hilton) is what passes for entertainment, it is clear that something is off.
No one seems to be thinking anymore; there are so few risk takers. It's like the line from "Field of Dreams," "If you create a good show, people will come." Why does no one watch the network news? Because it is bad. Fox News built up its success because it was something new; they took a risk and it paid off.
The other imitators are failing because they're just that: bad carbon copies of the real thing. Again, this carries over to reality programming, the ubiquitous "makeover" shows, and the score of "CSI" and "Law & Order" spin-offs.
Since when did the catch phrase in pop culture change from "Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better" to "Follow the Leader?" The reason there's never "anything good" on is that no one wants to take the initiative and create a solid product.
There's a burden attached to this commencement column, in that it is supposed to be profound and sentimental. I may not succeed on either front, but with this idea of an oversaturated market, I've found a parallel here to our current status as college graduates.
There are approximately two million fellow students graduating with us, and the vast majority of us will be invading the job market like ants at a picnic. As we venture out into the king of all reality shows, the real "Real World," it'll be our task to make ourselves distinctive. Being a replica of one's predecessors may suffice for NBC's Friday night lineup, but after college, the competition is a lot tougher.
Whether it is the Tuftonian ideal of "active citizenship" or the ability to write a coherent five-page paper, we Jumbos have the opportunity to truly distinguish ourselves in our post-graduate life. Our degree from a marquee institution will only carry us so far; after all, its not as if every Dick Wolf pilot ("Deadline") or Jerry Bruckheimer craptacular ("Skin") is bound for success. The Tufts experience has hopefully taught us to be individuals and not follow the herd mentality. Be unique, be interesting, and you'll keep your audience's attention.
On a last note, I'd like to thank everyone at Tufts who has contributed to making the past three years on the Hill so memorable. I left SUNY-Binghamton after my freshman year - free HBO in the dorms and everything - for the windy wonderland of Tufts. Here I stayed, surviving without ESPN, and am fortunate to have had amazing professors and great friends. Thanks to the E-Men and to the Daily staff for occupying the bulk of my time.
Finally, congratulations to my step-mom Val, who is graduating today from George Washington with a master's of fine arts in painting. Now that we're both free, we can watch cable together all day long.
Too bad there's nothing good on.
Brian Wolly is graduating today with a degree in history. He can be reached via e-mail at brian.wolly@tufts.edu.
