Programs Geared Toward the U.S. Market Dumbed Down, Sexed Up

The Ranger, the host and mascot of Naturenet, the UK’s most popular independent website, noticed a peculiar difference in the way nature programs are narrated for British audiences versus American audiences. Basically, nature programs aren’t interesting to the American market unless they’ve been dumbed down, with inane narration that makes it sound more like America’s Funniest Videos than a documentary about, say, bees pollinating flowers.

The Ranger describes the ‘chuckling, anthropomorphic’ commentary on a National Geographic clip that’s complete with dramatic music and sound effects as compared to the ‘quiet, almost abstract delivery’ of Sir Richard Attenborough on a similar BBC clip. Here are samples, from The Ranger, starting with the National Geographic narration:

“The jumping spider packs a ton of skulking pouncing killing fire-power in its tiny body.”
“If this were a slasher film, the audience would be screaming, ‘Look out behind you!’”
“How’d you like to stare into these eyes, with your life on the line? Ha! Yikes!”

Sir Attenborough’s narration:

“A white crab spider sits, almost invisible, on a white flower, waiting in ambush. And it catches a bee.”
“…ultra-violet markings on some flowers serve to guide insects to nectar.”
“Honey-bees seem more likely to visit flowers with crab spiders on them than those without.”

This is sort of embarrassing, isn’t it? Not to say that all American programs are dumbed down to this extent, or that all British programs are really smart, but The Ranger does have a point. Americans seem to need everything ultra-dramatic and either humorous or full of action in order to remain attentive. Our television shows seem to get more sensationalist and trashy as each week passes… because that’s what sells. It’s sad, but true. It makes satire like Idiocracy seem all the more possible in the future.

Link [The Ranger]
Photo credit: 20th Century Fox

Hallelujah! Americans are Waking Up to Global Warming Reality

Across the nation, a Fox-News-induced fog is lifting away from the brains of Americans. You see, while most of us are fully aware of the realities of global warming - and some are skeptical, but still want to be proactive just in case - others have been living in a fantasy world of unicorns and gumdrop trees. Or perhaps they’re part of the group that’s making so much disgusting money off of our current policies and practices that they don’t want to change. Either way, good news from Reuters:

A new Harris Poll reports that 2/3 of Americans not only believe that global warming is real, but they also believe that humans are a main cause of it. And of the remaining 1/3, only roughly half of those believe that human activity has nothing to do with climate change. This represents a slight change from the previous years. One in ten Americans has looked up their carbon footprint, with younger people taking a more active interest in defining their footprint (18% of 18 - 31 year olds). This seems to bode well for the next generation’s willingness to take personal responsibility.

The poll also found that 63% of respondents reporting that they’re actively trying to reduce their energy use and 43% are purchasing more energy efficient appliances. Unfortunately, the bad news is, people seem to think the problem won’t affect them during their lifetime, and fewer feel that climate change is as substantial as they did last year.

America: TURN OFF FOX NEWS. It’s for the good of all mankind. Change the channel to just about anything, and you’ll be better off. Their endless shit stream of opinions parading as fact is enough to send us straight to Idiocracy (speaking of which, if you haven’t seen this movie, RENT IT. You won’t be sorry.)

Link [Reuters]