How NBC shot itself in the foot
This past weekend's Saturday Night Live was hosted by Alec Baldwin. A great episode - possibly the best one in years. Search online and you'll find people quietly buzzing about it.
The best sketch was an unassuming one with Alec Baldwin and Kristen Wiig as co-workers carpooling. No outrageous concept or gimmicks - just a REALLY well-written sketch that starts as a believable situation, then gets more absurd and funny as it goes. I don't want to spoil it if you haven't seen it, but a google search for the phrase "Bobby McFerrin raped my grandmother" turns up 400+ hits and counting.
I'd like to share the sketch with everybody - the way everyone shares funny sketches online. The problem is that I can't find it. NBC has a draconian policy that they don't want their materials on YouTube, because they want to host them themselves. And sure enough, they have a bunch of sketches from this past weekend's SNL up on their website... but not the carpooling one.
Therein lies the problem.
NBC - like all media corporations - want more control over their creative material. They want the eyeballs going to THEIR website, driving THEIR advertising. But how are viral videos supposed to gain momentum if NBC's I.T. department is the one deciding what people want to see? SNL's "Lazy Sunday" sketch was built because of online buzz - thanks to video sharing on YouTube. But now NBC has crippled the method by which it promotes itself.
Let me put it this way. There are websites where people are making t-shirts with the phrase, "Bobby McFerrin raped my grandmother" - but NBC won't let anyone see the sketch.
Clearly NBC needs to maintain some creative control over their intellectual properties. But their hostile policy to video sharing has KILLED an amazing opportunity for them to show the world how good SNL has gotten this season. Online buzz can't be bought - and that's what SNL should have had this week. That SNL sketch SHOULD HAVE been the most forwarded joke of the week. Inboxes and IM windows all over the world should've been clogged with people forwarding that sketch to each other. But it didn't happen.
I don't know what the answer is. I just wish NBC would let me share the sketch with everyone. Not only because it's more fun to share a good laugh with others, but because I'm tired of people looking at me like I'm a sicko when I joke, "Bobby McFerrin raped my grandmother."
The best sketch was an unassuming one with Alec Baldwin and Kristen Wiig as co-workers carpooling. No outrageous concept or gimmicks - just a REALLY well-written sketch that starts as a believable situation, then gets more absurd and funny as it goes. I don't want to spoil it if you haven't seen it, but a google search for the phrase "Bobby McFerrin raped my grandmother" turns up 400+ hits and counting.
I'd like to share the sketch with everybody - the way everyone shares funny sketches online. The problem is that I can't find it. NBC has a draconian policy that they don't want their materials on YouTube, because they want to host them themselves. And sure enough, they have a bunch of sketches from this past weekend's SNL up on their website... but not the carpooling one.
Therein lies the problem.
NBC - like all media corporations - want more control over their creative material. They want the eyeballs going to THEIR website, driving THEIR advertising. But how are viral videos supposed to gain momentum if NBC's I.T. department is the one deciding what people want to see? SNL's "Lazy Sunday" sketch was built because of online buzz - thanks to video sharing on YouTube. But now NBC has crippled the method by which it promotes itself.
Let me put it this way. There are websites where people are making t-shirts with the phrase, "Bobby McFerrin raped my grandmother" - but NBC won't let anyone see the sketch.
Clearly NBC needs to maintain some creative control over their intellectual properties. But their hostile policy to video sharing has KILLED an amazing opportunity for them to show the world how good SNL has gotten this season. Online buzz can't be bought - and that's what SNL should have had this week. That SNL sketch SHOULD HAVE been the most forwarded joke of the week. Inboxes and IM windows all over the world should've been clogged with people forwarding that sketch to each other. But it didn't happen.
I don't know what the answer is. I just wish NBC would let me share the sketch with everyone. Not only because it's more fun to share a good laugh with others, but because I'm tired of people looking at me like I'm a sicko when I joke, "Bobby McFerrin raped my grandmother."
posted by Eugene at 3:56 PM
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