There have been over one million views of this video off of YouTube. Curiously there are older vids of these folks working a high school gym making you wonder how many good acts there are out there that languish because there is no variety show on TV anymore and no live venues outside of Vegas. What we get is this crummy America’s Got Talent ersatz competition. Why does everything have to be a competition? It’s pointless.
passed along by Marc Perkel
For Kindle and with free ePub version. Only $9.49 Great reading.
Here is what Gary Shapiro CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) said: Dvorak's writing sings with insight and clarity. Whether or not you agree with John's views, he will get you thinking and is never boring. These essays are worth the read!
Subscribe to Main Blog feed here:
Subscribe to Comments too (below):
Bad Behavior has blocked 11625 access attempts in the last 7 days.
that’s pretty amazing
Amazing. And wonderful. Good lord, what motivates a couple to master such an unrecognized art? An absolutely great act.
Cool!
Heres the point…
NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, WONT put anything good on Broadcast TV…IF and when they do,, it will eventually get bought out to the cable services…
We need an Old time Gong show, ON wheels…
Impressive. Most impressive.
great.. why not haul out the mandrell sisters.. plz people
Being too young to remember TV variety shows I can’t speak to what they were but from what I’ve seen I really do think this is something missing from TV today.
Posting here cos it’s the last blog, and you don’t have any other form of contact, in return for stealing my bandwidth (and continuing to do so despite being asked to remove my graphic) blog this.
http://digg.com/tech_news/Women_Web_Designer_and_Developers_Group/who
Tina Clarke
The networks would actually have to pay these people to perform on a variety show. Why would they want to lose their profits like that if they can get amateurs to perform for free like on American Idol and turn it into a telethon competition where they make money on the phoned in votes?
I blame American Idol, Survivor, and Jackass for the lack of quality variety shows. They changed American TV show styles almost overnight.
A new Ed Sullivan style show, sure. Gong Show, maybe. Donny and Marie, please no.
TV is very subject to fads. Variety will come back. It really suits short attention spans. Typically you’ll get a decent show or two and 10 mediocre copy cats the kills the genera. One problem is they really don’t make many triple threat entertainers anymore, aside from live theater. For some reason producers think they need the drama of competition. The strategic commercial breaks keeps the viewers from wandering. I would love to see live Vaudeville type theaters.
It’s George Bush’s fault.
Curt
I remember variety shows, and I don’t miss them – they were everywhere on TV, with no alternative – just like today there’s no alternative to the shows we have.
That said, these guys are amazing – did you notice when the then blond girl changed her dress from green to purple (?), for an instant you could see the bottom of the skirt already purple, and the top still green… What kind of hi tech are they using? 🙂 Good stuff!
I’m a magician and have met David & Dania (the performers in this video) more than once.. They are definitely one of the best quick change acts going. Glad to see they’re getting the exposure they deserve!
#11 – And Cheney. Don’t forget Cheney.
John,
I think the answer is right in front of you.
The blog is the variety show is the blog.
(meant as written)
The Medium is the Message!
Herbert Marshall McLuhan
is still right after 50 years
It’s the technology that has changed
not the principles behind human communication
Work of the devil. 🙂
I don’t remember varity shows either…..but this is great stuff……wow
Those Quick Change folks are AWESOME. They usually perform at LSU men’s BB home games once a year, which makes it more incredible cause they do it at center court with all the bright lights on.
The problem with the BIG corps stations is that IF something Works for 1 station, they ALL do it.
How long ago did we Loose all the morning cartoons??
And goto Talk shows, morning shows, news, Juge shows and soaps??
there is NO information worth listening or watching.
Even cable SUCKS to hell.
first 1 channel has the NEW movie, for 1 month, then another gets it, then a 3rd, 4th, 5th… If ya saw it on the 1st channel, or the second,,,,,Its a TOTAL waste for it to be released to the others, ISNT IT???
But think about something…
After 60+ years, and 4 channels of broadcast TV and maybe 3 corps making movies…of about 16 NEW shows and programs a year, HOW long to RUN OUT of programming.??? they need NEW stuff, and out of ALL the cable/SAT channels, maybe 16-24 NEW per season are made…..Out of 100(?) channels??
And out of 100 channels, HOW man do you REALLY watch??
I figured, for myself….20 was MAX.
one of the best I’ve seen. Can’t get enough of it.