Thanks to the constant clicking through from one page to another on this very intertubes, some savvy marketers are introducing condensed versions of programming and advertising that lets viewers get their fix without taxing their diminished attention spans.
According to The New York Times, Honda is teaming up with Sony Pictures Television to help launch the Minisode Network—a series of re-edited TV classics like “Charlie’s Angels,” “The Facts of Life,” “Fantasy Island” and “Who’s the Boss.” The minisodes are not intended as pastiches or excerpts; they are edited carefully so the plots can be followed from beginning to end in an intertube-friendly 4-to-6 minutes.
Plans call for the contents of the Minisode Network to eventually be available on mobile devices like cellphones.
Here’s a sample program for your viewing pleasure.
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I hate, hate, hate to be the guy that points the finger and shouts “1984!” at a thing like this, but in all honesty, this is scary. Re-edited versions of the past? Scaled down to our liking? Do our “diminished attention spans” really need to be indulged more? Have we come to this? “I can’t bear *twenty* *friggin’* *minutes* of ‘Charlie’s Angels,’ but I’ll gladly watch it in six if I can see the happy ending.”
But, you might say, who cares about cutting down a steaming pile of s*** like “Fantasy Island” for some idle internet watching? No one, I guess. But what happens when they begin cutting down History Channel shows, or god forbid, the news? Wait! The news already IS a friggin’ Minisode! Argh! :tinfoilhat:
I think your response is legit. The fact that new media is contributing to attention deficits is a serious issue. I know there’s no stopping the onslaught, but I think we’ll eventually be looking at a massive unplugging (if we fail to find the right balance). The fact that The Four-Hour Work Week became an instant best seller is a good indication that people are drowning in email and other modern-day demands on their time and attention. I do think Honda and Sony are smart to play to this by offering minis, but there’s something cynical about it.