The Land Down Under

For the most part, television producers are a pretty unoriginal bunch who never bother to toss many idea back and forth. They go with the first thing that is thought of, which often means doing exactly what they did last time. This is really true when it comes to sporting events and especially for any sporting event taking place in a foreign land. For example, this week I've been watching a lot of the Presidents' Cup, which is being played in Australia this year. That means the producers feel the need to keep reminding the viewers where the event is with lots of b-roll of what they consider to be Australian items. So, for the past couple of days I have gotten a steady dose of shots of koala bears, kangaroos and the Sydney Opera House, even though though the event is being played in Melbourne. (I will say this about holding the event in Australia - they are so far ahead of me, time-wise, that it's actually convenient. Unlike having to get up super early to watch the British Open or the Ryder Cup, this Presidents' Cup is on in prime-time. It's kind of nice.) Basically, it feels like you're watching a children's show about the place.

And the music is even worse. The big thing when transitioning from broadcast to commercials is trying to play some music (called a bump) that reminds the viewers of the location. The challenge comes from the fact that most of the people picking the music are around 50 and stopped listening to new music in the 80s. The bumps on this broadcast have been almost exclusively AC/DC. While normally I like AC/DC and I appreciate the restraint shown in not playing Men At Work, I feel like they are ignoring some pretty good Australian bands. I mean, would it kill them to play some Midnight Oil, just once? And, if they want to be dragged kicking and screaming into this century they could play something from this week's musical interlude, Silverchair. Honestly, guys, there was some good music made in the late 90s and early 2000s. You just have to be willing to go looking for it.