I just saw a new advert - or at least I hadn't seen it before - on the
BBC promoting the DSO help scheme for the elderly. The ad had a song
playing in the background: "Everybody's Talking at Me." The next line
after the title is "I don't hear a word they say". I thought how
appropriate those two lines were for a "public service" announcement
that many are likely to ignore. I don't suppose that the producers had
that in mind, though, but rather that they lacked any sense of irony.
--
John Hall
"The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism
by those who have not got it."
George Bernard Shaw

On Sat, 14 Jan 2012 18:53:16 +0000, John Hall
wrote:

I just saw a new advert - or at least I hadn't seen it before - on the
BBC promoting the DSO help scheme for the elderly. The ad had a song
playing in the background: "Everybody's Talking at Me." The next line
after the title is "I don't hear a word they say". I thought how
appropriate those two lines were for a "public service" announcement
that many are likely to ignore. I don't suppose that the producers had
that in mind, though, but rather that they lacked any sense of irony.

Hmm.

Thay obviously don't understand, either, that many people, the elderly
in particular, like to have information conveyed without musical
pollution to drown out or distract them from the message.

I wonder whether they have done any tests of how well information is
conveyed by factual adverts of that kind with and without music.

--
Peter Duncanson
(in uk.tech.digital-tv)

On Saturday, January 14th, 2012, at 19:04:20h +0000, Peter Duncanson wrote:

Thay obviously don't understand, either, that many people, the elderly
in particular, like to have information conveyed without musical
pollution to drown out or distract them from the message.

Are you saying that the elderly do not like ballads or opera?

Prior to the arrival of radio and TV, ballads performed by
wandering minstrels was often the only form that some information
(news and current affairs) was conveyed to the community.

On Sat, 14 Jan 2012 18:53:16 +0000, John Hall
wrote:

I just saw a new advert - or at least I hadn't seen it before - on the
BBC promoting the DSO help scheme for the elderly.

Just had through the letterbox a fat envelope from Digital UK, marked
"URGENT: Please read now. London TV regions switches to digital in
April". However, as I no longer have a freeview device since my Pace
Twin died, and anyway my aerial is pointing at Hannington, I haven't
even opened it yet.

The ad had a song
playing in the background: "Everybody's Talking at Me." The next line
after the title is "I don't hear a word they say".

"Everybody's Talkin'" by Fred Neil is a lovely song, most famous in
the cover version Harry Nilsson used for the film "Midnight Cowboy".

I thought how
appropriate those two lines were for a "public service" announcement
that many are likely to ignore. I don't suppose that the producers had
that in mind, though, but rather that they lacked any sense of irony.

I suppose they were only thinking of the appropriateness of the first
line, and overlooked the implications of the second!
--
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Please always reply to ng as the email in this post's
header does not exist. Or use a contact address at:
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In article ,
Java Jive writes:
On Sat, 14 Jan 2012 18:53:16 +0000, John Hall
wrote:

I just saw a new advert - or at least I hadn't seen it before - on the
BBC promoting the DSO help scheme for the elderly.

Just had through the letterbox a fat envelope from Digital UK, marked
"URGENT: Please read now. London TV regions switches to digital in
April". However, as I no longer have a freeview device since my Pace
Twin died, and anyway my aerial is pointing at Hannington, I haven't
even opened it yet.

The ad had a song
playing in the background: "Everybody's Talking at Me." The next line
after the title is "I don't hear a word they say".

"Everybody's Talkin'" by Fred Neil is a lovely song, most famous in
the cover version Harry Nilsson used for the film "Midnight Cowboy".

Indeed it is.

I thought how
appropriate those two lines were for a "public service" announcement
that many are likely to ignore. I don't suppose that the producers had
that in mind, though, but rather that they lacked any sense of irony.

I suppose they were only thinking of the appropriateness of the first
line, and overlooked the implications of the second!

Maybe the lyrics were intended to imply that if your TV remained stuck
on analogue then after the switch-over you wouldn't be able to hear what
the TV and radio channels "talking" to you were "saying". But that
meaning seems less obvious to me than my initial suggestion.
--
John Hall
"The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism
by those who have not got it."
George Bernard Shaw

On Sat, 14 Jan 2012 20:21:35 +0000 (UTC), J G Miller
wrote:

On Saturday, January 14th, 2012, at 19:04:20h +0000, Peter Duncanson wrote:

Thay obviously don't understand, either, that many people, the elderly
in particular, like to have information conveyed without musical
pollution to drown out or distract them from the message.

Are you saying that the elderly do not like ballads or opera?

Prior to the arrival of radio and TV, ballads performed by
wandering minstrels was often the only form that some information
(news and current affairs) was conveyed to the community.

I haven't seen the DSO Help Scheme ads referred to. Is the information
for viewers sung or is the music an irrelevant addition?

--
Peter Duncanson
(in uk.tech.digital-tv)

On Sat, 14 Jan 2012 20:21:35 +0000 (UTC)
J G Miller wrote:

On Saturday, January 14th, 2012, at 19:04:20h +0000, Peter Duncanson
wrote:

Thay obviously don't understand, either, that many people, the
elderly in particular, like to have information conveyed without
musical pollution to drown out or distract them from the message.

Are you saying that the elderly do not like ballads or opera?


No, he is saying exactly what he wrote. I understand and agree with him.
--
Davey.

In article ,
Peter Duncanson writes:
On Sat, 14 Jan 2012 20:21:35 +0000 (UTC), J G Miller
wrote:

On Saturday, January 14th, 2012, at 19:04:20h +0000, Peter Duncanson wrote:

Thay obviously don't understand, either, that many people, the elderly
in particular, like to have information conveyed without musical
pollution to drown out or distract them from the message.

Are you saying that the elderly do not like ballads or opera?

Prior to the arrival of radio and TV, ballads performed by
wandering minstrels was often the only form that some information
(news and current affairs) was conveyed to the community.

I haven't seen the DSO Help Scheme ads referred to. Is the information
for viewers sung or is the music an irrelevant addition?


The latter.
--
John Hall
"The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism
by those who have not got it."
George Bernard Shaw

In message , Java Jive
writes
On Sat, 14 Jan 2012 18:53:16 +0000, John Hall
wrote:

I just saw a new advert - or at least I hadn't seen it before - on the
BBC promoting the DSO help scheme for the elderly.

Just had through the letterbox a fat envelope from Digital UK, marked
"URGENT: Please read now. London TV regions switches to digital in
April". However, as I no longer have a freeview device since my Pace
Twin died, and anyway my aerial is pointing at Hannington, I haven't
even opened it yet.

The ad had a song
playing in the background: "Everybody's Talking at Me." The next line
after the title is "I don't hear a word they say".

"Everybody's Talkin'" by Fred Neil is a lovely song, most famous in
the cover version Harry Nilsson used for the film "Midnight Cowboy".

I thought how
appropriate those two lines were for a "public service" announcement
that many are likely to ignore. I don't suppose that the producers had
that in mind, though, but rather that they lacked any sense of irony.

I suppose they were only thinking of the appropriateness of the first
line, and overlooked the implications of the second!

That's the case 99% of the time when pop music is used in the background
in programmes too.
--
Ian

On Sat, 14 Jan 2012 22:13:54 +0000, Davey wrote:

On Sat, 14 Jan 2012 20:21:35 +0000 (UTC) J G Miller
wrote:

On Saturday, January 14th, 2012, at 19:04:20h +0000, Peter Duncanson
wrote:

Thay obviously don't understand, either, that many people, the
elderly in particular, like to have information conveyed without
musical pollution to drown out or distract them from the message.

Are you saying that the elderly do not like ballads or opera?


No, he is saying exactly what he wrote. I understand and agree with him.

Fair enough -- I overlooked the term "musical pollution", but remember
one man's musical pollution may be another man's musical accompaniment.