It never stops

Oh it's a me-me-me-media whirl ...

Saturday afternoon, a drive-by beer in honour of Dust My Broom's Darcey, who was feted by many of the (mostly) conservative bloggers in town. He's still reeling at finding himself in the big city in the gay village during Pride Week. I guess they don't see a lot of that stuff out on the Alberta trap lines. The Last Amazon invited me so that the pub didn't tilt completely starboard. That's why I am lying on the pool table. I think.

Later, a ''stagette'' for former Star reporter Sonia Verma, now a Newsday corespondent in the Middle East. She and ABC Middle East correspondent Wilf Dinnick are tying the knot next Saturday. Last night was elegant, except for the dirty ditty to the beat of Queen's "We Will Rock You'' composed by Linda Larsen, assistant to Star publisher Michael Goldbloom. And so, despite my entreaties, we did not grab a couple of 40-ouncers and head to the nearest fire station.

Tonight, the MuchMusic Video Awards, always a hoot and a hog-out. This year, they went out to viewers in 65 countries -- including Afghanistan via Canadian Forces Radio and Television.

Too bad the troops couldn't get at the food. The catering was by David's and I almost 'sploded from those Cajun fries with chili lime mayo and adorable little veggie sausage rolls with cranberry chutney and the pear and Gorgonzola panini and the black rice and shrimp and mango salad and and and and ... 

Plenty of boldface, of course. It included Paris Hilton, Shawn Ashmore, Tori Spelling, Elisha Cuthbert, Nelly Furtado, Mobile, Kardinal Offishall, The Trews, Jay Manuel & Tricia Helfer, Ben Mulroney, Cheryl Hickey, politicos Jack Layton, Olivia Chow and Helena Guergis.

But I was cruising more for behind-the-scenes intel. All the broadcast industry execs are kind of freaking out over the coming television policy review to be held by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission in the fall.

None of them seem to have a clear sense of where the business is headed. They know that the tech-tonic plates are shifting and they're worried about being buried alive in the new world order. As one of them put it, it's important to fend off a ''regulatory tsunami'' that could overwhelm the industry and set it back in years to come.

I know, I know. Not very exciting. To you, maybe not. But to me?

I will never get to sleep tonight now.

UPPITY DATE: Bruce of Autonomous Source -- which, in 2004, voted me the ''Most Annoying Canadian'' -- has another account of Saturday's Bloggerfest here.

Comments

[sooey]

good grief. did you steal mary jo eustace's husband back from tori spelling for her, at least, ms zerb?!

[Bill-Muskoka]

Antonia,

'I know, I know. Not very exciting. To you, maybe not. But to me? I will never get to sleep tonight now.'

Yes, not very exciting about who was there. One big ego display I imagine.

Now, what is interesting is your comment 'All the broadcast industry execs are kind of freaking out over the coming television policy review to be held by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission in the fall.'

GOOD! Maybe they can be sleepless in Toronto, and elsewhere, after mangling so many good programs like 'This Is Wonderland', waaaaaaaaaay to much friggin' hockey, not airing the final season finale episode of '24', commercials like Vonage's annoying 'woo hoo song', repeating the same commercials over and over, or instantly a second time, and I am sure others have their lists as well.

As to 'None of them seem to have a clear sense of where the business is headed.' This is NOT news to the viewing or listening public. I do not think they even know where they are, much less where they are headed. In our home they are headed to extinction and not having us as viewers. I have a HUGE DVD collection that has real entertainment content.

Oh, and I think we are all very tired of having Iraq as a continuous news leader. It now falls under the heading of SSDD!

[thickslab]

If "Dust my Broom" can let me know where that store is that sells "hard core porn" (stuff that looks similar to the aforementioned poster, but preferably actually showing skin beneath the collarbone) "out in the open beside the apples," let me know. I've been looking for some good produce/porn stores in the neighbourhood.

[sooey]

but what does tori spelling think about the war in iraq, ms zerb? hey yeah - and whatever happened to "war fashion" - you know that trend that came out after 9/11 when the world changed forever.

[Marian]

"Oh, and I think we are all very tired of having Iraq as a continuous news leader. It now falls under the heading of SSDD!"

If people are dying every day in Iraq the least the media can do is report it and the least *we* can do is listen to them.

Some things can't be decided by popularity contest, Bill. Whether or not we should have news is one of those things. This is because news serves a particular function. News is like oxygen to a democracy. It helps democratic countries stay democratic. US citizens need to know about things like fallen soldiers, Abu Ghraib, WMDs etc., otherwise they won't be making informed choices when they vote. Canadians need to know about this stuff too because of the effect that US politics has on Canada. News also helps dark little hell-holes where atrocities are taking place because the guilty parties are sometimes susceptible to the kind of international pressure that widespread awareness brings. Sorry if that's too boring for some people.

[Krister]

Bill - if you want a poster child for the repetition of anal retentive commercials, try watching the World Cup of Soccer (go Sweden!!!) Sorry Antonia, can't seem to find Greece in the field:)

Anyway, watching the games one get the feeling that only 2 ads were sold for the entire month long event, 9 hours/day of broadcasting. Thank God for the mute button.

[Antonia Z.]

Just for the record, the only reason I care that Greece is not in the running is because I miss the madness of 2004 on the Danforth, Toronto's Greek strip, which is a few blocks from my home.

[Bill-Muskoka]

Marian,

Note I emphasized the 'continuous news leader' part regarding Iraq! My son has been over there 8 times. Want to tell me about supporting the troops?

One of my best friends is headed to Afghanistan with the CF very soon.

The point is, as you mention regarding maintaining a democracy, that when news of things we can stop, do something about, and need to know is constantly obscured by the endless Iraq this and that headlines. Then we ARE at risk!

We are NOT the U.S. with a need to Rah! Rah! the war machine.

[Bill-Muskoka]

Krister,

I have not watched it, could care less, but hope the best team wins.

Now about commercials. One good thing that came out of the Winter Games were the BCE Beavers! LOL Funny how much they look just like the beavers in 'Narnia', eh?

[Robert McClelland]

"The Last Amazon invited me so that the pub didn't tilt completely starboard."

Or was it because the right whingers believe the left is allied with the terrorists and think they need at least one prominent lefty in attendance to ward off a jihadi strike on their little shindigs?

[sooey]

"little shingigs?!" paris hilton!! and tori spelling with mary jo eustace's stolen husband! gawd, robert. first our husbands - then our water!

[Darcey]

Antonia, you have a lot of class. The best to you. Thanks for coming out.

[Jinoole]

They only show Budweiser, Hyundai, the at-firt-cute-but-no-longer adidas commercial and two more I couldn't remember now -- all back-to-back-to-back-to-back all the time -- ad nauseum, indeed.

Unlike other sports, however, soccer doesn't have commercials when the game is on, so therefore you can tune the commercials out during the halftime or prior the games or after.

[David Imrie]

Helena Guergis? Beauty Queen turned right-wing mouthpiece, turned useless MP? Canada's version of CSI Miami's Emily Procter.

[sooey]

you're just jealous 'cause she's gettin' some at work. well... according to efrank.ca, anyway...