Opinions. Everybody has one. Who would think such things have much value? But they do. There are companies out there willing to pay you for what you think. I'm down with that.Ever since I was a young mom, I've always been one to participate in marketing surveys. You know, the folks in the mall who approach you, clipboard in hand, and ask you a series of questions, then offer you money or free products if you watch a video or taste test some new snack food. I've done it all. And I'm not sure, but I think I may have gained a reputation for my willingness to participate in this silliness.
I was even contacted by the Nielsen folks, the people who determine television show ratings. They want to know what I think about the shows I watch, and I have to say I don't think much. I've cut my viewing back by about 80%, yet they still want my help. Moi? Seriously? So the last weeklong survey I did for them had only one night of television viewing and it was So You Think You Can Dance. I must be one of their oddball stats. Every stat needs at least one oddball, I guess.
Now I have an audience studies compamy knocking at my door, uh, I mean television. They called a couple of weeks ago and asked a bunch of questions, like do I watch sitcoms? Rarely. How rarely? Maybe once every couple of weeks, and usually by accident. Great! Would I like to participate in the study of a new sitcom coming to network TV? Uh, sure. What's in it for me? Coupons for free products! Hey, I'm in! I love getting free stuff.
So they send me a DVD of this half-hour sitcom, complete with commercials. I watched it last night. They're going to call me tonight to ask me questions. The show really, really sucked. At first I thought it was a joke, but no way would someone put that kind of money and effort into a joke, would they? So I have to assume it's the real deal. It was laughably mundane, and not in a good way. The plotline was trite and predictable. It featured a middle-income family, mom and dad in their late 30s/early 40s with a young teenage snarky daughter and brainiac pre-pubescent son. The storyline was what to get the wife for her anniversary, and of course he screws it up, and of course he redeems himself at the end. Yawn. The worst part was the lead character playing the dad. I think he's a stand-up comedian, but his acting is pretty painful to watch. All the lines were delivered dead-pan with a laugh-track guffawing in the background.
When I told my husband what I thought of this lame show, he said to be careful what I said because it could cost someone their job. Huh? You mean lie and be nice so that the show can be ripped to shreds by folks who will probably hate it, and the actors get a bad rep for making a bad choice? I say put the thing out of its misery now before the rest of the viewing public is subjected to having its IQ points sucked into the ionosphere.
However, my opinion could be exactly what they need to prove the opposite. That people like me hate this kind of show, and therefore it will be the sitcom darling of the TV viewing masses and make MILLIONS. You think? Nah.
There's no real point to my rant other than to express my distaste for drivel, but did you know there are market groups for books, too? There's a full-page ad in the October issue of RT with the headline: Have Your Voice Heard. It's from Harlequin asking readers to participate in a reader panel. Hey, Wavy, are you reading this? You'll love it! Go to www.TellHarlequin.com to join up, get free books, and win great prizes.
Back to the worst sitcom not yet on TV, it will be interesting to see how the follow-up interview phone call goes tonight with these audience study folks. I'll post the results in comments when it's over.
Do you participate in market studies? Why or why not?
Here's a piece of the show I watched:
7 comments:
Karen -- You are going to roll your eyes and hate me, but I actually thought parts of this were funny! Oh, yes I did!!!!! I actually laughed now and again. I liked the teenage daughter talking about a disappointed mom coming into her room, eating cookie dough and trashing men and the retirement home stuff was condescending on one hand and funny on the other. The lead guy isn't an actor, but he's got a down to earth New York quality I thought was kind of different. The biggest problems I saw (besides nothing here is actually new in any way, ahem) is the casting of the wife -- who picked her? She does not seem nearly strong enough or interesting enough at least in what I saw. Even the way she looked didn't fit the family. And the laugh track needs to be taken for a long walk in the woods and shot through the heart, buried in the mulch and left to rot.
Meanwhile, I never take part in any survey. I am the exact opposite of you. I avoid mall people, hang up on market research, tell voter queries to leave me alone and told the Nielsen folks last year to bug off. I don't care what they want to give me -- I don't want it.
Surly, that's me. I hang my head in shame. I never looked at it the way you do. My sil does, however, and my daughter has taken part i the those things at the mall where you end up with fifty dollars for testing something or whatever, but Ack! I'd rather have my toenails pulled out by Lilliputians.
Fun blog.
LOL, Alice! I could never hate you. 8^) I put the clip up so that others might see what an odd stat I am. I'm very fussy about this kind of "comedy." It was the triteness of the storyline that bugged me the most. You could put this family in any sitcom family situation and it would play exactly the same. Nothing new here.
If I do watch a sitcom, it's the quirky ones that catch my attention, like Two and a Half Men, or How I Met Your Mother. Dysfunctional people are entertaining. The typical, well-adjusted family unit is not. I could just as easily knock on one of my neighbors' doors and watch the live-action version.
I love surveys. I'm opinonated, and I love to share it. (I know huge surprise to all of you). I love doing reviews, and I'm not afraid to say when I think something needs improvement. I try to not say "this sucks" or "no one should buy/watch/read this" but I do point out why something doesn't work. I feel that's the whole point.
Hey, Karen!
I don't watch television, so hopefully I'm safe from sitcoms.
I usually pass on surveys on the phone or the mall too. HOWEVER, the ones on my store receipts that give me a chance to win a $1000 or $5000 gift care--I'm in! Guess I just need the right motivation to sell my opinion. :)
I've obviously been answering the wrong surveys--never has anyone offered me free coupons, samples or cash. Nevertheless, I patiently answer phone or online surveys, usually about political candidates or issues or environmental attitudes. Last week I answered questions about my opinions on ethics and nano-technology. Not that I know much about nano-technology, but that didn't seem to matter to the interviewer. In between all these ethics questions I was asked questions about my racial attitudes. When the interview was over I asked what the survey was being used for, but the interviewer didn't seem to know except that Stanford U. does have a department that deals with research on nano-tech. Anyway, I'm clearly on the wrong survey lists--all work and no play or rewards. I'm waiting for you to post the results of your interview tonight, Karen. Be honest, that's my policy.
Some guy from audience studies called after 5 p.m. last night, he could hardly speak English, he asked if I had my DVD and other materials in front of me (at least I think that's what he asked since his English was so awful), I said I did, he said great, then I got a dial tone. He never called back. I wonder if it was his first time using a telephone? Hmm... What a freaking waste of time this whole thing was.
Aha! Suddenly my whole "Don't darken my doorstep (or telephone) again" approach seems more enlightened, hmm (snort)?
Right after you wrote that blog yesterday, I got a call from some gal connected with Hilton asking me if I wanted a fun filled reduced price vacation in Florida or somewhere else I can't recall. Which would I like? I told her I'd like her to take me off the list and never call me again and we both hung up. (And yes, I realize this is time share and not opinion gathering, I would have preferred to offer a more precise example, but alas, I am limited by who chooses to call.)
Good grief, I need to get out more.
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