I just want to start by pointing out that it is incorrect to claim, as some publications have, that the 106.5 million viewers who watched the Super Bowl on Sunday represent “the largest audience in TV history.”
It’s the largest audience in U.S. history. Not TV history. About 715 million people watched the World Cup soccer final between Italy and France in June, 2006.
Anyway, one reason why so many U.S. viewers watched the Super Bowl is, thanks to successful marketing (it looked like 100 million recipes for Super Bowl parties were published in print and online), the event draws both male and female viewers. Same goes for American Idol and hence there are staggering viewer numbers.
Most areas of the TV racket are about delivering eyeballs to advertisers and, because of the increasingly frantic search for specific eyeballs, the TV audience has splintered. In a nutshell, there is Boys TV and Girls TV. Anything that can be considered Together TV is rare. In fact, outside big-tent reality TV and sports events, it is a dying genre. That’s a pity. But we may as well get used to it.
Just yesterday, the Canadian company Corus Entertainment announced that it is expanding “its comprehensive portfolio of women’s specialty services with the launch of W Movies, Canada’s first movie channel dedicated to women. Programmed exclusively with women in mind, W Movies will be the go-to destination for women looking for entertaining and intelligent films, seven days a week, 24 hours a day.” Lord only knows how many times it’s going to air You’ve Got Mail and When Harry Met Sally.
Corus already has W, Viva and Cosmo TV aimed at women. A couple of years ago, it changed the named of its all-suspense-and-horror channel from “SCREAM” to the more female-friendly Dusk. Look at the Dusk listings these days and it’s almost entirely women-in-jeopardy movies. Sometimes you get the feeling that men don’t watch TV at all, apart from sports.
It’s not true, of course. Just as some channels have morphed into female-centric outlets, others are male-oriented. Once upon a time, History Television was devoted to stuff about, you know, history! Look at Wednesday’s listings and you’ll see Ice Road Truckers (History, 9 p.m.), followed by Ice Pilots NWT (History, 10 p.m.). Hours of drama about guys and their trucks or planes battling the elements. A good deal of Discovery’s programming follows the same pattern.
Even the idea of “family TV’ has become redundant. With the exception of such things as American Idol, almost nothing is aimed at an entire family – male, female, old and young – sitting down to watch together. Everything has been reduced to highly specified demographics.
But there’s no point in complaining or moaning because television is about delivering eyeballs. A lot of research goes into who-watches-what and, more important, who-buys-what in this society. Women are the buyers of food and household products. Men buy cars and other toys, especially when they’re young. Men are also essentially conservative in their buying habits. Get them hooked on a brand of beer or shaving cream when they’re young and they’ll stick with the same product for life.
Or so we’re told. I’m sure many female viewers will be delighted to find that W Movies is yet another handy resource for Hollywood romantic comedies. I’m sure many guys look forward to opening a beer and settling down to watch Ice Road Truckers, imagining themselves handling a big ol’ rig in treacherous conditions.
Yet it doesn’t seem right, this division. Wouldn’t it be nice if our entertainment choices weren’t driven entirely by shopping choices. Because that’s what’s happening: It’s not about taste, it’s about what we buy. Separately. Never together.
Check local listings.
Also airing:
American Idol (Fox, CTV, 9 p.m.) continues to be about the judges, not the talent. The other day, Ellen DeGeneres told People magazine, “Everyone’s making such a big deal about the tension. You know, there’s been a lot of fun on that panel. Kara [DioGuardi]’s been great, and Randy [Jackson]’s been great. And I think it was either Wednesday or Tuesday, Simon was great.” Oh, for heaven’s sake. Bring on Howard Stern.
Republic of Doyle (CBC, 9 p.m.) is notable tonight for several reasons. First, Jake Doyle (Allan Hawco) finally meets a woman who gives him the thrashing he deserves. And she actually head-butts the guy. She’s a blonde. She (Leah Pinsent) doesn’t look like the type, but connoisseurs of the head-butt will enjoy it. Also, Nicholas Campbell appears in this episode, the first of several for him. He’s a nogoodnik, just out of jail in Toronna and he wants to catch up with his ex – that’s Rose (Lynda Boyd), who is already shacked with Malachy Doyle (Sean McGinley). Complications ensue.
Jump! World’s Greatest Streakers (CBC NN, 10 p.m., on The Passionate Eye) begins by profiling Jaume Marquet, a Spanish oddball. We meet him as he makes his plans to interrupt a soccer game between Barcelona and Real Madrid by streaking on the field. This leads to an investigation of sorts into the world of streaking. What do people do it? Well, for the attention and the fame. That’s about as, ah, revealing as it gets. Mind you it is interesting to follow Marquet as he plots his grand entrance into a game that is watched on TV by, coincidentally, about 100 million viewers around the world. Not because of Marquet, but because of the game.
