Wednesday, November 25, 2020

leftovers - u2 by u2 (channel flipping)

It's a holiday tomorrow, so why read? Let's watch Zoo TV, or just listen.

My favorite comment from U2 by U2 was about the Zoo TV tour, which satirized the way television (and particularly the news) normalized sensory overload for the audience - the book points out how the channel hopping enabled by the modern media should be far more upsetting than is commonly acknowledged. The thesis is very clear in the first two minutes or so of this video, though it's perhaps best represented in this performance of 'Desire', at least if you live in America.

Breaking overnight, a man was shot in the city, though thankfully the Celtics won, but first the weather, which is nice and sunny with a chance of late showers... and Zoo TV was two decades before social media; it's surprising we haven't all lost our minds.