The Current Network

Just spent about two hours watching Al Gore's "Current" channel. Hurm.

It's pretty interesting in concept, not so much in execution. The general idea, for those who don't know, is to do sort of a 24 Hour News Magazine for twenty and thirty-somethings. The channel's divided up into programming 'pods' roughly equivalent to how Headline News is set up, with little 3-4 minute segments on one topic. The biggest disappointment is there's no actual... well.. news. It's mostly human interest, some of it quite interesting, but it, like it's creator, refuses to take any sort of stand.

Objective journalism is great, and should be the norm. The problem is that in doing preachy human interest stories, objectivity ends up making the thing feel... flat. For example, there's a segment about the "Andre the Giant Has a Posse" guy. Interesting cat, who single-handedly built a counter-culture empire, simply to prove to his sociology teacher that he could. Instead of delving into the intersting social commentary side, or even the way he transitioned from doing super-cheap under the radar sticker attacks into a profitable design and marketing firm, we're treated to him slapping stickers on things and talking about the one time he was arrested for it.

It just... misses the point. It's like it's trying to be objective news, but with subjects that have no real inherent interest unless the reporter does take an interest.

I think once they get the home-submission stuff up and rolling, it'll improve greatly, as what they're running now feels much too stagey and preachy. Once you have assholes like me submitting, I think they'll hopefully lose some of the faux-political correct-stanceless-weak-kneed posturing.

Oh, and for christ sake, get those fucking hosts up off the floor... it's not a goddamn love in.

Although the oft-repeated segment with Deepak Chopra might disagree.

Find out more about the network here: http://www.current.tv.