24/7
One series of 24 ends; another begins. This is on DVD, of course, Mat and Dave moving from season three to season four. A good opportunity for me to wash up, or have a bath. I just can’t suspend my disbelief for that long. I’m not talking about the relentlessly unlikely build-up of events in 24; I’m talking about the American government being on the side of right. Let’s face it, if ‘CTU’ really existed, it would probably be helping to create terrorist atrocities, for ‘tactical’ reasons, not stop them.
Charlie Brooker says of the latest series that it’s not as funny as it used to be. But even season three seems to be missing out on some great comic possibilities, judging from what I’ve gleaned by glancing up from my laptop or book. For example, a terrorist, never mind why, is threatening to release a deadly virus unless the President uses the phrase ‘the skies are falling’ during a TV broadcast. How lame is that? If you’re able to force the President of the United States to say anything you want on live TV, why not ‘my wife is hung like a donkey’ or ‘I need someone to wipe my bottom - now!’
But the reason for 24’s popularity is probably its vision of the dynamic workplace. People who spend every day logging insurance claims or whatever can fantasize about being in an office where everything you do or say carries dramatic weight. Fortunately I have no need to do this, my workplace being so dramatic in itself. ‘Where are the shelf strips for the 3-for-2 manga promotion?’, I roar. ‘I don’t know’, frets Paula. ‘I don’t think they were in the delivery from head office.’ I fall to my knees: ‘Noooooooooooooooo!’
The other day a teacher returned loads of copies of Ted Hughes’ The Iron Man for the very good reason that they didn’t mention spaghetti. We had to kill her.
Charlie Brooker says of the latest series that it’s not as funny as it used to be. But even season three seems to be missing out on some great comic possibilities, judging from what I’ve gleaned by glancing up from my laptop or book. For example, a terrorist, never mind why, is threatening to release a deadly virus unless the President uses the phrase ‘the skies are falling’ during a TV broadcast. How lame is that? If you’re able to force the President of the United States to say anything you want on live TV, why not ‘my wife is hung like a donkey’ or ‘I need someone to wipe my bottom - now!’
But the reason for 24’s popularity is probably its vision of the dynamic workplace. People who spend every day logging insurance claims or whatever can fantasize about being in an office where everything you do or say carries dramatic weight. Fortunately I have no need to do this, my workplace being so dramatic in itself. ‘Where are the shelf strips for the 3-for-2 manga promotion?’, I roar. ‘I don’t know’, frets Paula. ‘I don’t think they were in the delivery from head office.’ I fall to my knees: ‘Noooooooooooooooo!’
The other day a teacher returned loads of copies of Ted Hughes’ The Iron Man for the very good reason that they didn’t mention spaghetti. We had to kill her.
posted by martin at 9:03 AM
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