I Am Not the Target Audience

The older I get, the more I realize, that as I watch television, listen to the radio, and watch movie trailers, I am not the target demographic for much of what is produced for public consumption. It is disconcerting for a self-described movie and tv-buff. And for a music fan as well.

When it comes to music, nine times out of ten, I am not going to hear a song that blows me away on the radio. Internet radio, maybe. I have to search pretty hard to find music that tickles my ear. I might hear it on a tv show, but usually not. Sometimes I will hear songs that sound good on commercials. And then I don't know how to track it down. But the radio, not so much. All I can say is thank God for Amazon. Their recommendations keep me in music. Otherwise I listen to old favorites.

I don't like the new kind of rock music, basically garage bands that followed on the coattails of Blink 182, heavy on loud guitar and what loosely passes for singing ability. It reminds me that music education in public schools has been neglected. Musicianship is clearly on the decline.

When it comes to R&B music, nowadays hip hop leaves me cold, by and large. A lot of yelling, a lot of loud base, and poor use of samples. And the lyrics, they are not at all inspiring. As a matter of fact, I feel like the stuffy old maid that lives in the house down the street with twenty cats, and that everyone is afraid of. The actual R&B non-hip-hop music is suffering from a dearth of actual music, and completely lame lyrics about hitting this and that, and I'll steal your man, or you broke my heart because you cheated on me. I could go on, but I won't.

Pop music, which I like, has become overproduced, underinspired product that is designed to appeal to thirteen year olds who did not get a music education. Not thirty-five year olds who had several years of music education, two years of band, and a mother who played all kinds of music daily in the house.

So when it comes to popular music, I am not the target audience. Perhaps an occasional group will hit it big that I actually like, but generally not.

Television used to be a refuge for me. Shows were interesting, funny, and at times educational. Nowadays, most drama shows, other than the murder and mayhem shows, which I will get to in a minute, are basically excuses to see people bed-hopping. Lots of sex going on in most of the shows. Nothing wrong with sex, but why do I need to see forty-five minutes of sex? Might as well watch a porno movie. I think I will die of a stroke if I even try to watch Gossip Girl. The commercial where one young woman is saying that lifeguards are like band-aids, use them and throw them away, pretty much told me, I am not the target audience for this show. Mental note, avoid this show. I have found a refuge in the murder and mayhem shows. This includes CSI Miami and NY, can't do the original, sorry. Gasp, Law and Order: Criminal Intent. Yes I would rather watch 45 minutes of detection and interrogation of a terrible human being than watch a show where the character changes bed partners at least every three episodes, or in some instances, every thirty minutes. Criminal Minds is a dark, dreary show, except for beautiful Shemar Moore, but I am there to watch it weekly. Bones, is straddling the fence. I hate the relationship stuff. Angela is her free sexual ways drive me crazy. Temperance Brennan with her unemotional approach to sexual fulfillment is like nails on the chalkboard. But I love me some Seeley Boothe. It's worth watching just for him. The murders are quite gruesome, but I endeavor. Prison Break, yes ma'am. Lovely Michael Schofield, played by the delicious Wentworth Miller. It has lots of murder and mayhem. Not so much bed-hopping. How refreshing. Sarah Connor Chronicles, which is in danger of cancellation, probably because it doesn't meet the target audience. Not enough bed hopping. I think the target audience cannot process that young John Connor has not lost his virginity and switched girlfriends several times since the show started. Well, I guess Fox will just have to give it the axe and find more bedhopping shows. Fringe has lots of weirdness. A little bedplay on the first episode, probably to mislead the bedhopping demographic into watching it. But thankfully, it has become a bedhopping free show. I could go on, but I choose not to bore you. And lovely Supernatural. Lots of murder and mayhem. Sometimes the guys pick up girls, but usually that is not the jist of the show. So I don't let that get to me. Yes, I have my murder and mayhem shows. No sitcoms, so over those. No family dramas. There is a big chance of bedhopping on there. When it comes to the non-murder and mayhem shows, I'm not the target audience.

Let's talk movies. Movies nowadays mainly fit into three categories: slash and hack, inane romantic comedies with very monochromatic boring casts, featuring lots of bedhopping, and the dramatic, Oscar-courting movies that bore me. So I don't get to the movies much anymore. Yay for the comic book movies, because I probably wouldn't go at all.

So I have come to the conclusion that I am not the target audience. I have slipped into the cracks. What I like does not come into play. If I want to enjoy tv, movies, and music, I had better work very to find something that does not sicken, bore, or annoy me. Because my buying power means nothing. I am not a thirteen year old sexually active teen who loves slasher movies, and has not idea what musical talent is. Suck it up.

Not the target audience. Yep, that's me. Rant official over.

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