September 11, 2012
"A vlog about Thanksgiving squirrel, Mancow, guns, law school, commenters, and Madison versus New York."
Remember when I used to do vlogs like this? I'm toying with the idea of reviving the old format. Encourage me or discourage me. If you're on the encourage side of this debate, throw some questions at me — things I might discuss via vlog. If you're on the discourage side, feel free to be nuanced and to suggest some variation on the old-style vlog.
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45 comments:
No strong opinion one way or the other, but if you decide to vlog, make sure you take at least a sip of wine every time to drive the nutters crazy!
- Take a topic you and Meade disagree on and do your own Bloggingheads.
- Both of you entertain us with humorous anecdotes about Madison lefties and the city's culture.
I think I'm remembering the podcasts, but whatever it was struck me as scatterbrained mostly.
The need to fill airtime lowers the bar.
That's why most radio hosts call on callers.
Have you ever seen a UFO? Call in..
I'd say in general video is additive, though content matters. Good: news of the day topics for which you have a strong opinion. Blogginghead(s) topics of general interest. Kahn Academy style constitutional law lessons.
Bad: Anything like the example vlog that reminds people of Shatner doing Rocket Man
I don't have split screen technology and Meade probably doesn't want to go on camera (even though he's much cuter than I am), but I might be able to get him to dialogue and be on the audio track.
Is life really a cabaret?
I come here for red meat analysis of events of the day, but the vlogs predate my knowledge of this site (and probable many others here lately), therefore, I don't have much of an opinion.
It looks like something which is fun if used lightly and infrequently.
@rcommal. No, it is a Cabernet.
I couldn't resist.
Make them if you want, but I never watch them. I prefer reading to listening/watching videos. Mostly because I can read a post at my own speed, and skip around as my interest dictates.
What kind of art do you have on your walls? Do you rotate them?
Some sort of makeshift split screen, maybe you on camera with someone talking to you via Skype (you and the Skype screen would be facing the camera). You could talk to commenters or people of interest from around the Net.
Not literally. Although that could be interesting, too.
You mentioned that Michael Douglas' face reminds you a scrotum. (I think I laughed harder at that one this timethen I did the first I saw this vlog.) Do people's faces frequently remind you of generic body parts? Examples?
Discourage. I love to read, but generally hate to watch video. It's too slow and I can't direct my attention, plus I'm often catching up here in an environment where video is impractical (while my husband is watching TV next to me, while I'm waiting in line, *cough* at work *cough*), and then I just find videos annoying. I sometimes intend to go back and watch later, but 90% of the time, I never actually do.
I would, however, watch Sorun's suggestion of a debate between AA and Meade.
You do something like that already, but go for an extended format, if you like.
You and Meade seem to have a lot of fun with it, so go ahead.
I'd love to see how you teach a class (if permitted).
And why did you change your mind about "Aguirre, the Wrath of God" being your favorite movie as opposed to "My Dinner with Andre," which I assume still has that status?
Use Google+ and host a hangout once a week to discuss a topic or two. Record that and make it your vlog.
What got you thinking about taking up vlogging again, anyway?
Perhaps it was just the connection, but that old vlog was almost unwatchable because of the disconnect between the video and the audio (not sychronized, unless you are an exceptionally talented ventriloquist). So that would have to be fixed.
It's also a format that, for me anyway, appeals more to feelings and emotion than intellect or reason -- images have their own impact and associations, and they works more immediately than prose presentation. So if you're going to do it, it would make sense to play to its strengths. I'd vary the presentation from a simple 'talking head' shtick to something that allows you to weave in the images that will make whatever you're talking about connect.
As for topics, take any column by Peggy Noonan and see how you can make it better. She's always struck me as someone who thinks and writes in visual terms.
I hope to discourage you. A Vlog takes time to view as it passes in real time. A printed piece, however, can be read in minutes or scanned in seconds.
I'm simply not disposed to sit around watching a video, waiting to get to the part that might interest me.
Talking head videos suck.
How about an Althouse/Meade ersatz Bloggingheads? You don't have to fight...just duet it!
Careful, you'll give Titus ideas.
Bring back the audible althouse music theme!
I wasn't a fan of the vlogs and stopped watching after the first couple. Fearing that vlogs would be your future, I was relieved when you stopped doing them and focused again on the blog.
MadisonMan: Yes! But didn't it get whacked accidentally or something?
My son used to sing that (I always listened by streaming the audio through the living room speakers while folding laundry or whatnot, and he just picked it up.) LOL. I just asked him if he remembers that theme song--and, I'll be damned! He does.
John and his friend did a nice job of that.
I vote no on the vlogs. I dip in and out of your blog when I can and that's not conducive to vlogs or talking heads or any that other stuff.
(Besides, I thought your vlogging as your weakest feature here at Althouse.)
I'm with edutcher. Teach us something. Take a complicated constitutional issue and make us understand.
Give out cases to read in advance so we can be prepared. Get some chalk. Use a black (or white) board.
How would doing a Con law instructional video in the context of the blog be interesting for Althouse herself? Absolutely no smark intended, but she already gets to teach her professional subject matter in her day job.
I will say that I was more of a fan of the podcasts, though I enjoyed the vlogs, too. Even with BHTV, I always just streamed the audio after watching each duo once.
I'm with Harold and Lyssa. Khan lectures work because there is some serious visual content to add. "Talking heads" is not nearly enough reason to have video.
DSL is not available at my location. I use a wireless modem, which has a monthly limit of gigabytes, or I use dial-up when I am close to the limit. Video uses up my limit too fast and usually won't run at all on dial-up. I only look at video if I am at some free wi-fi place.
I am on dial-up right now.
Isn't it strange, how video now seems so old-school, while reading is hipper and more efficient. I much prefer to read. It's faster and it doesn't make noise.
The people who need video are the ones who watch Fox or CNN. Really a lot of nothing on their news shows, compared to what we get every day in the blogosphere.
Text or it didn't happen.
rcommal,
"How would doing a Con law instructional video in the context of the blog be interesting for Althouse herself?"
Because teachers like to teach.
vlog, but not at your house.
Take us somewhere interesting.
Absolutely -- more vlogs.
Frankly, I don't have the patience for internet videos, and rarely watch them. I would much rather read a transcript.
r,l:
AudiBULL altHOUSE
It's a poooooooooooooodcast
of the ODD last few days
on ay Blog called "Althowse."
Get Michelle Goldberg to come on and toy with her like a cat playing with a mouse. Then do what cats do and eviscerate her (verbally, of course). Or is that too easy?
If you're on the encourage side of this debate, throw some questions at me — things I might discuss via vlog.
Maybe you could discuss why some people would rather watch time-consuming jerky low-quality video of someone haltingly trying to stumble through saying something that could be read in 1/100 the time. Is this a symptom of America's growing illiteracy problem?
Get Meade to eat an egg salad sandwich.
Bloggingheads are good. Althouse takes down the usually smug left.
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