Visual Media

Two television events, one global, one rather more local.

Yesterday was the second Live Aid, or, rather, "Live8". I can distinctly remember watching the first one, which back then was pretty impressive. But this was much bigger, and I have seen less than twenty years ago. By chance, I saw Green Day playing in Paris, where they attempted a version of We are the Champions and failed, due to the singer not being Freddy Mercury (and not very good for that type of song anyway).
If there is anything the revival of the 1980s is good for, it's this: a huge and diverse collection of musicians gathered to raise consciousness for the wrongs in the world, while doing what they do for a living. Now, let's hope Bob Geldof's vision works this time. If not, we'll just have to do it again in twenty years' time.
It was also transmitted on the radio, and while I was driving home from the premiere of "Der Fliegende Holländer" yesterday (which was interesting, but that's another entry), I heard the finale. Paul McCartney and all the London acts singing The long and winding road, followed by Hey Jude. I dare anyone to hear the final part of Hey Jude and not sing along; I did. Then I realized: This is live. It is being transmitted around the world. How many people are at this very moment singing the final chorus? A goosepimply "wow"-moment.


The local TV event is today; right at this moment, in fact. My home town is the location for an MTV Campus Invasion, which is being transmitted live on MTV. If I turn down the sound, and the wind is from the right direction, I can hear the bass frequencies through my open window.
At the beginning of the programme, they had a short overview of our university - mainly consisting of the fact that the Uni is located in a castle, an interview with art students and a teacher whom I don't know, and a visit to our mensa (commons? The eating place). I think they made the recording last wednesday, judging by the food the presenter was eating. Of course I saw the woman I usually pay for my food at, who is now a media star - first, she appeared in an article in our local newspaper, and now on MTV.
What is very weird about this is that a place I am at almost every day is now on the telly. And for some reason, even though I know that place so very well, it feels more real, validated, on that small screen. A fascinating phenomenon. I wonder if there are media philosophers out there who have written something about this.