The time has come, say I, to vent my spleen upon a subject that has riled for many years.
Last night there was an extremely annoying programme on't television.
I'm not sure if anyone outside of London would have seen it, as it was extremely London-centric (for want of a better word). It was clichéd, it was misogynistic, it was cheesy, badly presented, contradicted itself regularly, and played host to someone I can only imagine had some sort of episode in front of their editing equipment. And it wasn't even reality TV.
Most programmes these days have music to accompany different scenes, stories or features, but the music underneath this programme, 'Inside Out', changed every twenty seconds or less, and what's more, it was sometimes amusingly selected. Underneath a feature on fraudulent disabled parking in the capital, there were numerous clips from the 'Trainspotting' soundtrack. Like yeah, heroin and parking offences, man. It's all part of the same inherent problem in society.
I've often thought that in TV programmes where music is used to give atmosphere, make a point, or even make gardening programmes look cool, they should put a list of all the music used in the show on the end credits. It would only be fair to the artists.
As an added bonus, this would also bring to an end my annoyance at not being able to figure out the name of the bloody song inside the criminally short time that it is playing. When the clip is about ten seconds long, and played three or four times throughout the programme, I am given to groaning and asking very loud rhetorical questions..."What is it? What IS it?"
Last night was the final straw.
I want this to happen, and I want it to happen now. I'll get the RIAA to put their weight behind it, and to prosecute a few pensionable TV Producers on their side of the Atlantic, just to show that we're serious. Then maybe a high-profile court case involving national rioting from the entire country at not being able to remember the name of the hip-hop track playing over the bit with the azaleas in 'Gardeners' World'.
Get a few of the more accessible politicians on our side, get questions asked in the House, and we're away.
Tell me I'm not the only one, and that all of this might one day happen?
Woah, there. I share your annoyance, but let's follow your plan through to it's conclusion. What you'll then get is record companies petitioning, and paying, programme makers to plug their product, so then the programme makers catch on to what a cash cow this is, and start making programmes specifically designed to have soundtracks. Not to be too gloomy about it, but then it won't be long before Busted are presenting the news, the skies darken, black rain falls, and our souls are all gathered by Satan.
So what we need is for commercialbreaksandbeats.co.uk to extend beyond adverts into TV shows as well??? hmmmmm
Okay, well maybe using the RIAA would be a step too far, but it would mean that I would have an ally taht would stop at nothing short of bayonetting puppies to get what they want. Only trouble is that with them, that might actually be on the cards.
Maybe I should just get myself some sandwich boards and a megaphone, and wander around Marble Arch.
2580 on your mobile. hold it to the speaker. It will tell you what the song is, if you have at least 20 seconds of the song.