Comments on: CBS: Creating a lab for mashups http://mathewingram.com/media/2007/09/28/cbs-creating-a-lab-for-mashups/ ...watching the intersection of the Web and media Mon, 08 Sep 2008 16:02:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Mathew http://mathewingram.com/media/2007/09/28/cbs-creating-a-lab-for-mashups/#comment-9335 Mathew Sun, 30 Sep 2007 22:46:06 +0000 http://mathewingram.com/media/2007/09/28/cbs-creating-a-lab-for-mashups/#comment-9335 I agree completely, Steve. It's like a half-step towards opening up -- a good idea to encourage outside content, but still trying to control too much. And I agree that the CBS-created stuff is unlikely to be as good, if only because it is semi-official. I agree completely, Steve. It’s like a half-step towards opening up — a good idea to encourage outside content, but still trying to control too much. And I agree that the CBS-created stuff is unlikely to be as good, if only because it is semi-official.

]]> By: Steve Safran http://mathewingram.com/media/2007/09/28/cbs-creating-a-lab-for-mashups/#comment-9334 Steve Safran Sun, 30 Sep 2007 20:57:58 +0000 http://mathewingram.com/media/2007/09/28/cbs-creating-a-lab-for-mashups/#comment-9334 Here's the problem with this, as I see it. First, there's NO WAY that official company mashups will be nearly as funny as the fan-generated ones. CBS-sanctioned vids won't make fun of their stars as scathingly as the Caruso clip did. They'll be more good-natured ribbings - the kind of humor you'd find at a company outing. They'll be sitcom funny, but not *very* funny. They certainly won't be like the Caruso video - as much of a commentary on the unimaginative level of writing on a CBS show as it is on Caruso's questionable acting range. The other problem this this: they have fans willing to create these for free. CBS should have reacted to this phenomenon by inviting mashups by the bucketful. Instead, they are trying to keep control of the message. Look at the waste: six video editors now being paid to create an inferior version of what CBS could have for free. Here’s the problem with this, as I see it.

First, there’s NO WAY that official company mashups will be nearly as funny as the fan-generated ones. CBS-sanctioned vids won’t make fun of their stars as scathingly as the Caruso clip did. They’ll be more good-natured ribbings - the kind of humor you’d find at a company outing. They’ll be sitcom funny, but not *very* funny. They certainly won’t be like the Caruso video - as much of a commentary on the unimaginative level of writing on a CBS show as it is on Caruso’s questionable acting range.

The other problem this this: they have fans willing to create these for free. CBS should have reacted to this phenomenon by inviting mashups by the bucketful. Instead, they are trying to keep control of the message. Look at the waste: six video editors now being paid to create an inferior version of what CBS could have for free.

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