Louisa May Alcott
An American writer
Sunday, December 4, 2011
What's all the shouting about?
As I read the news and watch an admittedly small portion of television, I'm left somewhat dismayed at the level of sensationalism that seems to pervade anything media-related. And I wonder: must we shout to be heard above the din? Must authors write books that "tell all" or let the reader in on some alleged "secrets"? Whatever happened to shows like Seinfeld, where we could just take a humorous and ironic view of daily life? What about books? The top 5 NYT non-fiction titles for this week include one each from Bill O'Reilly and Glenn Beck, two men who make a living off of inciting dissension. Will it get to the point where we, as fiction authors, need to insert something controversial just to make a sale? It used to be that controversy would kill a sale; now I wonder if we're headed down a path where, even in fiction, controversy might be required to MAKE a sale. I think that would be a very sad day for fiction writers.
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11 comments:
Hey Carol, this has bothered me for some time. When a loser like the silly girl from Jersey Shore (Sugar, or Spooky, or something), can write a book (I doubt she can read), and get on the book tour circuit, it's demeaning for us 'real' authors. Or some aging movie star coming out of the closet. Just like reality TV has put a lot of writers and actors out of work, these sensational books are giving writing and genuine stories a bad name. As you can tell, you've hit a nerve with me, lol.
I do miss Seinfeld...so much!!!!
Oh, Callie--you're SO right! George Takei, for example. Announces he's gay and everyone's clamoring for information. This is news??? He's been openly living with his partner for decades! And you're right--it seems that good stories don't get enough attention because there's not a naked woman on the cover or it doesn't deal with rape or incest or something that's going to get everyone's dander up. But I just can't lower myself to that level. And I hate to see others doing that--not that everyone does. It's just so depressing.
Tess--I'm just about at the point of buying the series on DVD just to have something sane to watch.
Carol, I agree with you completely. I cancelled my cable years ago when TV started to head down hill, but I see the sensationalism in the books and all over the internet too. Don't loose heart though, there are plenty of us readers out there who love to loose ourselves in Fiction and who need an escape from "reality," literally and figuratively.
Keep Writing. :o)
I think we're already there. If you want a book where the H/H meet twenty pages in, you need to read an established author. For anyone wanting to be published, it's wam bam, than you mam in the first five pages.
ellaquinnauthor, that's a real good point and something I hadn't thought of. Is it our own impatience that's to blame? We seem to want everything NOW these days, and this may merely be a reflection of that. Interesting.
Carol, I switch the channel when the shouting begins. Who can learn anything new when no one can finish their sentence? I certainly hope this isn't the 'new' way to promote. Count me out if it is.
I'm with you, Gerri. That's why I only saw a couple of minutes. I walked away. Do you see this seeping into any fiction? I'll admit the last couple of books I read were non-fiction (research related) and of a historical nature. Maybe that's why the tv thing struck me.
Hmmm. I'm not sure what the future will hold for stories, but I hope they won't be required to be over the top in sensationalism to sell. I like to read stories that have some feel for reality in them, you know? :)
This post couldn't be more timely from my point of view. Shock, awe, special effects, tell-all, show-all are getting to the point that no one is allowed any level of thought or emotion unless it's blatant and in-your-face. Reality television, celebrity cults and endless news commentary all vie for attention. One day, we may all be so tired of the noise, we'll seek subtlty and depth again. That cannot happen too soon for me. Superb observations, thank you.
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