Channel 4 - DEAD!

[j_u_d_a_s]

I just caught a trail for next weeks Cutting Edge "Kids beating the living shit out of each other". Well that title's a bit too obvious so it's really called "Strictly Baby Fight Club". More info and unintentional hilarity with the other suggestions under the "You may also like" banner. http://library.digiguide.com/lib/programme/Strictly+Baby+Fight+Club-645042/Documentary/

Surely there's no lower this once great channel can sink? I thought TVGohome was meant to be satire not inspiration.

EDIT for tagger: Since WHEN was Blue Jam even considered satire?

[George Oscar Bluth II]

The title "Strictly Baby Fight Club" doesn't make any sense. What's it a pun on? Strictly Come Dancing? Strictly Ballroom? Fight Club? All of them at once?

[Catalogue Trousers]

(looking sheepish but smug)

I hate to say "I told you so", but...

Jeez. Through the bottom of the barrel and scraping desperately through the dogshit below.

[Uncle TechTip]

Is it much different from the Henry Cooper-fronted British Boxing Champs for Boys from the same channel in about 1983? Ok you could argue that the sport is more extreme and the kids are apparently a lot younger but assuming it's not constructed for the programme's benefit then what's wrong with documenting it? Henry Cooper handed out prizes and orders to take showers!

[j_u_d_a_s]

Is it much different from the Henry Cooper-fronted British Boxing Champs for Boys from the same channel in about 1983? Ok you could argue that the sport is more extreme and the kids are apparently a lot younger but assuming it's not constructed for the programme's benefit then what's wrong with documenting it? Henry Cooper handed out prizes and orders to take showers!

The way this is being presented is utterly repugnant. The name alone "Strictly Baby Fight Club" is a massive indication of their angle for one thing. It's sensationalist, over the top and makes no hint that they're going to treat this subject with an ounce of respect. It's just cynical pornographic voyeurism of young ones fighting for the benefit of a cheering mob. The trail alone had one parent furiously demanding their child to "KILL HIM!" (I'm going by memory alone here since I can't seem to find a video though) during a match.

You're right, it's not so much different than Boxing Champs but Henry Cooper talked a lot about the training and discipline. I sincerely doubt that Strictly Baby Fight Club is going to do the same. I'll be watching it though, I can't slag it off properly until I've actually experienced it.

I downloaded the Baby Bible Bashers episode of Cutting Edge and it had a similar level of exploitation throughout. Any decent reportage about the 3 subjects was drowned out by the CG'd-in signs and logos saying "SATAN" and "HELL" everywhere in the background. What fucking purpose did that serve?

[NoSleep]

EDIT for tagger: Since WHEN was Blue Jam even considered satire?

Blue Jam did cover Baby Fighting, nonetheless.

[Dragon]

I thought the first episode of Blue Jam was one of the best, but that fighting sketch feels out of place. The point of the show was that it was scary/ambient AND funny, but that sketch isn't. There were no punchlines, she just explained what they were doing.

I wasn't incredibly offended, it just wasn't funny. If something is just ridiculously offensive, then that's great as long as it's funny. Otherwise, what's the fucking point?

[chand]

The title "Strictly Baby Fight Club" doesn't make any sense. What's it a pun on? Strictly Come Dancing?

And Strictly Come Dancing was a bad enough title in itself.

[Suttonpubcrawl]

Didn't we already have a thread with a very similar title?

[Morrissey Gran]

Didn't we already have a thread with a very similar title?

Actually, looking through the archives, this is the sixth or seventh 'Channel 4 is dead, send no flowers, how could they stoop so low?' thread in the last five years or so.

[Feralkid]

I have a screener for this.  It was shot under the slightly less ridiculous title Baby Fight Club.   I'm a little conflicted over the programme itself.  On the one hand it's a pretty blatant piece of prole bashing.  Lots of middle class people drop the kids off to kick boxing and similarly violent martial arts activities.  Here however they're specifically concentrating on parents from working class backgrounds.

That said one couple keep flying their kids to Thailand so they can take part in unregulated Thai kick-boxing bouts.  In that instance mockery seems like the best possible response.

But yes, par for the course with C4 these days.  Even sensitive real-made documentaries still get labelled with ridiculous TV Go Home style titles.

[Suttonpubcrawl]

Actually, looking through the archives, this is the sixth or seventh 'Channel 4 is dead, send no flowers, how could they stoop so low?' thread in the last five years or so.

And the irony is, it was started by the bloke who thinks we won't have anything to talk about at a meet because it's already all been discussed on here...

[Catalogue Trousers]

Actually, looking through the archives, this is the sixth or seventh 'Channel 4 is dead, send no flowers, how could they stoop so low?' thread in the last five years or so.

I know. And I was one of 'em, hence my comments above.

Still, if C4 keep putting out low-browed sensationalist shite like this, they deserve all of the slapping they can get...

[the ruffian on the stair]

I'd like to see Channel 4 bring back Right to Reply!   

[j_u_d_a_s]

And the irony is, it was started by the bloke who thinks we won't have anything to talk about at a meet because it's already all been discussed on here...

If you take everything you read on the internet at face value then it just so happens that my Uncle has passed away and left me a huge sum of cash to the tune of £5 million. Trouble is I've got a bad credit rating so if you could just pm me your bank details I'll transfer it into your account and leave you 10% for your trouble! Thanks!

[Dragon]

Next on Channel 4 - The Think Of Some Good Program Ideas Program. Sponsered by CaB Radio - Like traditional radio, but with no-one listening.

[Suttonpubcrawl]

If you take everything you read on the internet at face value then it just so happens that my Uncle has passed away and left me a huge sum of cash to the tune of £5 million. Trouble is I've got a bad credit rating so if you could just pm me your bank details I'll transfer it into your account and leave you 10% for your trouble! Thanks!

Sorry, I don't trust a word you say - you think we won't have anything to talk about at the meet because we've said it all on here!

[j_u_d_a_s]

Sorry, I don't trust a word you say - you think we won't have anything to talk about at the meet because we've said it all on here!

To clarify, you put words in my mouth, I sarcastically agreed with you.

To reply, Let. It. Go.

[Suttonpubcrawl]

What? Are you telling me to do something? I'm not going to do it, whatever it is you're telling me to do. There's no way I'm taking orders from someone who thinks we won't have anything to talk about at the meet because we've said it all on here!

[Marv Orange]

What? Are you telling me to do something? I'm not going to do it, whatever it is you're telling me to do. There's no way I'm taking orders from someone who thinks we won't have anything to talk about at the meet because we've said it all on here!

At least he wont mention it as he has already talked about it here.

[j_u_d_a_s]

What? Are you telling me to do something? I'm not going to do it, whatever it is you're telling me to do. There's no way I'm taking orders from someone who thinks we won't have anything to talk about at the meet because we've said it all on here!

Won't be able to hear anything over the deafening awkward silence anyway!

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Is there any reason to turn this channel on once the soaring C4 news melody peters out into the weather forecast?

[Sony Walkman Prophecies]

Channel 4, channel 5? whats the difference. Theyre practically interchangable at this point.
The days of edgy cinema seasons, Jon Ronson with his ruffle-haired, skunky post-pub debates, 'outsiders' (the brilliant documentary series) and those unscheduled snippets of inexplicable foreign cinema are long gone.
I guess you could argue that the sort of stuff they laid on in the 'after hours' slot is nothing you couldnt find with a brief google search these days. But it was all pretty mind expanding at the time, or at least it was to me. Maybe i was just constantly stoned like Jon Ronson in those days and it was all really crap in reality.

Anyway bbc3 is nu channel 4 these days anyway innit, god bless freeview.

[Dragon]

If you look closely at the adverts on Channel 5, you'll notice that the "five" logo flashes on screen between every advert.

Seriously.

[Gulftastic]

If you look closely at the adverts on Channel 5, you'll notice that the "five" logo flashes on screen between every advert.

Seriously.

It's bloomin' annoying when you are trying to fast forward through the ads. You keep thinking the programmes restarting and press play, only for another ad to pop up.

[Dragon]

The last advert is always a trailer for the channel you're watching.

[Gulftastic]

The last advert is always a trailer for the channel you're watching.

Unless it's the Paramount Comedy Channel, in which case it'll be three trailers for the channel you're watching.

[its not cool to be weird]

I thought the first episode of Blue Jam was one of the best, but that fighting sketch feels out of place. The point of the show was that it was scary/ambient AND funny, but that sketch isn't. There were no punchlines, she just explained what they were doing.

I wasn't incredibly offended, it just wasn't funny. If something is just ridiculously offensive, then that's great as long as it's funny. Otherwise, what's the fucking point?

Yeah its a minor irritant (although the music is fine Blue Jam fare and the line about screaming bets made me laugh) but fortunately there's Bonnie and Clyde after to take the pain away. And Bjork.

[Catalogue Trousers]

Gulftastic wrote:

Unless it's the Paramount Comedy Channel, in which case it'll be three trailers for the channel you're watching.

Of which one will inevitably and irritatingly screech at you that "stand-up on Paramount" is sponsored by Magners Cider - as Irish as cricket itself.