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Get out of the hashtag business, TV networks

Okay. Can the TV networks just dispense with the ham-handed attempts at creating futile Twitter synergy by cramming hashtag phrases down our throats?

I’m sitting here, against all better judgment, surfing the web on my laptop while I have TBS on in the background, where the terrible, terrible hack sitcom “Men At Work” is on, and in the corner of the screen, the TBS geniuses have put up the hashtag “#gibbsvsmilo” because the plot centers on a lame-brained something where Gibbs and Milo are characters, you see, and they are versus-ing against each other in comically hilarious ways. Over some chick, or something. Because guys are such guys!

By the way, did I mention this show is just awful? God. Awful.

Back to the hashtags. I see this all the time on TV shows. The networks invent some two- or three-word phrase tying into the TV show, throw a hashtag in front of it, and pretend it’s some sort of social movement that all the cool kids are going to be talking about.

I’m thinking that if you are tweeting anything that contains “#gibbsvsmilo” then you need to have your social networking license revoked, because you are neither social nor networking. You’re in a vacuum tweeting something lame that a corporation has tricked you into thinking was worth 10 seconds of your time. (Or 10 minutes of mine, in writing this pointless gripe post.) Probably most of the people tweeting these phrases are on the media company payroll, having been forced as part of their job to try to make it look like their hashtag of the hour has any sort of traction.

Just stop it. You’re embarrassing yourselves.

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24 comments on this post

Yes. This. #IhatehashtagsonNetworkTV

As someone who doesn’t tweet much and mainly follows people who post links to interesting articles, I’m not sure I could possibly care less about tweeting or following or doing anything Twitter-related while watching a TV show.

TBS, of course, has some of the worst dreck on offer (as in, anything Tyler Perry has ever been associated with).

At least the story of McDonald’s “#McDStories” hashtag campaign backfiring horribly yielded some entertainment material, but I really don’t see much point to Twitter. If I want to keep up with something, I use good old fashioned RSS feeds.

Why on Earth are you watching โ€œMet At Workโ€ instead of “Firefly”? ๐Ÿ˜‰

NCC-1701-Z: Are you a Google Reader user? If so, what will you use when they shut it down July 1? I ask because I am also an avid RSS user and I’m looking for a Google Reader replacement.

That said, as a former Twitter eschewer (is that a word?) I found the value of Twitter, like with Facebook, is in its network of users. If you follow the right people whose content you’re interested in, there’s good stuff to be seen there (even if most of it can also be found via RSS).

I should be watching “Firefly.” I even recently signed up for Netflix. Instead, I’m watching episodes of “24” I’ve already seen.

I probably will watch “Firefly” now that I have easy access to it.

Also, to say I’m “watching” “Men at Work” is not really accurate. I was on my laptop. “Men At Work” was what was on the TV annoying me coincidentally.

Jammer – I guess I can understand that, but I still prefer RSS feeds right now – gives me the news straight, without any social media baggage and the inevitable distractions.

I’m using Feedly on my mobile phone – it imports all your feeds out of Google Reader and stores them safe and sound in Feedly. At least that’s how I understand it. On my laptop, I use Google Chrome’s built-in RSS, which seems to work pretty well.

Overview of Feedly: http://gizmodo.com/5993163/feedly-reborn-the-best-google-reader-replacement-just-got-better

Other alternatives to Reader: http://www.theverge.com/2013/3/19/4119006/the-best-google-reader-alternatives

Hmm, my first comment didn’t submit.

Anyway, I can see the usefulness of Twitter, but I prefer the news sent to me straight without any social media baggage and the greater potential for distraction. Just the way I am.

I use Feedly on my mobile phone, which imports all your feeds from Google Reader. Very nice format. Supposedly, they store all your feeds safe and sound outside Google (or will soon). On my computer, I use Google Chrome’s built-in RSS extension but I just got the Feedly extension to try out.

There are others out there besides Feedly that I haven’t tried yet, but I give Feedly a strong recommendation. Doesn’t work with Internet Explorer though.

Other alternatives: http://www.theverge.com/2013/3/19/4119006/the-best-google-reader-alternatives

@Jammer

*Met* at Work? Did you mean, Men at Work? P.S. your insights (even if they aren’t in review form) on Firefly would rule.

I second the use of Feedly here. It gives you a nice intermediate option between viewing posts as a single line of text or the whole thing by displaying a little picture from the article next to a header and a bit of text. You can arrange this in a “magazine” format too which looks quite nice.

In regard to the RSS feeds: If you have access to an iOS or Android smartphone or tablet, just use the “Flipboard” app and make Google Reader one of your channels prior to June 30th. Flipboard is promising to automatically migrate your RSS feeds and maintain your Google Reader channel from July 1st forward.

Great post!

Been thinking this myself for a long time!

This whole Social movement is just plain fail, to be honest.

“HASHTAG” this “HASHTAG” that. Shut the fuck up ๐Ÿ™‚

Twitter? What is this “Twitter” you speak of?

I never did make an account for Twitter, the appeal just wasn’t there. This shouldn’t be a surprise though as I’m one of those guys who has yet to “upgrade” to a smart phone. One less distraction to carry around in the pocket.

This came extremely apparent when the GF and I were watching Master Chef. Every contestant has a #MC[insert chefs name here] displayed on the bottom of the screen and on their aprons.
It’s terrible.

By the way Jammer what about Blood and Chrome? are you planning to review it?

I must admit I’ve never felt compelled to ever get a Twitter account, I hate it when people actual say ‘hash-tag’ during conversation. For example, “that is so hash-tag blah-blah-blah”.

It’s almost as bad as people adopting things like “YOLO” into their vocabulary. I’ve even heard people incorporate the facebook “like” option as a way to express agreement, it’s unbelievable how much social networking has taken over a huge in our lives.

It’s of course fair enough to use social networks as a way to enhance and enrich your social life, which is what I do. But I think its all gone a bit too far now.

At this point, a review of “Blood and Chrome” seems unlikely. I still haven’t seen all of it (I watched maybe half the online webisodes back in December, then didn’t get around to the rest). Not sure at this point anyone cares.

Jammer will you watch R.Moore’s new drama on Syfy , Helix? it’snot sure how much science fiction it is but it looks very interesting

I doubt it. I have limited time for TV at the moment, so I don’t see adding any shows to my rotation.

#ihaveahugewang

Jammer, Firefly is calling… And I would appreciate your reviews regarding the program.

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