Tuesday, March 25, 2008

only in norfolk

Commercial TV stations do not exist to deliver programmes to audiences. They exist to deliver audiences to advertisers.

They research their audiences well so that they can better sell their advertising space. You can tell who's watching a show by what's advertised in the breaks.

Mark Thomas wondered why his appeared to be the only show to unfailingly have Canesten ads. I suspect that, being intelligent political exposé dressed up as comedy, it has sod all viewers and was just the cheapest slot available, but I suppose it's possible that there's a spike in the incidence of thrush among lefties and anarchists with a sense of humour.

By the same token, flyers left under car windscreen wipers tell you a lot about who's living round there. Where I live it's mainly for club nights. Genres of dance music I've never heard of and couldn't tell apart, with DJ names that read like adolescent bus stop graffiti. Andy K, Johnny Space and Lindsey playing the best in obstreperous house and coruscating funky doom beatz.

But, you know, fair enough. It's me not them. It's a high student population area and I'm sure lots of them like it, and even more understand what the hell it means. I like living around the Leeds 6 vibe, it feels vibrant, really running headlong at life.

But imagine living - as a friend who gave me this does - somewhere where you come back to the car park and someone's left these under all the wipers.

'Old Traps Wanted For Cash' flyer

No comments: