08.11.14
What’s new in the laboratories of clickbait today?
Buzzfeed gets 50 million to make smartphones even more like mini- color televisions with scrolling and lots of advertising and trivial short-form listicles or lifestyle dogshit:
Another major piece of the funding announcement includes the foundation of BuzzFeed Motion Pictures, an ambitious, L.A.-based operation to be headed by online video pioneer Ze Frank. Though The New York Times reported that Frank has plans to produce news video, Smith says neither of them is sure what the best use case is for news video on the web. “I think we’re interested in doing news video when there are stories that are best told as video. But both Ze and I don’t think that most news should be video or most video should be news,??? says Smith, who cites Vice’s video reporting from Syria as the kind of reporting that is well served by the format.
It’s also unclear when BuzzFeed would be ready to produce feature-length films, though it was announced earlier today that Michael Shamberg, producer of Spinal Tap and Pulp Fiction, was joining the BuzzFeed Motion Pictures team.
They “don’t think that most news should be video or most video should be news.” That’s real hard-earned wisdom.
And, how about that hiring of “a producer of Spinal Tap [sic]”? Real cutting edge. For 1985. You know, back when people still bought vinyl records. Which is what the fellows in the movie were trying, unsuccessfully, to get people to do with their, ah, record called Smell the Glove.
And if that isn’t enough, they’ll be hard at work using the cash infusion to better optimize content specifically for the Culture of Lickspittle:
“We spend a ton of time thinking about why people share things and what kinds of things will they share. The same stories are very widely shared on Facebook and Twitter and email.??? .
When we share shit why do we share it on the places made out of sharing? It’s a boon to journalism.
Top stuff on Buzzfeed, a passing glance…
11 Things You Learn When You Watch All 5 “Step Up??? Movies In A Row
1. You never knew a day could be so great.
The 17 Funniest “Jeopardy!??? Fails Of All Time
Including when “donkey punch??? made it onto America’s favorite family game show.
What Type Of Shark Are You?
Yes, they’ll sure be doing news with that money.