Where’s the Bar?

By: James Zimmerman

Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, Toddlers & Tiaras, and Cake Boss are part of The Learning Channel’s recent line-up of TV series. For a network that once rivalled the Discovery Channel on education, it seems as though TLC has done away with trying to advance and educate the masses and is now focused on ratings boosters. Watching TLC’s 90 second promo clip Here Comes Honey Boo Boo is evidence of that.

“We’re at an interesting crossroads with regards to culture,” said University of Windsor Drama and Education director Lionel Walsh. “We live in a time where everyone’s connected to everyone else. Yes this includes the ‘lesser evolved’. Thus we’re trying to find a balance of culture and new technology.”

The Discovery Channel and TLC once stood side-by-side as educational programming channels, both taking very unique approaches that worked well in each case. While entertainment value has changed, Discovery has a way of entertaining and educating. This is evident in shows like Mythbusters, How It’s Made, and Dirty Jobs. While not every program offers the same level of education versus entertainment value, Discovery is viewed by many as the de-facto mix of education and entertainment.

“Discovery is by far, in my opinion, the higher quality channel in terms of programming,” said Windsorite Derek Simpson, 23. “TLC has entered a dark descent when it comes to the proverbial bar and rapid decline in the quality of their programming.”

Windsor has a long running history with arts, theatre and cinema. With recent changes in technology and the availability of alternative entertainment many Windsorites are debating the survival of cinemas and live theatre as it relates to culture. While many citizens are regular patrons, theatres in the city have suffered financially. The Capitol Theatre and the Palace Cinema in downtown Windsor have been the centre of several debates and have both seen their doors close for a period of time.

Capitol ownership was handed over to the Windsor Symphony Orchestra. With it came an approximate $2 million repair bill that includes improvements to the roof, stage and technical riggings. Some WSO subscribers have been raising concerns about the limited number and condition of the theatre’s seating which many feel should have been repaired a decade ago. Walsh said the reasons behind the Capitol’s financial problems have been two-fold.

“The city is connected to the symphony, it’s connected with the art gallery but it’s not connected with any theatre,” said Walsh. “There are no butts in the seats. Many go to the theatre because they know someone in the show and not for the show itself.”

The Palace ended a 91-year run that started with the classic D.W. Griffith silent film, Way Down East and ended with the more recent Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol and Chipmunks: Chipwrecked. Popular critic aggregator rating website Rotten Tomatoes scores Way Down East a 90 per cent versus 60 per cent, 94 per cent and 13 per cent for Sherlock, MI: Ghost Protocol and the Chipmunks respectively. While not entirely accurate, it does offer some anecdotal evidence into the decline of culturally good movies.

The closure of the Palace and a switch in ownership of the Capitol marks a point of evolution and change to Windsor, its live entertainment sector and its culture. To ensure survival, many say changes need to be made in order to bring patrons to the door and buying tickets. The loss of the Palace affected many citizens and efforts are being made to save the Capitol from a similar fate.

The question still remains: is culture dying? The overall consensus would lead one to say, “Yes, it is.” But are we redefining what culture is to us as a society or are we just lowering the bar to ensure everyone is included in our constantly connected world?