Oct 21, 2005

Cable Operators: Drop G4

To every cable and satelite operator in the United States with the exception of Comcast who owns G4:

Hello. My name is, well, not important for the duration of this article. The reason why I'm writing this is because the cable industry has been duped and scammed. The network you originally signed to air on your cable lineups many years ago is no longer on the air. Neither TechTV, a technology-driven network with people who were experienced with the world of computers, technology, and all things tech-oriented, nor G4, a lesser-known but popular outlet that celebrated the gamer lifestyle, are on the air. After the supposed merger that developed after Comcast's G4 Media purchased TechTV for its extensive cable and satelite slots systemwide as well as for TechTV's popular X-Play series, something emerged, but not what was promised.

Instead of a technology/video game/geek culture-themed network, the industry got something different. Even the video game network rebranding of G4 isn't permanent. Now, the network currently known as G4 is changing into a network akin to SpikeTV, OLN, and MEN-TV. Another male-oriented network for immature men. The tech part of the network is all but gone from the network, largely limited to Call For Help in the morning, Brainiac, and a few segments on Attack of the Show. Now, it seems that the video-game aspect of the self-proclaimed Video Game Television is being pushed aside in favor of recent acquisitions like Formula D, Street Fury, Fastlane, and The Man Show.

In short, cable and satelite operators, G4, the network you spent millions of dollars to place on your lineup (whether you got it when it was called TechTV or before the merger), no longer exists. Instead of being an information outlet, it's becoming another testosterone-driven bacchinal. The nerds and geeks are being pushed aside for horny jocks. You've been duped by G4 Media and Comcast into thinking you're getting one kind of network when instead, you're getting another you didn't want.

So, as a favor to yourself as well as your subscribers, please drop G4 from your lineups. A number of cable operators are doing so at this time, so, please, do likewise. There are many other networks that are in the works that would serve the current and former audience of G4, so G4's deletion from your lineups won't be missed.

Drop G4. Now.

Oct 20, 2005

I Have To Apologize

I've been wrong many times in the past, and I'll be wrong many more times in the present. I have to apologize to readers of TXB for doing something I knew in hindsight that I shouldn't have done, but did anyway.

I'm sorry for speaking positively about Loonatics.

A couple of weeks ago, instead of looking at the awesome as hell Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles revamp on Fox, I looked at Loonatics: Unleashed. I had defended it earlier on my site because, well, there were so many people thrashing it even before it came on. They basically said that Loonatics were actually the classic Looney Tunes which have been treated rather shabbily by Warner Bros. and Cartoon Network, who put the classics on the little-received Boomerang (fun fact cats and kittens: Boomerang is seen in a little over 8 million households while Nicktoons Network, Nickelodeon's animation outlet which hasn't been around as long as Boomerang, is seen in 32 million households; maybe Nick does know how to treat their library of cartoons afterall). They're not of course.

Then, all of a sudden, this tween's campaign to stop Loonatics gained a lot of publicity from classic Looney Tunes fans and even got the attention of Warner Bros. Warner Bros. made an announcement to defang and declaw the awesome Trembley brothers original designs in favor of a softer design. I was probably the only person at the time that felt that, like the whole Save Disney campaign, the Stop Loonatics campaign really didn't accomplish anything. The show was still on, and the people still didn't want to give the show a chance. I kept an open mind hoping that they wouldn't really create a show that would purposely be universally panned by ALL audiences.

When the show premiered, my mind was closed, and I realized one simple, universal fact:

Loonatics is the worst Warner Bros. animated project I've ever seen.

I don't count The Groovie Ghoulies meets Daffy and Porky because that was more or less a Filmation piece of tripe (for more on this piece de crappulence, I suggest you check out Cartoon Research for all the gory details). And in hindsight, even shows like Detention wasn't as bad as this. I even wanted to hate one of the other new WBA shows, Coconut Fred's Fruit Salad Island, but that Spongebob ripoff is actually pretty funny.

Loonatics is pretty much what you'd have if you gave the Looney Tunes superstars the powers of the Road Rovers, gave them generic names, and dressed them up in a two-toned outfit. The show just brimming with lame action sequences and even lamer versions of the classic Looney Tunes jokes. The show is just abysmal, a lame attempt to capitalize on the Asian action craze that has infected the American children's television industry as well as the animation industry. And I'm sorry I felt it was going to be a good show to watch.

I apologized, Warner Bros. Animation. Now it's your turn.

Oct 17, 2005

Whatever Happened To The X Bridge?

Good question.

Very good question.

What TXB is supposed to be and what TXB is are two different things. I wanted to create a site that represented the people. I wanted to create a site that I could express my opinions in an unbiased atmosphere. Truth be told, I don't think I've accomplished any of those. For most of my site's seven years online, it's been pretty much slanted towards one direction. I've showed much love for a network that, truth be told, hasn't really shown me nor its viewers much love. I've only seen one side of the argument and fiercely defended it. But I want to give people a site that's more than that.

I want to create a site that is pretty much a voice for the voiceless. I want to create a site that celebrates ALL of animation, not just action-animation. I want to create an access point that bridges all worlds of animation without prejudice or disdain, where one form of animation isn't better than another. I want to create a site that can criticize all animation both positively and negatively, a duality in which we call life.

That's what I want to do with The X Bridge, and this weekend (October 21-23), I want to begin this reinvention. I hope you all can check it out, and if not, I hope you'll check it out someday in the future.