In 1997, MTV produced one of the most prescient shows in television history about privacy, surveillance, technology. It was partially funded by U2, had nothing to do with U2 (album outtakes were used as a score), and it was called ZooTV. And it was so amazingly important, and no one noticed. It was so subversive, especially about the marketing at youth…. so they purposefully made it hard to follow and watch. They’d play this episodically on non-subsequent weekends at different times, and on different days.
Here’s a Wired article from when the show ran: https://www.wired.com/1997/04/mtv-opens-cage-for-wild-zoo-tv/
“It’s like mental antacid.”, but I’d also say it’s like the classic “Liquid Television” married to harrowing documentary, crossed with this post-modernist absurdism that blurs the lines of fact and fiction. I don’t think it’s marginalizes the intended message, but there are some clips that veer from satirical prodding to complete farce (see hidden history of hip hop, but super funny).
Please watch… it will blow your mind. They predicted youtube, amongst other amazing predictions like personalization, etc. 1997
Part I is all about surveillance-
but how we opt-into it enthusiastically, or we errantly and naively don’t realize it’s happening. THIS IS 1997!!!
Ep 1 part 1
https://youtu.be/0aRpnjsYeIU
Ep 1 part 2
https://youtu.be/SUx17JfrGyU
Part 2 deals with the body-
the changing boundary of what “being human” means, and our programming our DNA. “Treating the body like a machine means they can sell you parts”.
“They say that when we can talk to a machine without realizing we’re talking to a machine, we’ve invented artificial intelligence. But if we’re talking to machines, did they get smarter, or did we get dumber”
Ep 2 part 1
https://youtu.be/ieF0UUTJJPE
Ep 2 part 2
https://youtu.be/e_49BeFVTEk
Part 3 – What is really “Alternative”
Because they’re selling it to you. Cobain’s New Wave comment was great…. punk wasn’t a thing until they took the S&M wear and commodified it into a fashion, anyway.
Ep 3 part 1
https://youtu.be/DrvvaubJktg
Ep 3 part 2
https://youtu.be/b6lWCtuqdAY
I’d looked for this for about 15 years. I have a VHS tape I wanted to digitize, but was too costly for me at the time! This is amazing, predictive, bleeding edge stuff.
All episodes playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE1InrZfsJQlsxtLWsoJ8hT6iILtsrgz5
Here are just a few clips from the show:
This show predicted Youtube:
alternatives end at the mall: controlling human behaviour to create control via consumerism
VIDEO SITTER:
Eerie Daniel Suarez type pop out of what digital info follows you through life:
including mental and health history alongside credit, etc
A set top TV box that decides what you want to watch. Umm…. IE algorithms, personalization, and …..
FINALLY TRUE FREEDOM FROM TOO MUCH CHOICE
Shaun Stussy – Alternative is now just a keyword. It is a commercial word.
How to keep secrets… how to keep things hidden.
unbiased unhyped look at youth
how to eavesdrop
Stock n Roll… stock market for bands
The Hidden History of Hip Hop – Alternative Begins in the Streets. This is my favorite thing ever.