A quick note to the crack team that offered up employee tickets to The Hour’s big Tragically Hip show on Sunday:
If you’re going to invite people to a rock concert, give them more than one damn ticket.
When people go out to a show, they frequently like to bring friends, relatives, or loved ones along. This is called “enjoying oneself”. They do not go to a rock concert to sit alone among strangers. This is called “human behaviour”.
A big rash of disappointed CBCers today tried to give away their solo tickets, only to find they’re non-transferrable. This, too, is a bad idea, as these disappointed and discouraged fans are now not going to go at all. You may want to come up with some sort of system whereby unwanted tickets can be given away. This is called “not chasing your audience away with dumbass rules” and is also referred to as “actually having people show up so you don’t look completely lame on-air”.
George would never have sanctioned this, if he had known. Strombo, of all people, must have some idea of what a rock concert should be like. Right?
Right?
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OMG LYNNE RUSSELL OMG
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Justin I’™m sure they’™d welcome a couple of extra drumsticks! I’™m not so sure about the Parson’™s nose though!
Just trying to point out that some of us get a nice turkey while others get ’œTHE TICKET’. Had I been given the choice between the two ’œT’™s’ my choice wouldn’™t have be the one with the tail feather. A single ticket would have sufficed with no complaints!
*applause for Justin!!!*
As a vegetarian I’d be deeply offended by the turkey, unless it was still alive AND I could take it to a Tragically Hip show with me.
If I may field some of these “crybaby” comments directed at me:
I have, on many occasions, brought friends, family, and lovers to the CBC to be in a studio audience.
Every time I did so, seeing the wonder on their faces as we took the elevator that I use every day for work, the delight in seeing how TV shows are made, the spotting of all the “famous” people milling about has always rejuvenated me and made me appreciate what a cool place I work at.
And for them, they always leave with a “once-in-a-lifetime” experience that they tell their friends and family about and everyone feels all warm and cuddly about the CBC.
So I realize this post might seem disingenuous. But it’s not all about me.
I have real friends at work that I love dearly. If only you knew the truth.
And as for that Christmas turkey comment, I’m considering putting it in my sidebar, but I sense that the poster is trying too hard.
Chucky & Burns from the 5th Estate. That would be a great act for the Hour. Have they been on Metro Morning yet?
Dear Ouimet
Sit down, please. I’ve been waiting for the right time to bring this up, hoping you would post something. But I guess there really is no right time to say what I’m about to say.
I have a confession to make. You know those trips I made to Atlanta a few years back? They weren’t only about the news. I’m truly sorry to tell you this.
There’s another woman.
No, no, you sit. I’ll get the Kleenex.
Her name is Lynn Russell.
And let’s be honest, you knew I was unreliable when I threw over Wendy Mesley for you. Even at work they call me AutoCad.
I couldn’t help myself. You know that I’ve been turning channels to find the greatest news anchorman in the world ever since Knowlton left.
How could I have known that it would be a woman?
Of course you can have the house. At least we can both thank God that we didn’t go ahead with that plan of yours to adopt children matching all the colours of Benetton.
I’m going to take the dog for a walk while you collect yourself. Here George, come here boy, where’s your collar?
Of damn. You’ve peed indoors again.
Where’s that paper with Doyle’s column?
*puzzled head-scratching*
What was I talking about? I thought I was being an optimist with regard to future events to be held here in Ottawa. Still do, in fact, based on past experience.
The most recent experience being the one time so far that I got to see Mercer live at the NAC’s Fourth Stage, and if I’d had to pay to get in, I’d still have shown up. Glad I made the time to go.
Off to watch the Mercer Report in a few minutes…
excuse me, nurse?
I know we don’t get our medication for another hour, but some of the guys here are not coping well with the music on the P.A. Could we speed it up a bit?
“Iron Maiden and Barenaked Ladies rule!!”
Eh, you see what I mean?
My first thought on reading this blog was what a spoilt, ungrateful, selfish, greedy bunch of people. The only thing I ever got from my place of work was a turkey at Christmas and that was gratefully received! I expect Ouimet would want all the trimmings to go with that turkey and a bottle of wine. There is no pleasing some people!
I’™m in favour of music on CBC as long as it is well-captioned. Bring back _Ear to the Ground_ and _Musicworks_!
I don’t know whether to feel left out or relieved at not being damned individually. Sad to say that I do like the New Pornographers, but am not really fond of that particular song. I don’t mean to be nit picky, good on you for getting a New Pornographers song that one’s just not my favourite.
I’m pretty sure I dislike all of you…or at least your comments.
NOT HIP – Wow, you’re aware of the term “plus one.”
ANONYMOUS – Damn that CBC and “The Hour” for wanting as many of their colleagues to enjoy the show as possible, rather than 75 colleagues with their friends. As someone who won a ticket (helloooo Wheat Kings), thankfully I’m actually friends with people at work, too, so I enjoyed it with them.
And there were at least 150 people there. (Why do I read comments by the uninformed AND friendless? Aaaaaaaaaa!)
ANONYMOUS (2) – dumb.
ANONYMOUS (3) – dumber.
DWIGHT – “lesson learned?” It was a wicked show and everyone I spoke to had fun. So what the hell are you talking about?
JOE CLARK – I think I dislike you, or your comments, most of all. I don’t even know where to begin. Damn “The Hour” for putting on a band that sells tonnes of records, and therefore providing a show for the plethora of myriad (sic!) Hip fans out there, rather than the just numerous fans of some smaller band. This Hip fan is still my twenties by the way.
Damn “The Hour” for putting music on CBC. Surely, music isn’t a part of our culture.
But most of all damn YOU for not liking the New Pornographers, and for not mentioning that the new opening theme music for “The Hour” is a New Porno song.
TEA MAKER – Try making some friends instead, so you can run into them at the next performance.
(what can I say? I’m pissy today.)
Joe:
I like the hip, but it’s not true that everyone’s musical tastes stagnate in their 30s, mine certainly haven’t. I still like all the stuff I liked 20 years ago, but new stuff is added all the time. Personally, I think the hour should find good local bands (from various locations) that most of the country hasn’t heard (if you’re from the Hour and reading this I can give you a list to get you started – or you can ask the people at Radio 3) and have them on. Canadians don’t need to be sold on the hip anymore. But if the Hour became a place to find new music the Hour would win new fans amoung musicians and fans alike.
I like the show. It’s like the Jerry Lewis Telethon 4 nights a week.
Unfortunately, the Tragically Hip are an old man’™s band. George isn’™t getting any younger, and his musical tastes, apparently, are like those of every other man in his mid-30s: Stagnating.
Booking the Tragically Hip on his show is evidence that George isn’™t as au courant and hip as he’™s billed. The Hip are a band from yesteryear.
I am not sure why a more current band wasn’™t booked; an obvious example, I have to admit, is the New Pornographers. (I can’™t stand them, and no concentration of redheads in the band will make me change my mind, but they are au courant and hip.)
Has George not noticed that he isn’™t hosting programs on MuchMusic anymore?
I’m willing to bet the ratings for the Hour are less than for the National repeat that used to occupy the 11:00 slot.
Yes, the final chapter in the history of CBC Television will likely dedicate more space to debacles like “Rumours” and “Dragon’s Den” than “The Hour”.
I think we can chalk this up as a lesson learned for next time…and I don’t doubt that there’ll be a next time. If not in Toronto, then elsewhere in Canada.
You seem a little “Hour” obsessive these days. Sadly, when they write the chapter on the CBC’s new season in the Corp. history book I don’t think the Hour will be a headline.
Strumming, shurley!
Fiddling while Rome burns?
I was going to send an email to get a ticket, but ended up not because I figured they’d only give one…and exactly as you said, I didn’t want to sit amongst a bunch of strangers.
Hope they got the 150 they need. Doubt it though.
It’s also called “plus one”.
As in “[your name] plus one” as an entry on the guestlist. Eg: “do you want a plus one?”. This is everyday practice in the music industry.
Although frankly the links between “the hip” and the cbc look pretty tenuous to me.