I nearly choked on a bone tonight as my InDaily-wrapped, homemade fish and chips went down the wrong way when spotting the article, Anger As The Advertiser Dumps Fringe Reviews.
According to the report, a [sic] spokesman for The Advertiser said the newspaper’s coverage decisions were based on its readers’ interests.
Now, if you recall my article about Channel 9 Adelaide in late December 2021, in which the TV station boss, Sean O’Brien, celebrated the fact that his newsroom finished the year as Adelaide’s #1 news service in all of the key advertiser demographics = 25-54, 16-39 and Grocery Shoppers with Children, you will note that when media people say “viewer” or “reader” interest they really mean “advertiser” interest.
And, yes, even the cheeky InDaily, which appears to be chortling in the corner as this story simmer, needs to pay attention to such interests to attract advertising (such as a commercial arrangement with the Adelaide Fringe itself) or to win the interest of donors and supporters.
What one can discern from this, if we read The Advertiser‘s comments in context, is that its readers have become jaded by athletic, nearly nude humans, gyrating on stage in feather and glitters and gaudy makeup while delivering suggestive, bawdy narratives. To be fair to The Advertiser, it seems that half the Fringe Guide has been the same reprint for the last decade; how many times can one watch the same nude lady do acrobatics in a bath tub, the same TV celebrities come and do the same schtick they do on TV with added expletives, or 70s singers rework 70s hits with more glitter?
On the other hand, one could review The Advertiser reviews and note that for a good while now, many of the 5-sentence pieces seemed to have been phoned in while downing gin in the once-alluring Fringe club. I know that’s how I prepare my lectures on media and publicity (I am a method professor)!
So where does this leave us?
On one hand we could ask, what would Rupert do? But I’m not sure we are ready for a Page 3 Peta Credlin daily Fringe review feature.
So, my students have devised two approaches.
First, we need to bring the parties together. Second, we need to all lift our gaze to all of the other shows that are novel and exploratory in the true spirit of the “fringe festival”.
Let’s all hop in the hot tub
As you probably know, our weekly faculty meetings are held in the school hot tub. Everybody drops their togs and hops in for some heated and satisfying social intercourse.
Tomorrow night, Tuesday, February 21, 2023, I hereby invite Advertiser editor Matt Deighton, and Adelaide Fringe director and CEO, Heather Croall, to hop into the spa with us and use their nudity as a symbol of their openness and transparency as we get to the bottom of things.
This festival is the second largest in the world. This not only means that we get mentioned in lots of arts listicles, it also means that cultured people around the world are watching us.
Here is my video invitation. All our contact details are on this site, so please, Heather and Matt, RSVP by noon Tuesday so I can fit in a quick, VIP waxing before you come.
There are Fringe shows worthy of news stories, not just reviews
The second thing is to rely on the good journalists at The Advertiser to seize upon the fact that our show, 100% MBA Success: Whisky And Trivia With Professor Longsword, is the only show giving away $2000 in prizes every night.
If that doesn’t tickle Rupert’s fancy, I am not sure what will.
Here is a show that helps punters improve their bottom line while also coming home with MBA Business Degrees.
Come to think of it, InDaily hasn’t covered this novel angle either. Hmmm.
Maybe, friends, we need to face reality that when you have 1200 shows, you’re going to need to find your own group of people and focus on pleasuring them.
I’m doing such rehearsals at home tonight with my good lady wife, and I hope I’ll soon have the pleasure of your company.
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