Predicting the Next Web-to-TV Star
Wired has a piece about Predicting the Next Web-to-TV Stars. While I liked the videos and loved that Jake and Amir got a nod, I thought this article failed to ask an important question: Does it actually make sense for these people to transition from the web to TV?
Let’s think about what people like Jake and Amir do versus a TV show, like Saturday Night Live.
Skit Length: Jake and Amir can make the length of a web skit serve the needs of the comedy. SNL has to fill specific blocks in a 90-minute show and consider the pacing of its commercials. How many times have we watched a funny idea on SNL die a slow death as a skit drags on way longer than it should? There’s a reason why SNL Digital Shorts have become the the buzz generator for the show—they’re short and well-paced. The web has only accelerated viewers’ natural ADD.
Skit Quality vs. Scheduling: I’m sure CollegeHumor requires Jake and Amir to produce a minimum number of skits in a given time period. But, compared to TV, they probably have massive scheduling flexibility. If they have three good ideas this week, they can do three skits. If they have one good idea, they can probably get away with one skit. SNL’s gotta fill that 90-minute show with good ideas or bad ideas every week—unless they’re on hiatus. I always hate it when SNL is on hiatus and good opportunities for topical comedy pass them by. Ace and Jocelyn can strike whenever the iron is hot.
Artist Freedom: Jake and Amir can be as edgy as they wanna be on unsponsored skits. Even when the Hardly Working skits are sponsored, they usually feature ads for stuff like Grand Theft Auto. (I can’t really picture Rockstar Games having moral issues with skit content.) And, CollegeHumor seems to be given a wide berth by IAC. SNL, on the other hand, has to please a corporation, mainstream advertisers, and network censors. Sure, they often push the envelope. But, I bet there are times when the envelope pushes back. I dare Andy Samberg to say “fuck” this Saturday Night.
Pay: Okay, okay, so Amy Poehler is probably pullin’ down a bit more than Jake and Amir…combined. But, will that always be the case? As TV audiences shrink and fragment while Internet use grows, TV may not reign supreme and pay the most bucks. SNL has done a good job of getting key content online and even making it embeddable. But, little of it is as viral as what Jake and Amir do. SNL is TV that gets repackaged for the web. Jake and Amir create for the web. Web viewers can feel that. Besides, the profit margin on the Jake and Amir T-Shirts is probably pretty high.
To me, TV comedy is the past and web comedy is the future. So, despite Wired’s dreams for them, I’ll keep my fingers crossed that Jake and Amir stick to the web—while maybe doing an occasional Will Ferrell film. That would be so ace!