alright...

I've promised another grammar entry, and you'll get one, but the article I want to write in is in my desk so I think you'll be getting that Thursday.

Anyway.

In the meantime, I've been thinking about how graphic design affects the way a person views a document. I know that it does, and I know that it does in really bizarre ways. When we were discussing texts briefly on the listserv, I was reminded that I chose my text for the other comp 1 course I taught partially because it had a lot of color pictures and yet was still cheap--and students really liked it for that and engaged with the material better than some of the SAME articles presented in a text in black and white that was significantly more expensive. I'd say what was up with that, except these same students reported the color text being easier to read, more fun, and they didn't feel like they were reading a textbook--more like a magazine or a website.

Both the books I'm reviewing seem to be written with this audience in mind--they're colorful and bright, well laid out, and I don't suspect that I'd have that old problem (dully designed book, still expensive) any time here, which is sort of nice. But it's a little disheartening to think that whatever text I pick isn't likely to be judged by undergrads in the same ways I'm thinking about it to review or pick one. Hrm...

On a different but related note, do you think that how we watch a tv show or our experience of TV can be directly changed by the commercials shown?

I'm a fan of Veronica Mars and tonight was the season premiere. Quite honestly I think the show is becomming weak. Sure, the characters were in high school before, but they didn't act like it. Now that they're in college they ARE acting like college students, and it's annoying as heck. Meet Veronica Mars Lite--neutered for the new CW.

But I think I might rewatch the show without the annoying commercials. The entire hour was packed with what are best referred to as "commercials for girly crap." They had scenes analyzed by these "Aeire" chicks from American Eagle--and I have no idea why. Just girls sitting around squealing about crap. Then there were the commercials for sports tampons (and how are they different? honestly? Other than probably costing more?) and tons of commercials for the emaciated stars of America's Next Top Model.

This WAS an intelligent show, once upon a time, but if they're going to "girly-fy" it, then I'm quite honestly not interested. You can be girly and smart all at the same time, but the new CW doesn't seem to think so, and that's a shame. (Or is it just the commercials? Or am I reading too much into it, thinking that the commercials changing this drastically mean that the show is now being aimed at a new more specific target audience that I'm just flat out not part of?)