Was Live Earth a Failure?

[NYCGirl]

http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2007/07/was_live_earth_a_failure.html

The conventional wisdom on Live Earth, last Saturday's Al Gore–wrangled series of eight concerts around the world, is developing: It was a big, fat flop, conservative commentators are saying — and they're gleeful about that, because, they say, it's upsetting Gore's supposed "grand plan" (Oscar win to Live Earth to Nobel Prize to presidency, natch). "The organizers … were hoping to attract 2 billion viewers to their cause but managed a slender 2.7 million," writes Nicholas Wapshott in today's Sun. And, yeah, wow, that's quite a failure. Except that Wapshott's number is totally wrong. He cites only the U.S. ratings for the Saturday-night broadcast on NBC. Though a relative disappointment in the United States, the concerts were seen in 178 countries on an array of platforms. Bravo, which carried the shows, registered its best-ever Saturday; on BBC1 in the United Kingdom, it snared 4.5 million viewers against Wimbledon. The shows also set records online, including an all-time viewing high on MSN with 30 million streams. Last but not least, there were also eight stadiums' worth of live viewers. In short, those hoping that Al Gore will "grow another beard," as Wapshott puts it, and skulk away will have to wait a while longer. Until a voting-machine mix-up in Stockholm County sends his Nobel to Rupert Murdoch.

[melody]

1. Conservative commentators have already identified their bias with their titles

Why listen to anything they say?

Actually, it's way too soon for all the numbers to be in. But leave it to these lard-heads to sneer at someone
for doing something while they are doing nothing at all.

[DangerDave921]

6. Yeah

And the million man march only had like 50,000 people there, or whatever the hell the media said at the time. And the million mom march only had about 1,000. Bull!

[rainy]

2. I know the day after I couldn't even get onto itunes to buy the cd. This

has only happened to me on Xmas day and the day after as too many people are trying at the same time to get on. I was trying to get some of the live earth songs onto my ipod. They have most if not all of the songs available. I was really hoping to get Robert Kennedy's speech. It was so wonderful.

NO, live earth was not a failure. If anything failed it was the media who did not cover it. It was hard to know where to watch the show if you were relying on TV to inform you. Funny how it is so hard to be informed of anything going on on he left in the MSM.
They failed.
Live Earth was a huge success. After the concert all else seems so unimportant.

[leftofthedial]

3. what is "Live Earth"?

:shrug:

[rainy]

5. You are joking?

[leftofthedial]

24. Uh

yeah

[Double T]

4. When ONLY 2.7 million people care enough to support the Live Earth cause..........

I consider most of our planet and people to be failures. In the end, no one should wonder how we got there.

[Crayson]

32. Why do we need rockstars to tell us our problems?

... it sure was a cool gig...

but after that (using tons of energy and producing more tons of litter) people go home and go on living as before.


REAL change can only happen if energy gets more expensive and we HAVE to cut our life style, or our science finds a new cheap and clean way to produce unending energy.

[Ezlivin]

34. "[S]cience finds a new cheap and clean way to produce unending energy"

You can strike that from your list. It won't happen. It is, however, a wonderful fantasy held by millions of Americans who are unwilling to change their lifestyle.

These Americans are like the South Pacific cargo cultists who would build faux runways in hopes that cargo would again magically appear from the sky.

[Double T]

36. Live Earth was symbolic and al least rock stars cared enough to........

support the cause without compensation. Real change must happen today, this minute; waiting to be forced to change will be too late. The problem is most people go through the symbolic motions then don't include the conservation in their daily life.

[elfin]

7. It's all about global consciousness - takes a while to gain

critical mass. While the corporate media here may dismiss it, the effect will be seen elsewhere and must accrete if Earth is to survive with humans on it.

The mindset from nationalism or religious affiliation to gloablism is the "next big thing" and occurring before our eyes - if we choose to see it.

Here is a great article in common dreams addressing this concept...

http://commondreams.org/archive/2007/07/09/2393/


Published on Monday, July 9, 2007 by The Boston Globe
A New Declaration of Liberty
by James Carroll

snip....

Independence Day in America and Bastille Day in France came into their own as holidays in the 20th century, but it was then also that the limits of what each celebrates became apparent. That is why the two 18th-century “declarations” were finally followed, in 1948, by a third — the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. That statement, caught in the inevitable self-centeredness of self-determination, as well as in a certain myopic Western presumption about the meaning of “universal,” had its limits, too. But like the previous declarations, its chief importance lay in the revolution it was announcing — this time a revolution not toward nationalism, but away from it. This revolution unfolds slowly.


snip...

The years 1776, 1789, and 1948, each with its declaration, marked leaps forward in the human project. Ideals of justice and equality were advanced. Structures of politics were invented. The human heart was inspired to accomplish what had been regarded as impossible. Exactly such a leap is needed today. The time has come for a fourth declaration — for everyone, for real.

[C_U_L8R]

8. Largest webcast.. ever

yup that's a real flopperooney

[Phredicles]

11. The LA Times ran an article about its supposed low TV ratings; I was wondering

if that was because so many more people were watching online instead.

[C_U_L8R]

14. I read it was Bravo's highest weekend ratings ever as well

Ratings can be abused just like any other statistic... slippery stuff depending on your context

[leftynyc]

26. I watched on the Sundance channel

They had coverage most of the day. Anyone get their ratings. And doesn't Nielson only do US customers?

[shadowknows69]

17. Bingo

or TIVOing for later. I watched most of it online.

[DangerDave921]

9. Pink Floyd

I wish David Gilmour had showed up. Roger Waters had some young guitar guy doing a note-for-note immiation of Gilmour's solos -- the same effects, the same bends, the same runs. Sad that Roger has to hire some studio virtuoso.

[Jim__]

10. Has it occurred these conservative "pundits" that it was ...

extremely unlikely that there were going to be 2 billion viewers in the US, and that no one was expecting that?

[EOTE]

38. Why was that unlikely?

I mean, every man woman and child in this country has 6 televisions right? Why would it be so unlikely that every resident of the U.S. was watching the same channel on all six of their televisions simultaneously?

[AZBlue]

12. Considering that Live Earth was the kick-off for a 3-year program,

I don't think it can be called a failure or success yet.

[Swamp Rat]

13. It was very successful. Conservative commentators just hate the Earth.

Earth haters.

[rainy]

16. flat-earther!

[Swamp Rat]

18. Flat-Earther:

[Seabiscuit]

19. They're also bold-faced liars. Every one of them.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

35. I think it's in their job description

[Seabiscuit]

48. Indeed, they have written "for cause" employment contracts.

If they don't lie on cue they can be terminated "for cause".

[chelsea0011]

15. None of them were invited to the party or felt it necessary to join in.....

so to them it is a flop. But for the millions who tuned in or participated and maybe learned a thing or two...........it is an enormous success.

[mod mom]

20. They're lying in attempt to stal Gore's momentum but NO CAN DO!

It's the same kooks who don't believe there is a climate crisis.

[Uncle Joe]

41. I agree, mod mom. n/t

[KAT119]

21. 9 MILLION ON LINE VIEWERS!! NEOCON HIT JOB!!

[Fading Captain]

22. What were the selling at live-earth?

Environmental awareness?

Maybe. But not for everyone.


Looked more like corporations trying to get about the "green" train and rehab their public image.

Also, a bunch of irrelevant corporate pop stars getting good face time.

[Pastiche423]

23. Did you unexpectedly make a left turn

when you meant to take a right turn?

[Fading Captain]

39. Huh?

Look, I don't like corporate rock.

I could give two shits about Sting, or John Mayer, or Madonna or any of those phoney baloney yahoos.

So, this whole, corporate rock celebrity for the environment shit is pretty doggone shallow to me. Especially when they are dancing around on a stage with a giant Chevy banner.

[Pastiche423]

43. Whoosh!

Some day, (if you grow up) you may understand.

[Name removed]

46. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Uncle Joe]

42. What's wrong with good P.R. if it helps to bring about positive change?

I also take issue with referring to these pop stars as irrelevant, should these concerts awaken enough people to alter their consciousness regarding our relationship with the only planet humanity occupies, I consider them not only highly relevant, but in the end heroic.

I believe should we not change, everyone will be irrelevant, so more power to them getting good face time.

Edit for P.S. Did you believe the scientist rock band playing in the Antarctic was corporate or irrelevant as well? What did they have to gain, by bucking the powers that be?

[deacon]

25. I watched for 8 hours. My eyes said it was great. I don't need bs artists telling me any different.

[michael_1166]

27. I watched it on BBC 1 and found it musically unspeakably boring.

I also noticed I don't believe musicians anymore that they're in it for different reasons than their own bank account.

I think that not the idea, but the concept was the point of failure. He should have organized something that would have looked like a planet-wide interaction going on instead of organizing concerts where the audience sits on their butts doing nothing except listening to showbiz millionaires.

[dddem]

28. I just bought recycled paper towels.

small steps, but steps forward, thanks to some of the things I learned watching the Live Earth telecast. So there, naysayers.
Peace.

[John Kerry VonErich]

29. Please don't flame me for playing devils advocate......

But I do believe Live Earth was a flop. Here is a few reasons why.

1. Bravo usually averges a.8 in the basic cable ratings with the highest rated show being Inside The actors Studio which averages a .9-1.0 rating. If it set a record on Bravo, it wouldn't be much over due to the fact that Bravo doesn't have a wide market, which is a major factor in ratings.

2. When it comes to online, they don't count people. They count hits. I highly doubt 30 million people watched it, otherwise it would crash the system. Let's say for instance you watched Black Eyed Peas featuring former child star Fergie. They were in the Brazil portion. But then you click it off until Metallica hit the stage and you click on the London portion. That counts as 2 people. But IMHO, I believe the total number of true people watching is around 10 million and that's being generous.

3. The average price of a Live Earth ticket is from $60-$400 a pop. Way way overpriced. If the concerts were filled, I say a pretty large portion got tickets for free. But I am going by American shows so educate me on the prices for the rest of the locations.

[demobabe]

30. We won't flame you for playing devil's advocate

We will flame you for not having any facts, however. Nothing you posted makes any sense whatsoever. Where are you getting this free ticket crap? Sources please? And I've been in the interet biz since day 1, and you CAN have 30 million viewers without "crashing" like you said, so I'd invite you to give me a source on where you figured there was some technical difficulty - because everything I saw of that concert was done so professionally and without a glitch.

[John Kerry VonErich]

33. Never said there was technical difficulty

I will back out by saying you can have 30 million viewers (I'm man enough to admit I'm wrong), but I believe there were 30 million hits, not viewers.

The free ticket crap is pretty obvious, if you know how to promote, or listen to the radio for contests. Just google free live earth tickets, bang sources listed.

Am I making better sense?

[KharmaTrain]

37. Weekend/Holiday Ratings Vs. A Regular Series

Now I'd like to play devil's advocate...

I saw Live Earth...not only on Bravo, but I jumped all over the place...going from NBC to CNBC to Trio to Sundance and then to Universal HD. Anyone trying to montor my cable box would have had spasms after a while.

Weekend shows generally rate lower than weekday ones...especially on a holiday weekend. The other point is that you're comparing a .8 measured over several hours vs. a one hour strip show that has regularly aired at the same time (or near that time) for many years.

Overall, I have mixed feelings about Live Earth's success. Was I moved to replace all my lightbulbs because Rich Sambora said he is? Now c'mon. A lot of the artist appeals were laughable...but that wasn't why I tuned in and who know, it may affect some younger person.

As a student of rock 'n roll history, I saw this as one of those rare moments where music and message came together...to use a 60's term..."A Happening". It created a worldwide connection in a common cause...using music and technology to bridge nations and cultures for a few moments.

Many feel Woodstock was a total failure (financially it was) and Live Aid was a bust as well as there's still hunger and genocide in the Horn of Africa...but in a sense of a global community...or a generational moment, this is what I think the legacy of Live Earth will be. It may not make an immediate impact, but its message was spread to a large worldwide audience.

Cheers...

[BlooInBloo]

40. Shorter VonErich: I think live earth was a flop because of 3 things I'm guessing about.

[John Kerry VonErich]

47. How is that guessing?

nt

[spanone]

31. I can't imagine a conservative bias...I'm SHOCKED

[KG]

44. it didn't change the world overnight, so obviously it's a failure.

hear the same shit from some DUers about peace marches too...

[Az]

45. Its a matter of expectations

It raised awareness. If that was the goal then it succeeded.

It did not solve the problems of the world. If that was the expectation then it was foolish.

Changing the thinking of the world does not happen overnight just because of one really big global concert. Its going to take time.

[nonconformist]

49. Only a conservative would celebrate ignorance of the masses while the planet is destroyed.