Attention Span

[Tommy Tran]

Mike P.:

>	A thought came to me when I read your message yesterday. You always 
>complain about how American kids don't read books anymore, but spend all their 
>time with tv instead. This hasn't been the case with Europe, but now cable and
>satellite have become popular in Finland too. Also you say that American
>kids don't read Duck comics any longer, but waste all their time on super-
>heros. Could those too have something to do with each other? Do I see the
>downfall of disney comics in Europe coming?

  I think this has something to do with attention span.  I don't know first
hand, and sorry if I offend, but I've heard that much of television in
Europe is "boring" (don't ask me where I heard this, because I don't
remember).  Some of the Brittish shows (closest to Europe that American
television tends to get) that make it over are intelligent, literate, and
on the whole, lack the constant explosions that appear often on American 
shows.
  The point in saying all this, is that in order to watch television in
Europe, to my understanding, you must have an attention span.
  Even some of the best American shows must cater to a largely short
attention span, channel surfing public.  
  Most new comics (i.e. Superhero) must cater to this audience, and 
therefore, rely on flashy art (with men that are severly 
misproportioned and women that are wearing very tight um... tights) 
with violent battles in every issue.  
  The few superhero magazines that can break this paradigm are those
that have been around awhile and have a longstanding readership base.
(Though, this also has exceptions i.e. the death/rebirth of Superman).
  If Finnish cable is bringing with is, short attention span shows
like American television, and more children are watching them,
then I fear for Disney comics.
  (If my initial assumptions are wrong, I'm sorry in advance.)
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|"I'm perfectly normal, it's everyone else that's wierd."   |
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|   (J\(B=0=/ Don't Panic                   - Tommy Tran        |
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|"We have normality, I repeat, we have normality. Anything you
|can't cope with is therefore your own problem."            |
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|                                       -Trillian           |
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