Sports have always been entertainment. People are willing to pay money to see men or women try to advance an odd-shaped ball down the field (football), throw a ball through a hoop (basketball), hit a hard-thrown ball with a stick (baseball), or kick a ball around (soccer).
They will also pay to watch tennis matches, swimming and diving competitions, and even ping-pong tournaments. They'll pay to watch athletes wrestle or pound one another with their fists encased in gloves. Yes, sports are definitely entertainment!
As a matter of fact, sporting events might even be able to claim to be the first form of entertainment — ever. Our prehistoric ancestors drew pictures that still exist today depicting men engaged in wrestling and fighting with their fists. The written word and plays came along much later, and movies and television even later than that.
Live sporting events are very popular today, but televised sporting events are even more popular. Every day people all over the world tune in to see their favorite teams compete.
The biggest single sporting event today is the Super Bowl. It's a one-game, winner-take-all contest between the AFC (American Football Conference) and the NFC (National Football Conference) champions. Thirty-second television commercials during the Super Bowl cost millions of dollars. More people watch the Super Bowl on television than any other event — sporting or otherwise.
The World Series of baseball also draws large crowds, but the World Series consists of no less than four games and can consist of up to seven games. In total, the World Series probably has more viewers, but the Super Bowl wins for most viewers of a single event.
Just recently the Olympic Games were held in Beijing, China. Michael Phelps garnered eight gold medals. Now THAT was entertainment!
Wednesday 29 September 2010
The Circus
The entertainment industry includes everything that's make-believe and/or makes us laugh, cry, become fearful, or happy or sad — or experience any other emotion because of what is happening before our eyes.
I call the circus entertainment at its finest, but there are those who would differ with me. Some want to classify the "entertainment industry" only as plays, movies, or television that employs actresses and actors to portray make-believe characters. That is simply too narrow a definition for me. I've stood in front of the monkey cage at the zoo and laughed harder than I did at the last comedy production that I attended.
The entertainment industry, in my opinion, includes anything and everything that provides entertainment — and that includes the circus.
The circus has it all. There's suspense (high wire acts), there's drama (trapeze acts), there's comedy (clowns), and the most amazing trained exotic animals you can imagine. That's entertainment. What else would you call it?
The circus isn't new. There was a circus in ancient Rome. There were horse shows, riding exhibitions, staged battles, and jugglers, acrobats, and trained animals. The Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey didn't think up the circus.
I call the circus entertainment at its finest, but there are those who would differ with me. Some want to classify the "entertainment industry" only as plays, movies, or television that employs actresses and actors to portray make-believe characters. That is simply too narrow a definition for me. I've stood in front of the monkey cage at the zoo and laughed harder than I did at the last comedy production that I attended.
The entertainment industry, in my opinion, includes anything and everything that provides entertainment — and that includes the circus.
The circus has it all. There's suspense (high wire acts), there's drama (trapeze acts), there's comedy (clowns), and the most amazing trained exotic animals you can imagine. That's entertainment. What else would you call it?
The circus isn't new. There was a circus in ancient Rome. There were horse shows, riding exhibitions, staged battles, and jugglers, acrobats, and trained animals. The Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey didn't think up the circus.
Musicals and Musical Theater
Musical theater, or "a musical," as it's come to be called, is one of the best forms of entertainment ever devised, in my opinion. You can get it all in there — you can have comedy and/or drama, music, songs, and dance all rolled up into one production on stage, on a movie screen, or even on a television screen.
You are told a wonderful and compelling story (drama) or you are made to laugh until you roll in the aisles (comedy). But above all, the whole story is told with more than just words or pictures.
"The Black Crook" is recognized as the first musical, and it's what gave America the right to claim having created the musical entertainment genre. The play was based on the novel by Charles M. Barras. "The Black Crook" opened on September 12, 1866, and ran for a record-breaking 474 performances. It was performed at the at the 3,200-seat Niblo's Garden on Broadway, New York City. There have been countless "revivals" of "The Black Crook" over the years.
Musicals are presented as big-budget, high-end extravaganzas on Broadway stages and in smaller-budget off-Broadway theaters. They're presented in big-budget movies and in not-so-extravagant low-budget films. They're presented by professionals, by amateur community theater groups, and by high school drama departments. Even kindergarten classes stage musicals starring vegetables and animals.
Musicals are generally profitable, no matter what venue they are presented in. Leave it to corporate America to find a cash cow. Today, Broadway musicals are most often corporate-sponsored. Musicals are making a comeback on television today, as well.
There are even musicals that have been created for the Internet! The best example is "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog," about a low-rent super-villain played by Neil Patrick Harris.
You are told a wonderful and compelling story (drama) or you are made to laugh until you roll in the aisles (comedy). But above all, the whole story is told with more than just words or pictures.
"The Black Crook" is recognized as the first musical, and it's what gave America the right to claim having created the musical entertainment genre. The play was based on the novel by Charles M. Barras. "The Black Crook" opened on September 12, 1866, and ran for a record-breaking 474 performances. It was performed at the at the 3,200-seat Niblo's Garden on Broadway, New York City. There have been countless "revivals" of "The Black Crook" over the years.
Musicals are presented as big-budget, high-end extravaganzas on Broadway stages and in smaller-budget off-Broadway theaters. They're presented in big-budget movies and in not-so-extravagant low-budget films. They're presented by professionals, by amateur community theater groups, and by high school drama departments. Even kindergarten classes stage musicals starring vegetables and animals.
Musicals are generally profitable, no matter what venue they are presented in. Leave it to corporate America to find a cash cow. Today, Broadway musicals are most often corporate-sponsored. Musicals are making a comeback on television today, as well.
There are even musicals that have been created for the Internet! The best example is "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog," about a low-rent super-villain played by Neil Patrick Harris.
Drama
The difficulties and the intricacies of relationships of life provide the material for dramatic productions of all kinds, and we're all introduced to drama at a very young age. Comedy makes us laugh, but the drama of the stories of our childhood make us better, stronger, and better able to handle life as it really is rather than the way we wish it was.
When your mom or dad first read you the story of a lost puppy or fairy tales like "The Three Little Pigs," you were experiencing drama. We suffered WITH the little lost puppy and felt his fear. When he was found, we experienced his relief at danger being overcome and the joy of reunion. That's drama. When we heard the story of the three little pigs, we were introduced to the different ways in which people approach a problem, and we empathized with each little pig's take on the problem (the wolf).
Drama taught us what all of the wise counsel of the adults in our world would never have gotten across to us; fear, relief, the power of love, making good decisions, etc.
Some stage plays, movies, and television programs make use of drama as a mode of entertainment. We're presented with characters with whom we can empathize. We are also presented with characters that we like, some that we love, and others that we really love to hate. It's the combination of light and shadow, good and evil, that makes a drama believable.
It's often been debated whether art imitates life or life imitates art. I'd venture to say that some of both are true. Good drama is spellbinding. Good drama keeps you guessing. If you can guess the outcome, then the play, movie, or television program failed.
When your mom or dad first read you the story of a lost puppy or fairy tales like "The Three Little Pigs," you were experiencing drama. We suffered WITH the little lost puppy and felt his fear. When he was found, we experienced his relief at danger being overcome and the joy of reunion. That's drama. When we heard the story of the three little pigs, we were introduced to the different ways in which people approach a problem, and we empathized with each little pig's take on the problem (the wolf).
Drama taught us what all of the wise counsel of the adults in our world would never have gotten across to us; fear, relief, the power of love, making good decisions, etc.
Some stage plays, movies, and television programs make use of drama as a mode of entertainment. We're presented with characters with whom we can empathize. We are also presented with characters that we like, some that we love, and others that we really love to hate. It's the combination of light and shadow, good and evil, that makes a drama believable.
It's often been debated whether art imitates life or life imitates art. I'd venture to say that some of both are true. Good drama is spellbinding. Good drama keeps you guessing. If you can guess the outcome, then the play, movie, or television program failed.
Comedy as entertainment
Comedy as entertainment has been around for a while. The oldest written comedy was written by a dramatist of the ancient Greek theater, Aristophanes. He wrote 40 comedies, and 11 of them are still being performed today.
These ancient Greek comedies were based on "humor" that today would be called "politically incorrect." They were bawdy, sexist, and full of sexual innuendo, and made fun of certain groups or stereotypes.
Vaudeville gave birth to modern humor. Although humor was still mostly politically incorrect, it did move on from sexual innuendo and making fun of certain groups of people to more sophisticated forms of "funny."
When moving pictures came along, comedy was based almost entirely upon action. We called it "slapstick." Punching, hitting, twisting arms, etc. was funny. The Three Stooges were the quintessential slapstick comedians of the era. They could walk into a room full of high society stuffed-shirts and leave the place in shambles. The Three Stooges movies are still popular today, and nobody has bettered their slapstick technique — ever.
You can't discuss comedy without mentioning the "first couple of comedy," Lucy and Desi. The "I Love Lucy" Show was comedy at its best. The jokes are still politically correct today. It wasn't necessary to rely on sexual innuendo or ethnic humor. Lucy and Desi were just FUNNY. Those old reruns can still make people laugh!
Sexual and ethnic humor gets the "cheapest" laughs. Very little talent is required, and even the timing isn't all that important. REAL comedy makes you laugh without relying on cheap laughs. Think about that the next time you watch what sometimes passes for comedy today.
True comedians are real artists. Comedy is probably THE most difficult form of entertainment. Comedians and comedies don't have to wait for the reviews to be written. If the audience laughed in the right places, the show was a hit. If they didn't, it wasn't.
These ancient Greek comedies were based on "humor" that today would be called "politically incorrect." They were bawdy, sexist, and full of sexual innuendo, and made fun of certain groups or stereotypes.
Vaudeville gave birth to modern humor. Although humor was still mostly politically incorrect, it did move on from sexual innuendo and making fun of certain groups of people to more sophisticated forms of "funny."
When moving pictures came along, comedy was based almost entirely upon action. We called it "slapstick." Punching, hitting, twisting arms, etc. was funny. The Three Stooges were the quintessential slapstick comedians of the era. They could walk into a room full of high society stuffed-shirts and leave the place in shambles. The Three Stooges movies are still popular today, and nobody has bettered their slapstick technique — ever.
You can't discuss comedy without mentioning the "first couple of comedy," Lucy and Desi. The "I Love Lucy" Show was comedy at its best. The jokes are still politically correct today. It wasn't necessary to rely on sexual innuendo or ethnic humor. Lucy and Desi were just FUNNY. Those old reruns can still make people laugh!
Sexual and ethnic humor gets the "cheapest" laughs. Very little talent is required, and even the timing isn't all that important. REAL comedy makes you laugh without relying on cheap laughs. Think about that the next time you watch what sometimes passes for comedy today.
True comedians are real artists. Comedy is probably THE most difficult form of entertainment. Comedians and comedies don't have to wait for the reviews to be written. If the audience laughed in the right places, the show was a hit. If they didn't, it wasn't.
Find the Best Music News Magazines Available
When you are a fan of music you tend to read a ton of music magazines, there are magazines you read for entertainment and then there are magazines that serve the purpose of informing you of what is going on in the world of music. The later is called music news magazines. Music news magazines have all the information you want to know on new album releases, artists, and other news that is of interest to musicians. Although you will find in music news magazines information on more than just music, they are the number one source for music news.
You cold just watch MTV News all the time but that will not give you the while picture when it comes to music news, but just give you bits of information they think you are interested in. When you subscribe to music news magazines you have more thorough news articles to read as well as full interviews with your favorite artists. The best music news magazines are available to you in both printed for and online music magazines. The printed magazines are the best choice for some people who need to actually hold something in their hands, while the online magazines are good enough for the rest of us.
If you are an avid computer user then you will have no problem with getting your music news magazines online instead of in print form. Online magazines are a very convenient way top get all the information you want right when you want it and you will be staying environmentally friendly in the process. With all the concern these days to stay”green” it is a great idea to switch over to electronic magazines. When you read a magazine online you get all the information you would get from a printed magazine without all the wasted paper and needing to dispose of it later on.
Many people have an issue with keeping too much stuff and getting a cluttered home, if this is you, you really need to get your magazines online instead. Both ways to receive music magazines are good you just need to pick the one that best suits your needs and wants and go with it. Whether you get them online or delivered to your front step you will find all the best information you want to know about music from music news magazines such as interviews with artists, reviews of albums before you get them, and especially all the latest news on everything music you might want to read about.
You cold just watch MTV News all the time but that will not give you the while picture when it comes to music news, but just give you bits of information they think you are interested in. When you subscribe to music news magazines you have more thorough news articles to read as well as full interviews with your favorite artists. The best music news magazines are available to you in both printed for and online music magazines. The printed magazines are the best choice for some people who need to actually hold something in their hands, while the online magazines are good enough for the rest of us.
If you are an avid computer user then you will have no problem with getting your music news magazines online instead of in print form. Online magazines are a very convenient way top get all the information you want right when you want it and you will be staying environmentally friendly in the process. With all the concern these days to stay”green” it is a great idea to switch over to electronic magazines. When you read a magazine online you get all the information you would get from a printed magazine without all the wasted paper and needing to dispose of it later on.
Many people have an issue with keeping too much stuff and getting a cluttered home, if this is you, you really need to get your magazines online instead. Both ways to receive music magazines are good you just need to pick the one that best suits your needs and wants and go with it. Whether you get them online or delivered to your front step you will find all the best information you want to know about music from music news magazines such as interviews with artists, reviews of albums before you get them, and especially all the latest news on everything music you might want to read about.
The Interesting World of Music Magazines and E Zines
You might not be familiar with music magazines and e zines so let us find out what they are all about. The idea of a music magazine is to inform the reader of what is going on in the world of music. There are music magazines on a variety of music styles and types ranging from hip hop to classical music. Another form of music magazine is the magazines available to teachers of music. Basically any type of music you can think of to listen to there is most likely a magazine on the subject. You can search for something like African Cultural music of Celtic music and you will find a magazine that covers the subject.
The many things about music that music magazines and e zines cover is the latest news on the music as well as interviews with the artist, charts listings, and sometimes the magazines even have instruments for sale through the magazine itself. It all depends on what type of music magazines and e zines you end up subscribing to. On your search for the best magazines you will encounter many different styles and types of music you might not have even known existed.
Now that you have a better idea of what exactly a music magazine is and offers, you can get to answering the whole question which was what are music magazines and e zines? What is an e zine well it sounds a bit like e mail and that would mean to most people that it stands for electronic magazines. That is exactly what they are, magazines that are available to you electronically instead of just through paper printing. This idea of electronic magazines is a good lead for people who use the computer for everything from paying bills to ordering pizza.
Reading magazines on the computer will be natural and enjoyable for them. However if you happen to have grown up reading paper magazines and can’t get used to the idea of having a magazine only on your computer then you can still get printed music magazines and e zines can stay available to those computer loving technology friendly people. No matter what type of music you like it is good to know that there are music magazines and e zines out there for you to subscribe to. You can find the very best in music news from magazines whether you like to read paper magazines or are ready to move on to electronic magazines for music news and interviews.
The many things about music that music magazines and e zines cover is the latest news on the music as well as interviews with the artist, charts listings, and sometimes the magazines even have instruments for sale through the magazine itself. It all depends on what type of music magazines and e zines you end up subscribing to. On your search for the best magazines you will encounter many different styles and types of music you might not have even known existed.
Now that you have a better idea of what exactly a music magazine is and offers, you can get to answering the whole question which was what are music magazines and e zines? What is an e zine well it sounds a bit like e mail and that would mean to most people that it stands for electronic magazines. That is exactly what they are, magazines that are available to you electronically instead of just through paper printing. This idea of electronic magazines is a good lead for people who use the computer for everything from paying bills to ordering pizza.
Reading magazines on the computer will be natural and enjoyable for them. However if you happen to have grown up reading paper magazines and can’t get used to the idea of having a magazine only on your computer then you can still get printed music magazines and e zines can stay available to those computer loving technology friendly people. No matter what type of music you like it is good to know that there are music magazines and e zines out there for you to subscribe to. You can find the very best in music news from magazines whether you like to read paper magazines or are ready to move on to electronic magazines for music news and interviews.
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