covemagazine.com (2002- 2006)
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From July 2006
Read our interviews with some of the most popular webmasters on the Internet. These creative individual have greatly increase the quality of what's online, and at the same time, keep our minds hungry for more information. So go ahead, and dig into these great minds, behind these websites. Don't forget to visit their links.
WITH "Aric McKeown"
coVE: Makemewatchtv.com, I guess the web address speaks for itself, how did you get the idea for such a website?
Aric: My mind was firing off randomly while driving to perform in an improv show. The idea seemed to pop in there out of nowhere. When I got to the performance venue, I told my improv partner about this stupid idea I came up with on the way over. We laughed, and I thought that would be the end of it. But the idea stuck in there, so I had to build the
website, if only to get it out of my head.
coVE: How does it work?
Aric: I give up control of my prime time viewing hours to the public. For the hours of 7 pm and 8pm CST, I set up polls on my website. Anyone who visits Make Me Watch TV can cast a vote for what I should be forced to
watch. They can be cruel or they can be kind. They tend to be cruel.
When a show wins, I blog about the shows live so people know I am actually watching. I also set up a webcam so people can watch me watch the show. Sometimes I watch me watch me watch the show. It can get a little weird.
coVE: What's the best show that you liked from your visitor's votes?
Aric: The best show I have had to watch is 24. I had been putting off watching this show, as I wanted to watch from the beginning of season one. Surprisingly, jumping into the series at episode 15 of the 5th season
was very easy to do and very entertaining.
coVE: Is that show now one of your favorites?
Aric: 24 is now one of my favorite shows. I haven't watched any more of season 5, but my wife and I have worked our way from the beginning to half way through season 3 in a very short amount of time.
coVE: What's the worst show you watched from your visitor's votes?
Aric: It really is a toss up. There is a local affairs show for Minnesota called Almanac, which is like pulling teeth that are made of nothing but nerve endings. As far as main stream shows go, Ghost Whisperer, 7th Heaven, and Gilmore Girls are all tied for being terrible shows.
coVE: Talk about the sponsorship. Visitors can actually buy a DVD or video for you to watch?
Aric: There are a few forms of sponsorship. For $5 for every half hour of programming, a sponsor can override the popular vote and force me to watch whatever they like. The other option is DVD sponsorships. Some
fans are so fervent that they just want more people to watch their favorite shows. I set up an option where they can donate to the purchase of their favorite DVD box set. On the weekends, I sometimes put up
polls for what DVD box set I should watch. So I'll watch those and comment live about them like I would a live show.
coVE: How serious do some take your comments on these shows?
Aric: The fans take my comments very seriously. The Alias fans had surprisingly thin skin when it came to making fun of their favorite show. I did go a little far, and called Jennifer Garner "DAR" for "Dumb As Rocks." I also did it because I knew the fans would be reading. I was messing with them.
In contrast, the Everwood fans were extremely receptive, even when I was making fun of their show. They were entertained by the comments of someone who had never seen their show before. That is the right attitude to have towards Make Me Watch TV.
Really, you can't take anything I write too terribly seriously. It isn't a well thought out piece of classic literature. It is a stream of words that is going out live. I try to be entertaining and funny. I make fun of both my favorite shows and least favorite shows. Not equally, but no one escapes without some bruises.
coVE: This smart little website is very nice. How much recognition have you gotten about it lately?
Aric: A story on my site went out on the AP news wire about a month ago. That led to a bunch of radio interviews too. Now I just need someone to come by with a book deal. Heck, even a TV deal. I could be forced to watch myself. I think the world might explode if that happened.
coVE: Finally, Are you excited about the new fall 2006 Television season?
Aric: I am overly excited for the return of Lost this fall. I also want to see the mid-season replacement, Andy Barker, PI. Andy Richter hasn't gotten a fair shake since Andy Richter Controls The Universe was cancelled. Andy Barker also is produced by Conan O'Brien and co-stars Tony Hale from Arrested Development. You can't go wrong there.
Thank you so much for your time, Aric. Everyone please visit this Yahoo! Pick of The Week winner at
http://www.makemewatchtv.com
Aric: My mind was firing off randomly while driving to perform in an improv show. The idea seemed to pop in there out of nowhere. When I got to the performance venue, I told my improv partner about this stupid idea I came up with on the way over. We laughed, and I thought that would be the end of it. But the idea stuck in there, so I had to build the
website, if only to get it out of my head.
coVE: How does it work?
Aric: I give up control of my prime time viewing hours to the public. For the hours of 7 pm and 8pm CST, I set up polls on my website. Anyone who visits Make Me Watch TV can cast a vote for what I should be forced to
watch. They can be cruel or they can be kind. They tend to be cruel.
When a show wins, I blog about the shows live so people know I am actually watching. I also set up a webcam so people can watch me watch the show. Sometimes I watch me watch me watch the show. It can get a little weird.
coVE: What's the best show that you liked from your visitor's votes?
Aric: The best show I have had to watch is 24. I had been putting off watching this show, as I wanted to watch from the beginning of season one. Surprisingly, jumping into the series at episode 15 of the 5th season
was very easy to do and very entertaining.
coVE: Is that show now one of your favorites?
Aric: 24 is now one of my favorite shows. I haven't watched any more of season 5, but my wife and I have worked our way from the beginning to half way through season 3 in a very short amount of time.
coVE: What's the worst show you watched from your visitor's votes?
Aric: It really is a toss up. There is a local affairs show for Minnesota called Almanac, which is like pulling teeth that are made of nothing but nerve endings. As far as main stream shows go, Ghost Whisperer, 7th Heaven, and Gilmore Girls are all tied for being terrible shows.
coVE: Talk about the sponsorship. Visitors can actually buy a DVD or video for you to watch?
Aric: There are a few forms of sponsorship. For $5 for every half hour of programming, a sponsor can override the popular vote and force me to watch whatever they like. The other option is DVD sponsorships. Some
fans are so fervent that they just want more people to watch their favorite shows. I set up an option where they can donate to the purchase of their favorite DVD box set. On the weekends, I sometimes put up
polls for what DVD box set I should watch. So I'll watch those and comment live about them like I would a live show.
coVE: How serious do some take your comments on these shows?
Aric: The fans take my comments very seriously. The Alias fans had surprisingly thin skin when it came to making fun of their favorite show. I did go a little far, and called Jennifer Garner "DAR" for "Dumb As Rocks." I also did it because I knew the fans would be reading. I was messing with them.
In contrast, the Everwood fans were extremely receptive, even when I was making fun of their show. They were entertained by the comments of someone who had never seen their show before. That is the right attitude to have towards Make Me Watch TV.
Really, you can't take anything I write too terribly seriously. It isn't a well thought out piece of classic literature. It is a stream of words that is going out live. I try to be entertaining and funny. I make fun of both my favorite shows and least favorite shows. Not equally, but no one escapes without some bruises.
coVE: This smart little website is very nice. How much recognition have you gotten about it lately?
Aric: A story on my site went out on the AP news wire about a month ago. That led to a bunch of radio interviews too. Now I just need someone to come by with a book deal. Heck, even a TV deal. I could be forced to watch myself. I think the world might explode if that happened.
coVE: Finally, Are you excited about the new fall 2006 Television season?
Aric: I am overly excited for the return of Lost this fall. I also want to see the mid-season replacement, Andy Barker, PI. Andy Richter hasn't gotten a fair shake since Andy Richter Controls The Universe was cancelled. Andy Barker also is produced by Conan O'Brien and co-stars Tony Hale from Arrested Development. You can't go wrong there.
Thank you so much for your time, Aric. Everyone please visit this Yahoo! Pick of The Week winner at
http://www.makemewatchtv.com