Ok, so MNET (which we do not have in our home) has this weird show, where they get great DJs to come in and do some hot music, while their “TJs” – text jockeys – respond to live SMSs from viewers (dial 34583!) all over South Africa. I was admittedly slightly skeptical at first, and thought it to be a watered down version of Jonah Brucker-Cohen’s awesome collaborative performance, simpletext… but….
I had a blast. Honestly. The interactions were really funny – I felt like I was on an (localized) IRC, but with a moderator we watched on the telly, and really good, live mixes that we listened to communally, rather than my own MP3s blaring in the background. The show seems to have two audiences – the young teens who sit in front of the TVs with their phones, and the older crew who don’t interact, but tune in for the great live music, glancing at the screen every now and again, to have a giggle at the TJ’s blowing kisses on request.
So, what I’m saying is, this a great mass-media, pop culture adaptation of some relatively simple technology, turned into a complex (but easy to use) relationship. I’d buy that for R2.
