Screen Magazine: Vol. 28, Issue 13

Screen Magazine - Index

Screen Magazine - Screen Magazine: Vol. 28, Issue 13 - Index

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There’s nothing like beer, and I’m not just
talking about a cold beer but of course
that’s the best.
I’m talking about the culture of beer.
I’m talking about beer balls and beer halls,
shotguns and cannonballs. I’m talking beer
bongs and beer goggles and the beer barrel
polka. I’m talking forties and tall boys. Sixers.
Kegs. Keggers. Keg stands and quarters. You
might as well belly up and grab a beer because
I could go on and on.
Unfortunately, Bud.TV cannot–at least, not
in its present state. The website backed by the
earth’s largest brewery has trouble attracting
visitors and according to a report in AdAge,
it was recently deemed less popular than a
website devoted to sheet rubber.
Such inadequacy baffles anyone who has ever
drunk a beer or, for example, a mini-pitcher
from The Mutiny on Western Ave. in Chicago.
Here, entertainment flows from the tap. This
is where bands get inspired by patrons who
then get banned. This is where the crowd often
hails the Sausage Man, who arrives by surprise
with pork in hand. It is a place where large
quantities of beer are consumed by a crowd that
plays with plastic safety darts.
Capturing the attention of these happy-golucky
consumers seems like a no-brainer. Yet
somehow, Bud.TV’s bubbly concept has fizzled
into backwash so flat that even the regulars
won’t touch it. How did this happen? The
answer lies in the content.
It’s not the specific plan or strategy behind the
content that deserves scrutiny. It is the fact that
a plan or strategy exists at all. Whereas beer
drinkers seem to be entertained by anything,
Bud.TV sought to give them something. They
brought brains to a no-brainer.
You can’t rely on beer drinkers to think
about a plan or strategy unless it is connected
to a sporting event. Even then, it’s a risk.
Many come for the tailgating, the trash-talking
and the fighting. That’s how the reality show
“COPS” became the most successful program
made by beer drinkers for beer drinkers.
Fortunately, Bud.TV is adding small doses
of this sweet vulgarity to its recipe. “Swear
Jar” features office workers who willfully
cuss in order to contribute to the company
swear jar. Since the funds will someday
be used to “buy something...like a case of
Bud Light,” the swearing becomes a part
of everyday conversation. It was viewed
nearly 375,000 times on YouTube within a
week of its release.
Now that’s what I’m f*cking talking
about.
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