I think that most blogs, Youtube videos, Myspace accounts and so on, are less about putting great content out there than they are about people putting themselves out there. In a day when fame is more about exposure than actual accomplishment (seriously, what is on Paris Hilton's W2?), people are scrambling for a chance to be seen by the public or to be on TV, even if it is fleeting. After all, how many idiots and lousy singers showcase themselves on American Idol? How many people spend hours on Myspace reaching out to strangers to boost their friend count? How many people humiliate their friends, family, and selves for the sake of creating a video to upload to the internet? While I think attention is definitely being devoted to other avenues that normally would be dedicated soley to TV, it's more about personal ability to manipulate media than it is about the quality of the programming. After all, kareoke is still a fairly popular activity, but people prefer listening to their iPods.

In one way the My Space/You Tube 'evolution' may well produce some excellent ground breaking talent that could easily be transferred to the big screen/stage/ipod, but who is going to spend the days, weeks even years trawling through all the nonsense before they find it. But if someone has talent, they have talent, whether viewed via a podcast or on the big screen. I kind of like some of the stuff on You tube that isn't so rehearsed and plastic. A two minute rant, song, gaff or piece of music seen on one of these sights maybe won't change your life, but some broadcasts are as, if not more memorable than alot of the tried and tested safe tv and film churned out by many an established broadcaster. However with another series of Big Brother starting this week in the UK, it's hilarious to see how some desperate shameless, talentless bods will go for their slice of user generated fame, fear not prime time tv will always deliver.

Today, there is not more talent than yesterday. But there is one big difference: Today, we ourselves decide who has talent and who does not. I've worked in the music industrie for three year, and it's good to know that the so called A&R experts are loosing influence. With the rest, I totally agree. Talent will always need to be paid...eventually.