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Why “Ring Nation” is Perfect American Television
Amazon wants your doorbell footage for its new dystopian television show
“Stories from your friends next door, they never told, you might be a star tonight, so let that camera roll.”
The opening lyrics of America’s Funniest Home Videos summed up late 1980s television culture pretty well. Early in the decade, the home video camcorder was invented and by the decade’s end, nearly every sock-and-sandals dad was out videotaping every moment of their family’s lives.
America’s Funniest Home Videos on ABC was based on a Japanese format which let people submit their home videos for a chance to win a cash prize. ABC cast “America’s Dad” Bob Saget, a raunchy comedian-turned-wholesome parent on Full House, to host the show. Saget would add cute voiceovers and quirky quips over the clips in each segment.
AFV, as it was later known, helped develop the model and format of the viral video. The show was filled with captured moments in time, showing just the visual punchline from the recordings of mainly mundane everyday life. The rawness and authenticity were mesmerizing — shaky camera footage of kids falling, non-deadly accidents, animals doing funny tricks, and embarrassing moments filled each episode. It was voyeurism without being creepy. It was…
