Wrong Demographic
I am 56 years old, and feel like I am 20 years younger. I keep a full schedule at work, doing things now that years ago I never would have imagined myself doing. Other than some GI distress, I am relatively healthy. I sleep a little more on the weekends, but still want to have fun. Imagine my mental distress when I read on the internet that I am in the “wrong demographic”.
How can that be? My wife and I are full blown baby boomers, the largest segment in our society. Our kids are grown and their college is either paid for or pert near paid for. We are at our peak earning years. We have expendable income, and less than expendable time that we are looking to use in a fulfilling manner.
Nonetheless, when the cable television networks the WB (A Time Warner subsidiary) and UPN (A CBS Viacom subsidiary) merged last May to form the new CW television network, us boomers were deemed to be the wrong demographic. How did I find out? One of the few television shows my wife and I watch on a regular basis is Reba McEntire’s sitcom “Reba”. It was one of the highest rated shows, and the highest rated sitcom, on the WB network. That didn’t stop the 20 something CW television executives from canceling the show because it appealed to the “wrong demographic”.
The CW saw the error of its ways, however, not because it made no sense to cancel a highly rated show just because its viewers aren’t between the ages of diapers and 22, but because the CW was informed that there was a $20 million cancellation charge it would have to pay the producers of the show if it wasn’t picked up for an additional season. It has to do with syndication. So right now, "Reba" is scheduled to be a midseason replacement for one of their many low rated, but demographically correct shows, in January.
I am thoroughly depressed being a member of the wrong demographic. The only thing marketers are interested in selling to me are Erectile Dysfunction pills, osteoporosis pills to my wife, and term life insurance policies to both of us pay for our funerals. In modern retailing, there is nothing worth selling to anyone over the age of 40. Here are some suggestions:
1) Blue jeans that fit.
2) Electronic equipment that doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out how to turn down the volume.
3) Cars that don’t "feel the road”. Buick quit making the Park Avenue.
4) Vacation packages that you don’t have to have a body beautiful to enjoy.
5) Movies with a good story, and less drugs, sex, and violence. OK, less drugs and violence.
6) Finally, anything that is non hip-hop.
I, for one, am ready to stand up and be counted. Boomers of the world unite.
A-tti-ca. A-tti-ca. Are there any grapes we can boycott? Better yet, let’s take over the network headquarters. Where is the SDS when you need it?
How can that be? My wife and I are full blown baby boomers, the largest segment in our society. Our kids are grown and their college is either paid for or pert near paid for. We are at our peak earning years. We have expendable income, and less than expendable time that we are looking to use in a fulfilling manner.
Nonetheless, when the cable television networks the WB (A Time Warner subsidiary) and UPN (A CBS Viacom subsidiary) merged last May to form the new CW television network, us boomers were deemed to be the wrong demographic. How did I find out? One of the few television shows my wife and I watch on a regular basis is Reba McEntire’s sitcom “Reba”. It was one of the highest rated shows, and the highest rated sitcom, on the WB network. That didn’t stop the 20 something CW television executives from canceling the show because it appealed to the “wrong demographic”.
The CW saw the error of its ways, however, not because it made no sense to cancel a highly rated show just because its viewers aren’t between the ages of diapers and 22, but because the CW was informed that there was a $20 million cancellation charge it would have to pay the producers of the show if it wasn’t picked up for an additional season. It has to do with syndication. So right now, "Reba" is scheduled to be a midseason replacement for one of their many low rated, but demographically correct shows, in January.
I am thoroughly depressed being a member of the wrong demographic. The only thing marketers are interested in selling to me are Erectile Dysfunction pills, osteoporosis pills to my wife, and term life insurance policies to both of us pay for our funerals. In modern retailing, there is nothing worth selling to anyone over the age of 40. Here are some suggestions:
1) Blue jeans that fit.
2) Electronic equipment that doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out how to turn down the volume.
3) Cars that don’t "feel the road”. Buick quit making the Park Avenue.
4) Vacation packages that you don’t have to have a body beautiful to enjoy.
5) Movies with a good story, and less drugs, sex, and violence. OK, less drugs and violence.
6) Finally, anything that is non hip-hop.
I, for one, am ready to stand up and be counted. Boomers of the world unite.
A-tti-ca. A-tti-ca. Are there any grapes we can boycott? Better yet, let’s take over the network headquarters. Where is the SDS when you need it?
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