Matthew Rutledge » video

Direct connection

Matthew Rutledge — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 12:44:25 +0000

While the previous video was more of an internal self-promotion video for WFAA in Dallas, this video was a major ad campaign used during junctions and station breaks for Philadelphia’s KYW-TV. It is simply stunning — these promos have a futuristic, whimsical, avant-garde tenor paired with a bit of psychedelia. It might be the closest TV ever came to producing something obviously influenced by cocaine.

Click to play:

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Trudy Haynes is my favorite. “I’m your direct connection… to the grapevine.” But I love it all — the weird sunny/rainy/lightning bolts over Philadelphia City Hall, the dramatic electronics from the stock ticker and meterological equipment, the “Whoo!‘s” from the electro-disco sound track, it’s all fantastic.

PS: I have written a blog post about this before, but the clip keeps on disappearing from Youtube. This time, I snagged a copy of my own so that it won’t happen again. (All copyrights respective of their owners, this is for educational purposes only.)

Back when leotards told the story

Matthew Rutledge — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:41:28 +0000

Thanks to my inimitable friend Joseph, who has a penchant for finding all the weirdest crap that youtube has to offer, I have now watched this 1980 WFAA-TV (Dallas/Fort Worth) promo video eleventy times.

It is nuts how in 1980, mustachioed men in leotards were simply “court jesters” that told the story of TV ratings success, and not big flaming homosexuals doing pirouettes.

This is really worth a watch — for a number of reasons. It offers a glimpse into a world of broadcast television that used to spend lots of money to develop strong brand images, and it also offers a glimpse into the world of leotard-wearing fancy men circa 1980 in The Metroplex.

Housekeeping!

Matthew Rutledge — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 21:33:08 +0000

I’m trying to finally redesign my site properly. Believe it or not, looking this good isn’t easy, and behind the pretty facade, there’s a lot of chubby code that can barely be contained by control top pantyhose. So watch this place, good things are happening!

I’ll leave you with Westchester County’s own Laura Branigan (1957–2004) with her appearance on CHIPs as “Sarah”, singing what else… “Gloria”!

Herein lies the brilliance of Kath & Kim

Matthew Rutledge — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 08:46:41 +0000

The amount of jokes they throw into each episode is shocking, shockingly good that is. I can watch an episode ten times or more and then during the eleventh, or thirty-seventh, or 892017th viewing, discover yet another play on word or subtle joke.

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“It’s like a cabbage patch… doll!”

Tell them it’s my wealthy sister

Matthew Rutledge — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 08:33:28 +0000

Large house, swimming pool, room for a pony… (wink)

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Trude. Prue. Two visions in vinyl

Matthew Rutledge — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 04:34:26 +0000

“When I married your father I got eight crockpots, never again!”

“Are you alright there, or are you just happy browsing?”

“The Hyatt, The Sheraton, Crown Towers?”

“Mature bride… tick!”

“This is the Le Creuset, only $400 for the Dutch oven!”

“It’s period… it’s perfect!”

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I’m your direct connection … to the boob tube.

Matthew Rutledge — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:46:52 +0000

What I am about to show you is brilliant, in and of itself. It manages to make Philadelphia seem like one gigantic fire hydrant set loose, this weird combination of hip, informed, dramatic and coy at the same time.

However, this is just the song KYW-TV used for their Direct Connection promo spots, which aired from 1979–1980. The background images are the same ones used during the actual commercials, but the footage of the commercials themselves have been taken off of Youtube. So I snagged this for myself, in case it were to be removed like the promos themselves. I am keeping it for cultural exposure if nothing else.

Imagine the following mixed with news reporters stating such directly connected, cocaine-fueled promises as: “I’m your direct connection — to the I-TEAM.” Or: “I’m your direct connection … to the grapevine.” (The best line of all.)

This may be one of the only TV promo jingles that would have been considered hip and par for the course in a 1979 dance club. It has the pulsing Moroder-esque beat that never gets old, with only occasional interludes of strings, interrupted by a whimsical “Whoo!”

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Rumor has it she’s… bangin’ the boss.

Matthew Rutledge — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 09:50:28 +0000

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