johnnyblaze
Silver Member
- Dec 20, 2010
- 3,208
- 1,750
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- Detector(s) used
- T2 SPECIAL EDITION
- Primary Interest:
- Other
Its long but read what this guy wrote ![:-\](https://www.treasurenet.com/smilies/undecided.gif "Undecided :-\")
Debriefing on the first episodes of "diggers" TV Shows from ACRA-L.
Mike Polk
Sagebrush Consultants
Ogden, Utah
Report on National Geographic Channel "Diggers"
Dear Colleagues:
I watched both of the 30-minute episodes of "Diggers" broadcast yesterday
evening, although I barely made it through the second half-hour as I found
it becoming repetitively boring (and chock full of ads -- more on these,
below). The show is typical Natl Geo style -- beautiful locations, good
camera work, well-edited. But the "stars" -- the self-styled "Ringmaster" and
"King George," are buffoons-I shouldn't doubt that serious metal detecting
folks will not appreciate the caricatures. These two spend a great deal of
camera time relating their enthusiasm for finding "juice," "nectar," and
"roundness," all their terms for the buried "treasure" they excitedly dig up. I
didn't think their "discovery rush" translated all that well despite their
over-the-top efforts to whip the audience into a pot-hunting frenzy.
There's also plenty of reality TV side-show antics, such as silly bets between
the two-e.g., who comes up with the oldest item-leading to the loser having
to complete a du
mb stunt like riding a bicycle off a dock into a freezing cold lake while
in drag or licking a jellyfish washed up on the beach (I kid you not).
Happily, there was zero mention of archaeology or science, and no effort
at all trying to legitimate this activity as anything remotely educational
or additive to general knowledge. The term "artifacts" was never used and
"context" or why it's important was never brought up. The most damaging
thing, I think, about this show is that no effort was made to document where
anything came from or discussion of associations-each discovered item was
handled piece-meal. Of course, "the past" and "history" were repeatedly invoked
as cool, interesting, but ultimately, simply a source of cash. In the
first two minutes, the tone was set and the rest of the dialogue was
unwavering: "we're obsessed," "a thousand ways to cash in," "wild west loot --
we're
going to get digging" [the first episode started in Montana -- "Old
territorial prison grounds"], "so join the search," "let's plunder this pokey."
On
and on.
This show is 100 percent metal detecting with digging limited to
near-surface garden troweling -- although one piece (from a South Carolina
plantation setting), had them unearthing an item from almost a foot below the
surface. The show was very scant on details about where they were collecting,
although terms like "we were invited" and the "the owner wants us to find"
were carefully inserted. The first episode was shot in Montana -- as noted at
the old territorial prison where the "director" expressed the hope they
would find "graves" as rumor holds that some inmates were interred on the
grounds (they weren't able to locate any). Then they switched locations to a
large private ranch (Chevallier). The second episode was set in South
Carolina, first on James Island, "scene of many Civil War battles," and then a
brief stint on a beach of undisclosed location where modern coins and a ring
were found, and then to Fenwick Plantation where Revolutionary War and War
of 1812 buttons,
bullets, and coins were recovered. Having spent the past two years in an
(on-going) struggle to preserve against planned development the only War of
1812 battlefield known in Iowa, it turned my stomach to see these two
cavalierly pock-marking what was clearly a battlefield context with good
integrity, selectively removing the metal items they happened to detect-there
wasn't even a semblance of concern shown for the benefits of being systematic.
In each episode, they pocket their take -- no mention of showing or sharing
with landowners, and then they sell some and the rest is apparently kept,
although again no mention is made of recording provenience or any such
concerns. There was a disclaimer added at the end of the episode about
following local regs and getting landowner permission. This hardly mitigates the
main message of the programming that comes through loud and clear: the past is
there for the taking, help yourselves like we do, preservation isn't even
worth talking
about.
Cash, in the end, is what this show is about on two parallel levels. First
(and foremost re why made and shown) it's about advertising revenue.
Consider this list: Verizon, iPhone S, Nationwide, GEICO, Mazda, Acura, Volvo,
Sam Adams, Heineken, and CSX Rail -- these are the majors. What strikes me
as especially telling is that the personas Ringmaster and King George
project is anything but a Heineken-drinking, Volvo-driving, iPhone-using
demographic. I'm not sure what to make of the combination of bozo-behavior on a
seemingly respectable, education-oriented channel like Natl Geo, but maybe we
are witnessing the descent of Natl Geo into the realm of unabashedly
"whatever" programming. For the moment, they are a preferred venue for Heineken
and Volvo, but maybe in a year or two it will be Bud Light and Chevy.
Secondly, the expressed driving motivation for Ringmaster and King George is
the
cash value of the items they recover, plain and simple. I thought I might
learn something about the how-to aspect of metal detecting, pros and cons
of different equipment, etc., but this really wasn't the point any more than
being concerned about adversely impacting nonrenewable resources was the
focus. Ironic that both CSX Rail and Mazda ran ads focused on the importance
of preserving the environment -- CSX promotes "Nature is spectacular --
let's keep it that way" while Mazda tied themselves to "The Lorax" movie that
is recently out (or about to be released).
To close this overly lengthy report, I'll never intentionally watch this
program again as there is simply nothing of value to it, not even mindless
entertainment. I hope this is the general response, and Natl Geo drops it.
After all, they can readily profit from their programming like "Doomsday
Preppers" or "American Weed."
John Doershuk
State Archaeologist
University of Iowa
Debriefing on the first episodes of "diggers" TV Shows from ACRA-L.
Mike Polk
Sagebrush Consultants
Ogden, Utah
Report on National Geographic Channel "Diggers"
Dear Colleagues:
I watched both of the 30-minute episodes of "Diggers" broadcast yesterday
evening, although I barely made it through the second half-hour as I found
it becoming repetitively boring (and chock full of ads -- more on these,
below). The show is typical Natl Geo style -- beautiful locations, good
camera work, well-edited. But the "stars" -- the self-styled "Ringmaster" and
"King George," are buffoons-I shouldn't doubt that serious metal detecting
folks will not appreciate the caricatures. These two spend a great deal of
camera time relating their enthusiasm for finding "juice," "nectar," and
"roundness," all their terms for the buried "treasure" they excitedly dig up. I
didn't think their "discovery rush" translated all that well despite their
over-the-top efforts to whip the audience into a pot-hunting frenzy.
There's also plenty of reality TV side-show antics, such as silly bets between
the two-e.g., who comes up with the oldest item-leading to the loser having
to complete a du
mb stunt like riding a bicycle off a dock into a freezing cold lake while
in drag or licking a jellyfish washed up on the beach (I kid you not).
Happily, there was zero mention of archaeology or science, and no effort
at all trying to legitimate this activity as anything remotely educational
or additive to general knowledge. The term "artifacts" was never used and
"context" or why it's important was never brought up. The most damaging
thing, I think, about this show is that no effort was made to document where
anything came from or discussion of associations-each discovered item was
handled piece-meal. Of course, "the past" and "history" were repeatedly invoked
as cool, interesting, but ultimately, simply a source of cash. In the
first two minutes, the tone was set and the rest of the dialogue was
unwavering: "we're obsessed," "a thousand ways to cash in," "wild west loot --
we're
going to get digging" [the first episode started in Montana -- "Old
territorial prison grounds"], "so join the search," "let's plunder this pokey."
On
and on.
This show is 100 percent metal detecting with digging limited to
near-surface garden troweling -- although one piece (from a South Carolina
plantation setting), had them unearthing an item from almost a foot below the
surface. The show was very scant on details about where they were collecting,
although terms like "we were invited" and the "the owner wants us to find"
were carefully inserted. The first episode was shot in Montana -- as noted at
the old territorial prison where the "director" expressed the hope they
would find "graves" as rumor holds that some inmates were interred on the
grounds (they weren't able to locate any). Then they switched locations to a
large private ranch (Chevallier). The second episode was set in South
Carolina, first on James Island, "scene of many Civil War battles," and then a
brief stint on a beach of undisclosed location where modern coins and a ring
were found, and then to Fenwick Plantation where Revolutionary War and War
of 1812 buttons,
bullets, and coins were recovered. Having spent the past two years in an
(on-going) struggle to preserve against planned development the only War of
1812 battlefield known in Iowa, it turned my stomach to see these two
cavalierly pock-marking what was clearly a battlefield context with good
integrity, selectively removing the metal items they happened to detect-there
wasn't even a semblance of concern shown for the benefits of being systematic.
In each episode, they pocket their take -- no mention of showing or sharing
with landowners, and then they sell some and the rest is apparently kept,
although again no mention is made of recording provenience or any such
concerns. There was a disclaimer added at the end of the episode about
following local regs and getting landowner permission. This hardly mitigates the
main message of the programming that comes through loud and clear: the past is
there for the taking, help yourselves like we do, preservation isn't even
worth talking
about.
Cash, in the end, is what this show is about on two parallel levels. First
(and foremost re why made and shown) it's about advertising revenue.
Consider this list: Verizon, iPhone S, Nationwide, GEICO, Mazda, Acura, Volvo,
Sam Adams, Heineken, and CSX Rail -- these are the majors. What strikes me
as especially telling is that the personas Ringmaster and King George
project is anything but a Heineken-drinking, Volvo-driving, iPhone-using
demographic. I'm not sure what to make of the combination of bozo-behavior on a
seemingly respectable, education-oriented channel like Natl Geo, but maybe we
are witnessing the descent of Natl Geo into the realm of unabashedly
"whatever" programming. For the moment, they are a preferred venue for Heineken
and Volvo, but maybe in a year or two it will be Bud Light and Chevy.
Secondly, the expressed driving motivation for Ringmaster and King George is
the
cash value of the items they recover, plain and simple. I thought I might
learn something about the how-to aspect of metal detecting, pros and cons
of different equipment, etc., but this really wasn't the point any more than
being concerned about adversely impacting nonrenewable resources was the
focus. Ironic that both CSX Rail and Mazda ran ads focused on the importance
of preserving the environment -- CSX promotes "Nature is spectacular --
let's keep it that way" while Mazda tied themselves to "The Lorax" movie that
is recently out (or about to be released).
To close this overly lengthy report, I'll never intentionally watch this
program again as there is simply nothing of value to it, not even mindless
entertainment. I hope this is the general response, and Natl Geo drops it.
After all, they can readily profit from their programming like "Doomsday
Preppers" or "American Weed."
John Doershuk
State Archaeologist
University of Iowa
Has me wondering
