The "Money for Nothing" News

This is a totally useless side note but I kept getting caught up in Hong Kong's television news.  It's not that I was into the local politics or anything.  Most of the time that we were near a television, we were eating at a crowded restaurant or waiting to board something or other and there was too much noise to even tell what language the reporters were speaking in.  No, what got me about the Hong Kong news was the great, low quality animations.

If the reporters were reporting on a traffic accident, handy graphics of blocky looking cars would show up, complete with direction arrows would pop up and recreate the accident for you.  If the policeman who responded was a part of the story, a chunky digital cop would enter and play out his role.

I suppose there are issues here about whether an inaccurate animation might be used to unduly influence the viewer but to me, it was pure gold.

So help me God, it looked like the video from "Money for Nothing" by Dire Straits.  I'm not even kididng:

"Ooo ah om ba!" If only there had been a football riot!  Televisions are everywhere in Hong Kong.  Sometimes, the whole side of building turns out to be a TV.  For a cheap thrill, check out the animated news.  Making up your own headlines can be a great way to pass the time while waiting in line.  "In other news, small man driving yellow box attacked by four stick figures wearing blue rectangles.  The yellow sign was furious.  And now a funny dancing octopus."


Here are a couple of samples I found online:

"Please remember to throw your hands up and yell 'Wheee!' while exiting the plane."

"Excuse me sir, you seem to be stuck in your spaceship."

Have fun.