One of the things I've noticed about myself recently is that I'm taking more and more pleasure in little things. This is happening spontaneously and it's not part of some kind of philosophy, unless it's unconsciously so.
Words, for instance. I've loved words all my life but my pleasure in them is growing all the time. This can be a bit lonely because nobody ever wants to talk about words or phrases. A throwaway comment that you like this or that word is considered OK, but keep it going for more than a minute or two and people give you funny looks.
For instance, I was quite hopeful that this post on words and phrases (which I hugely enjoyed writing) might spark some discussion but only one person commented. I'm very grateful they did.
But I'm not talking about words today. I'm talking about TV studios. And YouTube studios.
Earlier today I was watching a segment from the Michael Knowles show. When I first became aware of Michael Knowles, I didn't like him very much. He had a smug and snarky air about him that I found off-putting. But then I heard him doing some more serious interviews, such as one with Bishop Robert Barron, and I realized he's a serious thinker.
I really like his new studio. It's very cosy and classical. I wonder why all studios aren't more like this.
Dark wood, a window, soft light, a painting, a Victorian desk lamp...what else could you ask for?
It's really ridiculous how much balm it brought to my soul. I was feeling quite dejected when I clicked on the video and it improved my mood.
Why doesn't every room look like this? A few days ago, I was watching The Hound of the Baskervilles, a 1957 Hammer horror starring the immortal Cushing-Lee duo. The scenes set in 221B Baker Street gave me the same vast pleasure.
I wouldn't want any human artform to settle into a dreary sameness, and that includes interior decoration. But this sort of cosy Victorian look seems to me the pinnacle of domestic comfort.
It's said that we all tend to get nostalgic for whatever was current in our childhood. Well, that's certainly not the case with me and television studios. The late eighties and early nineties were an era of hideous studios, at least in Ireland.
What kind of atmosphere should a studio try to create? In my view, it should be a warm, cosy, familial sort of atmosphere. A window opening onto the world is also appropriate.
Many producers seem to think it's more important for a studio to project modernism, excitement, the cutting edge. Lots of glass and bright lights seem to be the usual way to create this atmosphere. I don't like this at all and find it unwelcoming.
I also really like the studio of EWTN's The Journey Home programme.
(By the way, here's another little thing that gives me a lot of pleasure. I was reminded of it when I was writing this post. It's the phrase "home media". I'll often read about particular films on Wikipedia and, as you doubtless know, Wikipedia articles are broken down into different categories. For films, one such category is "Home Media". It's such an elegant phrase. It makes the simple act of putting a DVD on seem comparable to a cinema visit. At least, it does to me.)
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