I know that The X Bridge is your sandbox, Jeff, but Toonami Infolink (my hometown) is a different kind of sandbox: One that focuses more on fact and not on editorials (kinda like comparing Fox News to...real news [sorry for that unsettling comparison, but I couldn't think of any other analogy]), so I thought I'd toss in my two cents here regarding Cartoon Network's recent upfront.

No, it's not regarding the lack of any mention of Toonami. They're having some big events planned next month, so I don't blame them, and the mention of a Naruto movie is good enough to wet my tastes. It's better than nothing.

My main concern is regarding the replacement of Toonami's replacement, the new afterschool block called Master Control. The synopsis that Toon Zone gave sounds interesting in theory:

"The block's web site will include a game, and players can choose one of four teams. Each week the winning team will be able to manipulate the schedule for that week, and the team's logo will appear during the block."

Not a bad idea for an experiment. Of course, this isn't the first time that CN has let their audience pick what shows air on its blocks, like Power to the People, the Big Pick (man, I miss that), and Adult Swim's annual "Have It Your Way" contest, so it's cool. However, I have two problems with MC that I feel must be addressed and not ignored.

The first problem is the potential (but not definite) problem of limited options. CN might just put up a poll with a few select choices of crappy current shows to choose from. They've done this before on several occasions, like the very first Cartoon Cartoon Big Pick Weekend back in 2000, where they aired 11 pilots throughout the Summer and only allowed their viewers to pick out of three (the obvious choice being Billy & Mandy while the other two were far inferior, making it seem almost fixed). But then again, a year later on their second Big Pick, they put up a poll featuring ALL of the shorts, and a recent survey on Jetstream allowed viewers to fill out a form with as many shows as they liked.

CN has had a history of switching how much choice they would allow their viewers. Who knows what kind of democracy Master Control would allow? If it's like the second (under the condition that the poll doesn't consist ENTIRELY of bad shows) or third options, then I'm cool with it. If it's like the first Big Pick, the potential is clearly wasted.

The second problem is the definite problem of the opinions of the winning team. Now, I'm aware that no opinion is right or wrong and everyone is entitled to them, but the thing is that opinions are often connected with representation. The winning team basically represents the audience that watches the network (kids). Assuming that CN uses an enormous poll with some good choices or a fill-out form with MC, some nostalgic viewers might pick something like Dexter's Laboratory (which would be awesome), but if the winning team is ingrained into the network's current lineup and picks Squirrel Boy, this could send the network the message that most or all of their viewers like Squirrel Boy and would exploit it more throughout their schedule. A continuous, majority sequence of bad choices could prove disastrous for the network as a whole. Of course, the inverse could also be true, but the chances are slim.

Therefore, I propose a call to action. This may be our last chance to put the network back on the right track. I propose that teens and adults participate in these online games as well. Play and win as much as possible, and pick good shows and network classics. If the choices are limited to a select few pieces of modern crap, pick nothing and exit the site. We have to show the network that age demographics and ratings are meaningless compared to quality. If the network won't listen to our cries and petitions, they must listen to reason.