The 2023 Trasher Awards

As the year rolls to an end, awards season is upon us. But this time we’ve decided to single out the least-deserving — those companies, apps, and individuals who let us down in 2023. It is in this environment of malfeasance that I nominate these candidates to be recipients of what I affectionately call the Trasher Award. Imagine a golden trophy rising out of a trash can and being presented to organizations and people whose dubious achievements are recognized far and wide.

Ladies and gentlemen, the Trasher goes to:

Amazon Prime for its promise to introduce commercials into its program streams early next year.

Elon Musk for X-ing out Twitter.

ABC for cancelling Alaska Daily and CBS for ending East New York, two of the best freshman dramas on network TV.

The Privacy Nightmare caused by every new car gathering troves of personal data from drivers and passengers. Then again, automatic recording does take the weight off the singer’s shoulders in “Paradise by the Dashboard Light” for having to “remember every little thing as if it happened only yesterday.” Now, the car has Meat Loaf’s memory covered.

Gannett for hiring a full-time Taylor Swift reporter.

Paramount+ for bleeping Parade director Michael Arden during the 2023 Tony Awards that it carried verbatim from CBS. Arden didn’t have to be censored since the Federal Communications Commission’s obscenity rules don’t apply to the internet.

Dish Network for failing to clean up its space junk. The FCC fined Dish $150,000 for not boosting its EchoStar-7 satellite into a position that wouldn’t threaten other satellites. Dish’s excuse was that it didn’t foresee (or didn’t care) that the satellite, which has been in geocentric orbit for more than two decades, might someday run out of fuel. Ugh.

Disney and Spectrum for playing a game of chicken. When the cable giant blocked channels like ABC and ESPN, viewers were denied tennis, baseball, and football games — not to mention reruns of The Mickey Mouse Club. Both companies were guilty of living in a past when the cable monopoly meant something.

FiOS, the cable operator, which in reaction to my trying to cancel Showtime after realizing it was included as part of my Paramount+ streaming subscription, said it would charge me $25 just to make the change.

Max, for erasing the HBO name despite decades of premium brand building. It’s not TV. It’s Max?

Shazam, the app that identifies ambient music through a phone’s microphone, for failing to recognize a version of the Pink Floyd song “Another Brick in The Wall” neuroscientists assembled from the recorded brain waves of patients who were listening to the track while undergoing surgery for epilepsy.

Yours truly for placing Alexa and Hey, Google devices within listening distance of each other in my home, inadvertently triggering them to fight it out whenever I address the wrong smart speaker in the room.

Sony, who this year sold me both a big-screen TV and a pocket-size camera but failed to include a manual with either one.

Sony (again) for not warning me that gesture controls initiated by raising the palm of my hand in front of the TV’s camera work only in a lighted room. Doesn’t the company that gave us Trinitron know that many of us watch TV in the dark? Shouldn’t the company have deployed night vision in its camera?

Apple for introducing its iPhone 15 Pro with the ability to capture spatial video but delaying its Vision Pro glasses for viewing it until next year.

WCBS Radio, for promoting its Mets broadcasts every hour on the half hour since April, thereby confusing non-baseball fans with what seemed like a gibberish call by an umpire. It turned out to be Mets broadcaster Howie Rose screaming, “Put it in the books!” (I should have known that since the favorite expression of my Granny, an avid Yankees radio listener, was: “That’s one for the books!”)

Robbie Robertson for bad timing in dying before I was able to move The Last Waltz to the top of my Netflix cue. The resulting “long wait” for the disc negated any chance of it becoming a keeper when the company’s DVD-by-mail service, which shipped its last discs on September 29, announced that subscribers could hold onto their last titles at home in perpetuity.

Finally, the Trasher goes to supermarkets such as Stop & Shop, which have increasingly narrowed the selection of toilet paper to mega rolls or single-ply normal size. Customers with in-wall bathroom dispensers are unable to accommodate the bulging mega rolls; and users detest the porousness of single-ply paper. The extra time required to unfurl and fold it to an equivalent cushy wad wastes precious minutes. What, may you ask, does this have to do with consumer electronics, the subject of this magazine? Well, why do you think the pause button was invented?

The Author
Michael Antonoff is a freelance writer specializing in audio/video technology and industry developments. He was a senior editor for Popular Science, executive editor for Video magazine, technology editor for S&V, and a tech columnist for USA Today.

COMMENTS
chrisheinonen's picture

Why the dislike for Gannett hiring a reporter to cover Taylor Swift? They're clearly the most influential entertainer in the world right now with a tour that has broken all records, and even able to push the NFL to new highs when she shows up to a game. Do you think they should have allocated the money elsewhere, or just that Swift isn't deserving of the amount of coverage she receives?

Also Apple didn't delay the Vision Pro into 2024. It was announced as a Q1 2024 product release when they revealed it, letting you capture content now just means you'll have it ready to go when it releases instead of having to wait.

trynberg's picture

I suspect that this was included because a certain political movement is very anti-Taylor Swift and Michael subscribes to that movement.

Michaela's picture

I have no opinion about the merits or lack thereof of Taylor Swift, but it's unseemly to put a brand to a reporter's beat. Better the beat should be described as covering the business and culture of the music industry--even if the majority of the stories written are about Taylor Swift.

rjmedich's picture

Great list, Michael!

I might also nominate the streaming platforms for inconsistency in terms of user experience/interface (different functions on each require different buttons/actions from the user). And how annoying that some of them (like you, Max!) showcase the wrong episode of a series (I saw that one already!).

TowerTone's picture

I wasn't aware Spectrum BLOCKED ABC, especially during the US Open.

Usually it is the networks, like ABC, which don't allow rebroadcast during negotiations.
This is a hardball tactic to piss people off at the cable or satellite company until the network (or studio) gets the new contract amount they want, whether it subscriber pay, tier requirements for secondary channels (like 50 crap ESPN stations...) or whatever they feel they deserve.

In the end they both lose to some degree, but this time I wish Spectrum had held out till Disney folded like a cheap card table...

lalisa167's picture

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3ddavey13's picture

A very entertaining list. One thing I would add is the ever-increasing number of commercials on television. How can you retain interest in a program when there's a commercial every 5 minutes? Thankfully we still have TCM and PBS.
You seem to have raised the ire of the Swifties. I hardly think a bunch of little girls trying to get a glimpse of their hero during Chief's games is helping pro football. The NFL has more money than God, and TS isn't far behind. Neither needs the other. It's certainly annoying to Kansas City fans, though. Didn't know there's a political movement against her. Oh my gosh! What's the world coming to? Luckily, I watch practically all sports to music. Ignorance is bliss.

Billy's picture

Don't worry, Taylor will move on soon enough, she always does. The girl is aging fast, now in her thirties, but she thinks she will be young forever. I suspect that she can't always be the innocent one in all those past failed romances. Perhaps she is hard to live with and men soon say enough is enough. The real loser here isn't pro football, it is the true music lovers out here who crave for variety and some decent music. Who is to blame for so much sound alike bland pop music by pretty girls? Thank you Wall Street. Of course, they are the root cause of so much evil in our world.

nikolausricky's picture

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brendag15663's picture

Oh, the Trasher Awards - a humorous yet spot-on reflection of the lows in 2023! From Amazon Prime's unexpected turn to commercials to the tech blunders and entertainment mishaps, it's quite a rollercoaster. And the supermarket woe? A relatable twist in the tech tale of toilet paper choices! Here's to hoping for smoother tech experiences in 2024!

Martinklay098's picture

As we reflect on the year gone by, it's not just about celebrating success but also acknowledging disappointments. The Trasher Award highlights those who fell short in 2023, be it companies, apps, or individuals. It's a playful yet pointed way to highlight dubious achievements and hold them accountable. Students might scrutinize complex topics like business analysis just as we critique shortcomings. If seeking clarity amidst complexity, consider seeking help with Business analysis assignment writing help. Much like the Trasher Award, it's about identifying areas for improvement and striving for excellence in every endeavour.

handyman George's picture

It is truly revolutionary how streaming platforms have changed how we watch movies and tv. It is really disappointing how streaming platforms that are paid still have commercials, because that is one of the biggest reasons people move away from regular tv. Lawn Services

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