Quote of the Day: “The media’s the most powerful entity on Earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that’s power. Because they control the minds of the masses.” Malcolm X
TB’s been cogitatin on what passes for “the news” for a few days. Everywhere I go online I see another story about California anti-gay marriage beauty queen Carrie Prejean or President Obama and how he dresses his hamburger. Every time I turn on the television I get a face full of Dick Cheney or Elizabeth Edwards. The radio can’t stop talking about Wanda Sykes and whether her Limbaugh joke went too far. Last week it was Bristol Palin and Joe the Plumber. I finally decided I should address all of these important issues confronting America after receiving an email from blog contributor MD with video of MSNBC pundit David Shuster asking if he could “vomit right now” in light of the news Ms. Prejean would not be fired as Miss California USA.
Where do I start? THIS story makes Shuster want to vomit. THIS story? Not government sanctioned torture and murder. Not government’s insistence on letting Goldman Sachs control the economy. Not 8.9% unemployment and rising. Not the national debt. Not endless wars. Not genocide in Africa. Not tent cities in Michigan and California. Not…ok, you get the picture. It’s a beauty pageant job for chrissakes! And not even the big one. Miss USA is only the minor leagues of the beauty pageant biz. And for that matter, she LOST the Miss USA pageant. Personally, I disagree with her position on gay marriage. I think it smacks of hypocrisy to pose nude, lie about it multiple times and then claim you take a political position because of your high moral standards. But then again, she’s already been punished by losing the pageant. So she supports/disagrees with one network or another’s position on gay marriage. Is her opinion really that freakin important? Let her go. Let her live her life. Let me know when her Playboy spread comes out.
This is reminiscent of Joe the Plumber’s rise to celebrity. The jackass is still in the news thanks to his decision to “leave” the Republican Party. I’m sure the whole party apparatus is going to crumble now (blank stare). Is this really something for liberals to celebrate? Meaningless. Get his ass crack off my tv and into a country music video stat. And while we’re at it, can we leave Bristol Palin the hell alone? Yes, she’s an unwed teenage mother. That does not make her anybody’s enemy. Just because Bill O’Reilly hates unwed teenage mothers doesn’t mean this one needs to be shoved in his face in a futile attempt to make a point. This kid has enough problems without becoming a poster child for any political viewpoint.
Ohhhhh, but the righties need to take a look in the mirror before they start crying over these stories. Obama uses Dijon mustard. Apparently Hannity thinks dissemination of this factoid is going to lead to a grass roots movement that can save the GOP. Maybe they should have a cocktail party to protest. And somebody found all of this threatening enough to write a defense of Obama’s burger preferences by pointing out that American corporation Kraft makes dijon mustard. Criminy.
And all of a sudden Rush Limbaugh needs to be protected from the rapier wit of Wanda Sykes. Her comments were horrid. She might as well have wished him dead. What an awful thing to do to Rush who strives day in and day out to bridge the gaps between left and right, who has never said anything idiotic or hateful or cruel (blank stare). I’d insert an example of Rush’s idiocy, hate and cruelty here but it’s hard to choose only one out of the thousands available in a 60 second internet search. If you’re upset about what she said, you are entirely justified. As long as you take the same position when Limbaugh ejects his venom.
Dick Cheney and Elizabeth Edwards? Please. Please. Make it stop.
Travellinbaen 
I thought Wanda could have gone just a little bit further.
I just had the pleasure of watching The Donald along with Ms. California on the Today Show. He gushed over her pictures being magnificent and beautiful. She said she could have used better judgment. Sounds like the truth if ever I heard it.
As for Elizabeth Edwards – if you can’t get revenge with another fellow then you take the other fork in the road – you make money. Like Monica Lewinsky, President Clinton and Hillary – I really just don’t want to hear about it. Cheating is performed everyday and it ain’t news. It doesn’t seem to hurt politicians so in a way Elizabeth is just helping old John out.
I really feel sorry for Elizabeth Edwards. She’s had pain inflicted upon her that is difficult to even contemplate and that makes the affair tame by comparison. But really, she needs to shut up. To try and make money off the whole thing is pretty sickening, at least it is if she stays married to him.
Ms. California–she’s gonna come out of this better off than she would’ve ever been financially. Her book deal won’t be long in coming, but who in the hell reads that sort of thing? I guarantee you there’s more compelling content here at TB than these “tell-all’s” can ever provide.
Why can’t there be one person on tv…just one…who will be up front about his bias and when the people he supports act dishonestly or disingenuously or their policies fail he will simply report it. And who can say every once in awhile in the midst of a debate, “you know, that’s a good point.”
Rambling here, but I think something we all lose sight of too often is these people on tv are not our friends. We do not know them. They would not walk across the street to spit on us if we were on fire. Yet we will argue to the death with our friends and family on their righteousness or lack thereof.
TB,
I thought you didn’t read my emails? I knew that you did.
I think part of the problem is: (1) There are so many news outlets now (many on 24 hours a day), and there is a limited amount of real news to report, so they report on everything to fill the time; and (2) network news, newspapers, magazines, cable news and the internet all compete wth each other for an audience, so they report on outrageous things and wild opinions that get the most attention—sensationalism has taken the place of serious journalism.
I agree with MD (God, did I just admit that?) and you as well TB. One of the big problems goes back to what I have said before… People are stupid. So many people would rather see and hear outrageous, garish, sensationalized crap about Octomom(excuse me while I wretch), Casey Anthony (just convict her and get it over with, the crazy c**t), and what movie/rock star just got arrested or went to rehab. The real “news”, you know, stuff that sort of matters, and truly effects our daily lives is considered boring and irrelevant.
First of all, and most importantly, Wanda Sykes was great in Pooty Tang.
I completely agree with you. The news focus is on what’s shocking, entertaining or dummied-down.
I agree somewhat with MD. However it doesn’t account for the blatant exclusion of information. Sadly, news outlets think people want to hear only the sensationalized bs. I would go so far as to say that many people “delivering” the news are not qualified to interpret the more complex stories about national policy and foreign affairs and so they shy away from reporting on it at all.
MD is correct – he should be having a gold letter day!
I hate everyone and everything.
Did it just lightning????
Run, Zeek, Run!
I like Wanda Sykes — from her work on The Chris Rock Show to Curb Your Enthusiasm. However, I’d rate her over-the-line jokes on the newsworthy scale somewhere between a panda giving birth at a zoo in Cleveland and a man who paid his mortgage in pennies.
One could write a book on the media’s and politicians’ obsession with the inane. And it really gets disgusting when the partisan public falls in lock step behind their ideological taskmasters.
How about ESPN “reporting” as news the riff between Jackson County Hall of Famer Shane Matthews and Urban Meyer. First, the comments Shane made were made 8 months ago. Then Meyer made some comment allegedly referring to Shane’s comments three or four weeks ago. Now, ESPN is acting like it is breaking news and has had Shane on several of its radio shows to address the issue. Its a non-story and its not even current, but it is the offseason and ESPN needs some filler just like all the other news outlets.
And that is exactly why they put that on there, Face, to fill the time. It also keeps Florida in the news and the attention on them. Even if it is negative publicity – it is publicity.
Rome was talking about it today also. He took up for Shane. From what I understand, Urban has kicked Shane out of the Gator family and told him to never come there again.
He was on with Doug Gottlieb yesterday and made it sound like everything was cool between them. All he did was question the offensive strategy used in the loss to the rebs. I think Sweet was guilty of that, too. When the best team in the country loses to the rebs there should be lots of questions asked. Shane also said he predicted before the season started last year that Florida would go 11-1 with a loss to ole miss and win the SEC championship game and play in the BCS championship game.
I just watched my kid in his pre school program. He is 4. He was Humpty Dumpty. Never seen someone have more fun falling down! He thought it was cooler than peanut butter and jelly. BR’s girl was in it too. She was a clock. That’s news baby.
Bulldogs in ’09!
Nothing cheers up the spirit quite like a school program – it is some of the best entertainment around. Can make your forget the news programs we have spoken about here and they are alot more relevant to life in general.