Again, the media is asleep at the switch. Congressman Dennis Kucinich is on C-Span offering HR Resolution 333 seeking the impeachment of Vice-President Dick Cheney. He lists the facts that prove that the VP deceived the country about the links between Iraq and Al Qaeda, and alleges that he lied on national television that Iraq was developing nuclear capabilities. He listed Cheney's different visits to the media, namely Meet the Press, the venues used by the VP to distort the truth.
I switched to the other news channels -- which no doubt have feeds -- to see whether they saw this resolution as breaking news. Let's see, I'll switch channels now: Headline News is airing the life of a quadriplegic; CNN covered the writers' strike, MSNBC is talking about the environment; and Fox News is covering commercials and football. Let's see who considers this breaking news. I'm waiting.... waiting.... waiting..... nothing yet. Dennis is still speaking on the floor.
Fox is talking about Heather McCartney's plight against her former-Beatle husband.
No breaking news. Which is why they are useless in giving the news. This is newsworthy -- but not popular. Even mentioning the issue without seeking a live feed shows their bias. Or their writers are on strike so they can't write that fast. Journalism 101, anyone?
This is one time where their ShuttingUp--really worked - to not reveal breaking news.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Media Talks Babies and Petty Crime While Dennis Kucinich Offers Impeachment Resolution
I have not watched the news -- and I'm getting work done.
Interestingly enough, my commitment to watch Fox News has had a different effect than I would have anticipated. I didn't watch it at all yesterday. I just couldn't. I've been brainwashed by the punditocracy that it's all rubbish and right-leaning. Well, I have been afraid of watching Fox. But for about one hour yesterday, I did turn it on, and I thought it was actually okay. They had a round-table discussion where people weren't yelling at one another, and you could actually follow the dialogue. I'm shocked. I did find that the local Fox News Channel (Channel 25) is pretty good, but I'm not one for local news, actually.
So, I'm going to step out of the shadows and try watching it later today. But it's been blessedly quiet and I've accomplished a lot, not listening to the news. This blog might disappear any day now, as I've figured out the solution. Don't watch the news. At all!!
Saturday, November 3, 2007
FOX : How I'd rather be eaten by one than Watch it on Cable
Think of going to a restaurant and wanting to know the day's specials, which are no where in writing at your lunch haunt. Instead of taking your order, the waiter begins talking for 10 minutes about the different things that are on the written menu (which you can read yourself), and he comments about hat he likes and doesn't like, etc. Meanwhile, your stomach is growling and you want the guy to shut up and tell you what the specials are, so you can decide and take your frigging order and get it to the chef. Will you just tell me what the specials are or I'm not going to tip you!!&$&$*$#(@(@)@* arrgggh!
That's how I feel about Fox. I just want the news, but it never reaches my ears
because it's prefaced with parenthetical comments on the peccadilloes of the newscaster -- SHUTUP and give me the news. I might be exaggerating, but it's true. I think the station is probably best at highlighting breaking news, in general, but its regular news is a lesson in tedium and patience.
But it's a popular Cable Channel. I guess it works for those who like to be told how to think about any given issue. If you like the newscasters (I believe the females are all blonde, with high cheekbones and flowing hair, the mask required of all of the newscasters). As for getting the news out of any of them, they could be sipping beer, or lounging in their living rooms, literally chatting to each other about what they liked or didn't like about the news -- if they ever got around to talking about it. After all, this is not real news - it's opinion news that challenges the television reporter to assert his or views in contrast to the report the or she is going to eventually, at some time in the future... we're waiting.... deliver.
It's easy to be a liberal and dislike Fox. But there was a time when I thought it was cutting edge -- now it's a razor with which to commit suicide while listening to them pander to mainstream NASCAR-America. I believe that it has done more to lower the standards of objective news gathering; and I guess the other stations do it, but I'd like to think that the CNNs and MSNBCs of the world do it more subliminally.
In a gesture of objectivity, however, I'm actually going to watch Fox Cable News all this week to gather my news (nothing else) and see if I can survive.
The week is looking pretty long, already. And I'm depressed at the thought of it. Like a hostage after lengthy captivity begins to identify with his captors, the same might happen to me, too. I may start liking George Bush and hating all things Muslim by the time the week is through.
Can I stay tuned? We'll see.
Friday, November 2, 2007
Is there Too Much Testosterone on MSNBC?
I've watched Dan Abrams for a couple of years now on MSNBC and was disappointed when his show went off the air. However, overall, I was happy for him, as he was moving up from the ranks of a lawyer with opinions (actually worthy of a show) to General Manager of the whole cable channel! Way to go, Dan, I thought. I still enjoy his periodic appearances when he subs for other news presenters, but I've taken a big step back to see what he's done to the channel. Well, not knowing his marital status or whether or not he's dating, I'd still wager that he has either imbibed Viagra intravenously, or he's frustrated that it's not doing its job. Where am I going with this?
I think MSNBC is thinking too much about sex. Or is it just me?
All day today, from Contessa Brewer flirting with the elderly "NASA guy" who is probably the only newsman who doesn't have to wear a tie ("did you know you're my favorite newsman; did you know that, "-- she cooed at him yesterday, or something to that effect). Then it was her description of the kissing pandas who do it "with tongue," she giggled. Apparently, two Japanese pandas are obsessively affectionate with each other [close up on animal lust]. The pandas got more than their 15 minutes of fame, and if MSNBC has their way they'll have a series.
Back to Abrams. Where was I? Abrams proceeds to rage about Hillary Clinton's lament that the media were too harsh with her at the debates on Tuesday. But Abrams? He spun himself in his own web by bringing panelists to discuss Hillary's claim at her all girls alma mater (Wellesley) that she could tussle "with the big boys."
And Mr. Abrams took offense. Me thinks he doth protest too much.
Does he expect her to say that notwithstanding her skirts and heels, she's really a male and that's why she's running for President? He had two guests, whose names escape me because they were both plants for opposite female viewpoints (one pro female, the other anti-female). Abrams sat back in his seat, turning his lip up with disgust, as he exclaimed that the press wasn't being hard on her. She was the front runner, and maybe that was the reason why they were giving her a barrage of questions. I agree with Ms. Clinton, however.
I do believe that Tim Russert has lost his objectivity, and seems driven in putting her in her place. She needed the tousle - I mean, gee -- we might have a woman in charge of the USA! Run for your lives! Only men can screw up the country. But Russert wasn't going to hand it to her on a silver platter. Here's where Abrams tripped over his logic: the media was being tough on her, she was playing the "gender card," for people to lay off her. She was being a wimp and wasn't taking it like a man. And how dare she complain.
In my opinion, the debates were an all male tousle equivalent to a hazing for being in the male locker room. But it worked. I felt sympathetic for her. I think she acquitted herself better than most men would do. And that's the point. They want her to be weak -- but as a President, she is not going to be, is she? So the issue of sex is -- just what it is. Senator Clinton is a woman running for President and makes every man have to acknowledge that a woman might actually be on top, as it were. Get over it, Abrams. Not satisfied with bashing just one woman, Abrams then decided to deride Heather Mills McCartney for her emotional break down on television in the United Kingdom. She's gone through hell and back, apparently, as the former Beatles wife-not-to-be-anymore-soon -- is distraught with her treatment by the media. Abrams then proceeded to scorn her "cry me a river" sentiments, practically calling her a fraud. Which way do you want it, Dan? A simpering woman, or a strong one? Abrams basically contends that if a woman fights back about her treatment, she can't take the heat - and should all go back to the kitchen while you men stay on his network!
Yep. Dan has reinvented testosterone TV, for the cable station's intellectual viewers. "Dock Block," rhymes with.....something. Has Abrams renewed his machismo by smoking cigars with the NBC brass (a macho past time that I have yet to understand for my penchant for brown and phallic thinking). Well, however he's found his cojones, now, and wants us to meet America's worst class of people besides politicians -- prisoners who actually get caught for their crimes. MSNBC is obsessed with men in prison. They could have bought "Oz" reruns and called it a night.
I guess I shouldn't complain. They could have reminded us over and over again that 3 [unnamed] soldiers gave their lives to help score a record in Iraq (the lowest month of GI dead in Iraq in a long time -- only 39). No names. Just numbers. But they'll give us the details about sex.
War isn't fun. And this election is the most important in our history. But we mustn't forget. While we're arguing about skirts and shirts and kissing pandas, and hard men in prisons without women - Americans are dying to preserve our -- values? Bless those soldiers, anyway, and may they be protected -- while we watch sex on TV news.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Introducing the "Snap Back" Award
I intend to periodically select individual(s) that I believe are worthy of recognition by bestowing upon them the "Snap Back" award. This dubiously named award recognizes any individual guest on radio or television who puts a radio or TV News host in his or her place.
Commercials control everything on television. So it has to be frustrating for guests on news shows who want to speak, but are limited in doing so because they're cut off by the announcer's need to "go to commercial." One question that I have is -- given that news is 24-hours now, do you mean to tell me that there's not enough time for a speaker to be invited for more than two minutes -- without selling Viagra or toothpaste? Better yet, does anybody feel the anxiety I suffer when the doomsday signature news theme pipes in slowly, waiting to devour the guest in silent mouthing of words? When that happens, I've already stopped listening to the substance of what's being said -- my concern is whether or not the guest will be allowed to finish his or her thought -- before the screen fades to black.
My Snap Back award is for the guest who is compelled to put the news host in his or her place, not because of personal hubris, but because the guest feels compelled to speak his or her mind! Can we not assume that the guest was asked to appear on the show to speak and not sit on the stage as a "potted plant" in backdrop?
Alternatively, I will also give Snap Back awards for any guest who tells his or her truth, without letting the host reinterpret what they've said; or for correcting the media's take on an issue.
I came up with this idea this evening while watching a guest (drum roll) tell David Shuster, a replacement host on Tucker Carlson's MSNBC (news?) show, that the media was not fair to candidate Dennis Kucinich during last night's Democratic Debate (drum roll louder), held in Philadelphia, because NBC's Tim Russert asked Kucinich a moronic question (music is coming on, now) about UFOs during a time (its crescendoing) when there are much more serious topics in need of spirited debate and discussion.
(Drum roll continues) I inaugurate the first inductee, former Congressman Tom Andrew (Maine), who is now the National Director of Win Without War, a non-partisan group that assails misreporting about this country's military debacles in Iraq (click the link to get their mission statement as I am certain to be misrepresenting what they do). I was glad that someone reprimanded the media for making a laughingstock out of the one unique candidate with the guts to speak his mind. I am a Kucinich supporter. Still.
So, kudos Mr. Andrews. I'll be visiting your site. Often. Perhaps you should have a school or classes for Fighting the Media on their own plastic turf, Mr. Andrews?
