Popping the Balloon
I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m still waiting for the media’s apology for obsessively following this Ballon Boy nonsense. Scratch that. The media can skip the apologies (since I’ve never been big on apologies anyway) and simply start focusing their attention on pressing matters.
That’s all for today.
- ACL
Categories: For real...?, In the News
Hey Dre,
America, and for that matter the rest of the world, loves focusing on crazy people with screwed up lives. It makes us feel normal. Getting into an intellectual conversation about philosophy, theology, politics or the issues of the day on the other hand, makes most of us feel inferior to people who understand the issues better than us. For the most part, people just want to discuss something that’s easy to grasp and not likely to cause an argument.
Agreed, thehc. I think this is the same reason why so many people love reality shows. Shows of that nature allow us to sit back and feel good about ourselves. The media is no different.
Some might read your comment and assume you’re being sarcastic or angry. But I think your comments are spot-on.
Hi Cynthia,
Thank you. And I assure you, although I’m sometimes sarcastic, I’m never angry. (I really think it’s the most useless of all emotions and clouds your judgment) In fact, Sometimes I’m so removed from the emotion that I forget that other people get angry. Passion, on the other hand, is something I love seeing in people. Give me ten passionate people and I can do most anything.
Andre/thehc, as a person with a degree in broadcast journalism, your statements are somewhat unfair. I don’t defend ALL the sensationalism that happens in today’s media (some of it has gotten TOO obnoxious for anybody to take seriously), but some of it is used to engage an otherwise passive audience.
Being raised in a black baptist church, I know a thing or two about sensationalism. Preachers put on theatrics all the time to sell their message. But the media’s job goes further than that. They are SUPPOSED to be the purveyor of truth and social relevancy. For them to acquire any modicum of validation and achieve some of that relevancy, folks in the media focus their attention on stories and issues that speak to mass viewers. So getting people to actually watch them is the first half of the battle. In order to keep the viewers tuned in, only the most outrageous stories can make it on the tube. Stories that are actually relevant to our lives (though I suspect even that is pretty subjective, given that we all have varying issues of importance) are tossed aside in favor of stuff which will actually sell.
In simpler terms, Kenya: it’s about the ratings. God, Andre!
Two words: Commerce and marketing. The media’s fixation is on story which will sell papers/magazines/TV space, plain and simple. If it makes money, it’s the news. That’s all.