Have you adjusted to the 24 hour news cycle, basic cable and the internet? Technology has given us wonderful opportunity, we can access information in a matter of seconds. Even if that information is as accurate as David Patterson shooting free throws. Television, radio and the other forms of media are funneling "news" to us at an alarming rate of semi-accuracy. There are in my mind three types of "news" now. They are Fear Speculation And Voyeurism as you may have seen in the title. Let's break it down Jaworski style.
FEAR....
The news, especially the traditional newscast runs advertisements all day about toys that could kill your kid, cars that could kill you, perverts living in your living room and things of this nature. If this is really news then tell me this stuff now, I don't want to wait until 11 pm. Opie and Anthony talk about this all the time, and they are actually right, if something is that dangerous don't try get ratings just report the information. Channel 7 in Boston says they have the "most compelling newscast". Really the most compelling? Doesn't the news just tell what is happening or has happened? What are the other channels reporting, turtle races and county fairs? I don't understand, it seems flipping around at 11 pm the news is generally the same, 7 seems to be the same 4 and 5.
The other thing they do is hype stuff up like shark attacks or bears, or rip-tides. The things that people are all ready aware of. Oh wow sharks are dangerous, your kidding? People have this weird innate attachment to fear, and the news preys on it. I think they can even dictate the Stock Market with way they report on it's volatility. It must break their heart when hurricanes don't wipe out a city or the market goes up 500 points.
Speculation:
This too involves the stock market, and sports reporting mostly. Because pretty much anyone can get pretty much any information that sportcenter or espnews or moneymarket gives us off the internet. These channels now have so many hours of programming prognosticating instead of reporting. We have to listen sports reporters yell over each other about why Team A will beat Team B in Game C that isn't happening for 3 weeks. Then you flip over to cable news channels and some guy is yelling about how this option will rebound or this other will crash and really not have to be accountable for it at all. I just want these people to tell me what HAS happened and WHY. Not what WILL happen based on baseball games from 1983 or some trend during the depression.
Voyeurism:..
The worst, the basic channels now spend as much time if not more reporting on famous people. We have become a nation of obsessed, jealous, nosey idiots. Why does anyone care if Britney Spears crapped her pants in a Wal Mart? Is it to be in on the joke? Is it because we love to build someone up just so we can see that person fumble it all away? Anna Nicole Smith had ten times more press for her death than President Ford had for his just a few weeks later. This freak-show really is what we couldn't take ourselves from the idiot box for. The TV channels are partly to blame for this, playing off this entertainment as news. But it is just as much our own fault for being slave to celebrity.
Long story short I just want to put on the news and have someone shoot me straight, tell me how it is. I don't want compelling, intriguing or first. I want short, sweet, relevant and accurate. Not necessarily in that order.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Thursday, October 9, 2008
These go to Eleven
My first "running segment' 11 nuggets for this week that are likely irrelevant:
1. Ron Perlman is the creepiest guy on TV. He may be the missing link.
2. Heroes has way to much stuff going on. Tv shouldn't be a chore. It's dead to me.
3. Prison Break and Son's of Anarchy are decent shows, but they have cringe-worthy writing occasionally.
4. Danny Ainge may be the best ever at getting quality ball players in the second round of the draft. ( Gomes, Davis, Powe, Walker,)
5. I have never once heard anyone say anything positive about Tim Mcarver as a broadcaster.
6.If you happen to watch TBS's pre/postgame shows keep track of how often Cal Ripken says "What have ya" , "somethin like this".
7.If Texas and Florida win this weekend the BCS takes another punch in the kidney.
8. After watching twenty minutes of the first pre-season game, I can say with confidence the Celtics look prepared to defend their title. ( did you see how they reacted to Bill Walker's dunk on Theo Ratliff's expiring career?)
9. Hopefully Josh Beckett was just knocking the rust off against the Angels last week, they don't have much of a chance if he pitches like Dice-K again.
10. Isn't it strange that the Daily Show as skewered as it is comes off as the most fair and balanced news program? (It might be because of the 24 hour fear cycle)
11. How pissed must John McCain be about getting his ass handed to him by "That One" in the polls right now and losing to W. in 2000? Maybe, it just wasn't meant to be Johnny.
11a. ( bonus time) Maverick said he knew how to get Bin Laden at the debate. If this is true why has kept it to himself for the last seven years?
1. Ron Perlman is the creepiest guy on TV. He may be the missing link.
2. Heroes has way to much stuff going on. Tv shouldn't be a chore. It's dead to me.
3. Prison Break and Son's of Anarchy are decent shows, but they have cringe-worthy writing occasionally.
4. Danny Ainge may be the best ever at getting quality ball players in the second round of the draft. ( Gomes, Davis, Powe, Walker,)
5. I have never once heard anyone say anything positive about Tim Mcarver as a broadcaster.
6.If you happen to watch TBS's pre/postgame shows keep track of how often Cal Ripken says "What have ya" , "somethin like this".
7.If Texas and Florida win this weekend the BCS takes another punch in the kidney.
8. After watching twenty minutes of the first pre-season game, I can say with confidence the Celtics look prepared to defend their title. ( did you see how they reacted to Bill Walker's dunk on Theo Ratliff's expiring career?)
9. Hopefully Josh Beckett was just knocking the rust off against the Angels last week, they don't have much of a chance if he pitches like Dice-K again.
10. Isn't it strange that the Daily Show as skewered as it is comes off as the most fair and balanced news program? (It might be because of the 24 hour fear cycle)
11. How pissed must John McCain be about getting his ass handed to him by "That One" in the polls right now and losing to W. in 2000? Maybe, it just wasn't meant to be Johnny.
11a. ( bonus time) Maverick said he knew how to get Bin Laden at the debate. If this is true why has kept it to himself for the last seven years?
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Oversight Commitee
To me seeing Waxman yesterday, that rat faced, little fellow on the House Oversight Committee reminded me that our government can work. They can definitely pull us out of the funk we have gotten ourselves into. After all they kind of almost helped clean up that little boy's game that grown men play. For sure they have spent a number of days representing the great states that make up this country by finding out how many people jose canseco did steroids with. It was so obvious that there was nothing more important going on, millionaires were swinging a piece of wood into a piece leather. They were on TV 162 days a year, keeping Americans distracted while Multi-millionaires and Billionaires were hoarding billions and trillions of dollars and working on the honor system, lying and screwing pretty much the entire country. Thank God congress took time to figure out if Sammy Sosa's homeruns are legit, it's important, baseball is in the fabric of our country. Baseball needed to be regulated then, not banks and Wall Street. After all money and power have never been involved in corruption.
There is no doubt Roger Clemens is a scum-bag, but what does that make everyone else?
There is no doubt Roger Clemens is a scum-bag, but what does that make everyone else?
Champagne Kisses and Hom0-Erotic Celebrations
I watched a lot of baseball this weekend. I watch a lot baseball period, and I do not understand what, when or why baseball celebrations have become so ridiculous. Do these guys just want run around in the underwear spraying beer and champagne on each other? Is that the point of the season? To act like their fraternity is having a gay slumber party night.
They look absolutely foolish. This year the Phillies, Dodgers, Rays, and Red Sox all have had two Champagne celebrations already and we haven't even started The Conference Championships yet. As much as I hate to say it I don't recall the Yankees acting like such asses when there are eight more games to win. Football, basketball and hockey generally do not over-celebrate after every stepping stone ( that's all it is, by the way) is reached. Why has baseball adopted this? They have three days off, go to a bar, get a few hotel rooms, act like you've been there before. Don't spray champagne and beer on your second baseman like he's the stuck up ho at the end of the Dr. Dre's "Nothin but a G thing" video.
Champagne should be sprayed under two circumstances in regards to sports (this actually goes for the gatorade bath too, I'm looking at you here football): winning the "world" championship, as in there are no more games to be played, all foes have been bested, you alone stand atop the mountain and are recognized as your sports supreme organization. Second, and this should be used incredibly rarely, your pathetic franchise has got their shit together after some astoundingly long period of futility (e.g The Rays making the play-offs this year, Red Sox finally beating the Yankees). That is it, there can be no other acceptable circumstance. Anything more is obnoxious and somewhat homo-erotic. They might as well run around and slap each others asses with towels during their "little parties".
Anyway, Go Red Sox....
They look absolutely foolish. This year the Phillies, Dodgers, Rays, and Red Sox all have had two Champagne celebrations already and we haven't even started The Conference Championships yet. As much as I hate to say it I don't recall the Yankees acting like such asses when there are eight more games to win. Football, basketball and hockey generally do not over-celebrate after every stepping stone ( that's all it is, by the way) is reached. Why has baseball adopted this? They have three days off, go to a bar, get a few hotel rooms, act like you've been there before. Don't spray champagne and beer on your second baseman like he's the stuck up ho at the end of the Dr. Dre's "Nothin but a G thing" video.
Champagne should be sprayed under two circumstances in regards to sports (this actually goes for the gatorade bath too, I'm looking at you here football): winning the "world" championship, as in there are no more games to be played, all foes have been bested, you alone stand atop the mountain and are recognized as your sports supreme organization. Second, and this should be used incredibly rarely, your pathetic franchise has got their shit together after some astoundingly long period of futility (e.g The Rays making the play-offs this year, Red Sox finally beating the Yankees). That is it, there can be no other acceptable circumstance. Anything more is obnoxious and somewhat homo-erotic. They might as well run around and slap each others asses with towels during their "little parties".
Anyway, Go Red Sox....
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