Take a Breath Already!


Abstract:
We gave up cable television over a year ago as a way to reduce some of our debt from grad school. So when I'm in an airport (like today) or some other place blessed/cursed with always-on news television, I'm interested to see what's happening. "What's happening" is that news is becoming even more ludicrous.

Body:
Fox, of course, is the most extreme example of breathless, out-of-control, zoom-around-the-world news overload. But CNN has become much more like Fox.

Now, this next bit is interesting. It's fascinating to see the advertisements for their particular reporter personalities. They get really stoked off the reporter-as-adventurer idea. Whoa! Exotic locations! Threats from natives!

We really are neo-Victorians. Not just in our obsession with sex, but also with our grotesque fascination with psycho drama and class. Next up - this months-old domestic violence story. Why are we still talking about Scott Peterson? It's not as if there is a small number of pregnant women who are under threat of violence from their husbands. Is it just our Victorian-era shocked sensibility that a white upper-middle class guy could act like one of those people? You know, those people.

Ah, here comes the next story - the market. You know, the living, breathing, market, who moves in mysterious ways.

Sports update, nothing special.

Weather. Big-time fear mongering. Tropical storm Betty. It gives us lots of opportunities for pictures-in-picture of different talking heads from different locations.

I dunno. Much of the time I miss having TV. I like to know what people are talking about. Times like this, though, it could disappear from the face of the planet and I do not think the world would be any poorer.

Posted: Thu - August 12, 2004 at 05:48 AM           |

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