A Depressed Whimper of a Rant

The BBQ Pit
1

The media coverage on this war is almost surrealistic. It’s making me dizzy. We’re watching a satire of war news coverage and media run amok, except that it ain’t fiction.

It’s much more about the “personalities” and names and celebrity and opinions of the correspondents, and less about the news and events.

It’s about self-promotion amidst killing and destruction.

It’s about Geraldo, that pathetic laughingstock of anything journalistic, and all about the media bothering us with THAT story when they should be covering the real news.

It’s about Peter Arnett and his bad judgement, and not about the people that died there today on both sides.

It’s about “scooping the other news networks” and being able to market that to the audience! WAHOOO! “You heard it here on FOX first!!”. Like I give a fetid shit about that.

It’s about finding a bunch of no-name retired majors and Lt. Colonels to do “expert analysis” with the latest network news bimbo porn-star make-up queen, and when that fails, getting Jesse Ventura to come on to chime in with his insight.

IT’S ABOUT POLLS, BABY!! TELL US WHAT AMERICA THINKS!

It’s about moronic inspirational theme music in the background and flashy intro graphics before each and every commercial break. “We can’t let people actually start THINKING about this war, 'cause that’s kinda somber and serious! So, keep the sheep busy with dazzling graphics, 5 lines of screen tickers and floating icons everywhere, self-proclaimed expert military analysis, 3-D fly-bys, and a razzle-dazzle production.”.

It’s about Shep Smith, Smirky News Frat Boy, and his overly-patriotic “I’m hip” approach to degrading the profession of news reporting.

It’s about the whole tired “up close and personal” approach to coverage, as though this was an Olympics (which is what made the Olympic coverage unbearable).

It’s about sticking a goddamn microphone into the faces of the relatives of deceased troops, as soon as possible after they get the news, so that a STORY can be manufactured. Bastards - someone oughta kick your ass for being so insensitive.

It’s about the media ENDLESSLY trying to second-guess the Pentagon brass in an attempt to create scandal, intrigue, and a story, while the rest of the world looks on and laughs at our silliness. Yes - now we have a Wolf Blitzer, Paragon of Insight, weighing in with his views on war management and planning.

It’s about the networks hammering home and criticizing the smallest flaws and unexpected turns that battle always takes, in an attempt to generate news, when all the while they’re just keeping the Iraqis informed on an up-to-the-minute basis about the problems that we’re having over there. Hell, Iraq doesn’t need to do their own intelligence-gathering - they can just listen to our media, and let them be their eyes and ears.

It’s WWF coupled with real war.

But, regardless of whether it’s a critically-acclaimed, thoughtful, artistic movie being shown on TV, or an event like the Olympics on TV, or an important event covered on TV, or as in this case, a goddamn bloody, killing, slaughtering war on TV…

…it is the fuckin’ TV media/marketing shitheads who are calling the shots and running the show.

Damn you people for constantly working to degrade life as we know it, and all the while cloaking yourselves in the flag and freedom of speech.

It’s all about entertainment for a population that must be kept distracted lest they actually start to think and ask questions, and even then, it really is just a vehicle for attaining the prime directive: ADVERTISING DOLLARS.

I expect no less from these shits, but it really does get to me.

2

Yeah, we should have government-controlled media, just like…uh, never mind.

3

blower, kindly consider that my reaction to the media’s behavior does not translate to “government-controlled media”.

Rather, I would like to so the media could control themselves.

4

I definitely wouldn’t call this rant a “depressed whimper.” It had good venom, a dose of moral outrage, and a real point.
And I agree wholeheartedly.

5

Great post Booka. But it is not “almost” surreal, it IS surreal.

Shepard Smith and Aaron Brown are right out of NETWORK they are so bizarre.

And Katie Couric interviewing the families of soldiers who have been killed and then “throwing” it to AL for the weather is beyond description.

I predict that soon actual soldiers in the field will be doing commercials for some company live over those videophones.

6

booka, I agree with you 100%. I’ve made it a point to try and learn about the war from a multitude of news websites. I think it’s crucial to ignore television as much as possible as far as this war is concerned, because their coverage is just… It’s a feeding frenzy. The BBC and AP websites seem to be a little less insane about their reporting.

7

djf750, this made my head spin for a second - until I realized that, sure, given the way things are, it could happen.

Some weasely network shit has probably already envisioned this:

“Lt. Kilroy, what are YOU going to do now that you’ve killed your quota of Iraqi Republican Guards?”

“I’m headed to DISNEY WORLD!”

:rolleyes:

8

I smell some Baudrilliard in our future…

9

I’ve never been so glad that my television’s antenna is broken. (It’s been about three years, now. I recommend it.)

10

Have you seen the “weather man” on the early morning Fox show? He wackily reports on the temps in all the Iraqi cities as if they were cities in yourtown usa.

Then as he goofingly reports that in a month the temps will be in the 100’s and throws it back to the “anchors”, one of them responds “OUCH!”

Then more reports on war dead.

Are wackily and goofingly correct? Ah who cares?

OUCH!

11

If you stop watching, the ratings will drop.

12

I don’t think my memory has failed me completely, but I seem to recall seeing, within the last month, a commercial for some home gym product featuring two sergeants in t-shirts and desert camo pants, flag in the background, talking about using the workout thingie there in the desert. At least that was the impression I got.

Anyone else see this ad? I’m pretty sure it wasn’t a hallucination.

13

Only if you’re a Nielsen family. I wish I was, I swear I’d use my power only for good…

14

What?
And miss this stuff? Not on your life. I’m not joking. This crap FASCINATES me.
I want to see what they will do next.

15

I’m lucky I’m in Canada.

My local news continues on as normal - local coverage, and then there’s a 10 minute “War on Iraq” feature. It then goes back to local coverage. Weather. Sports. The new community centre being built in Harvest Hills.

I really don’t think I could tollerate 24 hour war coverage - it would be way to depressing, way to quickly. :frowning:

16

Yes, I saw that ad. It was for piece of exercise equipment called a “Bow-Flex”. The men were in fatigues, but out of uniform. I don’t think they made specific reference to the war, just to exercise while stuck in the desert. I do not think I have seen that ad in the –past 3-4 weeks.

17

I didn’t really see the first Gulf War on tv, I mean, I saw it, but I don’t remember anything about watching it. I won’t lie, I did watch the build up to this war with some amusement, but even then, I was wondering as to how it would play out on tv. Can the average citizen handle a real war? No, was my repsonse before the war started, and it’s still the same. I don’t think people today could handle it, which is why it’s turned into this crap on the news networks. I find it pathetic and degrading, and surprisingly showing of why people hate the US around the world. We’re ninnies and wussies when it comes down to it. The average person, I mean, not everyone. We sit here and go “oh what a pity” when men and women die for the freedoms which we abuse. Yes, of course it’s war, and of course people are going to die. But that’s what is supposed to set the United States apart from other countries, that we CARE. Apparently we don’t, and while I’m not surprised, it is quite depressing that the world has come to such a state.

As to that ad, I think I’ve seen it too… but I have a question about that… anyone who’s been in the active duty military, and stationed for war, isn’t going to need to “excercise”. So I’m not quite sure what the idiot who thought that marketing plan up was thinking, but I hope they’re fired for being an idiot.

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Oh and I, for one, dislike Geraldo rather strongly. Just thought I’d throw that in.