[Note: I know this is a break from the regular format. Please let me know what you think, but I will return to my more fun self soon, I promise. Either that or I'll be bitter the rest of my fucking life... time will tell.]
Punditry must be smothered swiftly in its sleep. More specifically, FOX News, MSNBC and any other "news" station that litters their air waves with intolerance. I'm not going to play sides here, as I think they've both been playing far too much in recent years.
You see, I come from a background in actual journalism, not this piss-water yellow "journalism" and hate speech uttered by both the left and the right. And, yes, I have issues.
It's true that the reporter's job is to cover events from a non-partisan point of view. And it's an anchor's job to put these stories in some sort of context that everyone can grasp. But it is not and should not be to play both instigator and referee to two douche bags fighting on national television.
Fuck that. I'm done.
Maybe it's just that I love the art broadcasting, intellectual insight and proactive discussions on issues that affect people. And, it is a fucking art. You can have your paint brushes, and I'll take my laptop and let's see who can make a bigger impact. Just as I said to the art hippies in college, "Get the fuck outta my way!"
Of course, I was severely hung over at the time and was about to spew chunks all over them if they didn't move. But they didn't know that.
See? It's about context.
I often wonder about what some of the great broadcasters would think of the current state of cable news programs. Murrow, Sevareid, even Rather, Brocaw and Jennings -- you know, NEWS guys -- might think these stations have stepped over the edge into a swirling black hole of anti-news.
The stupid thing is, no one is trying to deny it. Everyone knows it's mind-numbing pablum meant to entertain and not necessarily inform. But I thought that's why The Daily Show was created!
Unfortunately, this type of irresponsibility on top of technological innovation has given birth to other forms of severely skewed intolerance and hate speech. Political blogging (the poli-blog) has become easy for many... maybe a little too easy.
There are the big blogs like TPM, Huffington Post, The Drudge Report. They spew their own garbage, but at least you know exactly where they're coming from and they don't try to make their news into something that resembles a traffic accident on the freeway.
But many of these folks just maintain their own little blogs kind of like mine, only more politically based. Small, unassuming, with a cute title of some sort. You gotta admit Pat@Play is at least marginally cute, right?
They spew out their vile opinions like Detroit spitting out cars no one wants to buy. The big difference between the little guys and the big guys is that the majority of little guys don't have a background in journalism, writing, or politics. And many of them so obviously get their news from... cable "news" outlets.
It's not the views I mind, necessarily. Hell, if you want to start an argument that's cool by me. Tell me your reasons why midget porn should be in every classroom -- but make it fucking GOOD. A couple of witless paragraphs using outdated sources and a damaged frontal lobe will not be good enough!
Fuck you, idiot poli-bloggers! Fuck you for wasting my time. Fuck you for wasting any effort I've spent reading your shitty articles, responding to your inane buffoonery in hopes that I might see even an ounce of brilliance in your dull, dull brain.
But, in the end, I know it's not really your fault. You thought it would be fun and easy to keep a regular post about political issues. I mean, sure you don't have any particular skills or knowledge at doing such... you just wanted in on the conversation.
A word of advice to all you inexperienced journalism hacks out there. Learn how to think critically. Learn how to structure an argument. Learn the fucking English language. Know the difference between there, their and they're... or personnel vs. personal. Know a fucking adverb from an adjective.
Either that, or at least learn to be funny. Fuck.
Posts
I've noticed that political blogs tend to attract all the same types of people to them with all the same misguided and misinformed views.
ReplyDeleteI like browsing around on extremely right wing american republican blogs and rabble-rousing. I get extreme pleasure from telling them the globe is warming, and that war isn't a good thing.
Wow, nice use of "buffoonery."
ReplyDeleteI guess the moral is that if people can get their hands on a pencil, a keyboard or a microphone, they can spread their Crazy. Me included.
My wife is stuck on one of those cable channels, I try to ignore it. I do like the BBC America news, they seem pretty even. As for blogs that try to be political, I too have noticed they are getting very vicious, whatever the side, and those too I have stopped looking at.
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