500 channels and nothing on

[vivasinatra]

I was at the gym this morning, and they have something like nine televisions opposite the stair climber machines, each tuned to a different channel (news, sports, TNT, MTV, etc.). Usually I'm just overwhelmed by the crap tsunami this represents. Today, however, something, er, someone caught my eye. In a startling display of the groupthink of old

Comments

[greatblueheron]

And isn't impressive how talking heads without any particular expertise have more or less *become* the news? With softball questions, if any, thrown their way.

It's fun to listen to a BBC interview with a gov't mouthpiece for contrast - those guys (and gals) get *mean.*

[vivasinatra]

Indeed. There seems to be a small remnant of the idea of journalistic integrity when they pit the "liberal" head vs. the "conservative" head. But the discourse is both petty and predictable. From where do we get any new ideas?

F'rinstance, a friend of mine framed the immigration debate in terms of free trade: there is a free transfer of capital between nations, but not of free labor. Very interesting, I thought. But hear it on "Meet the Press"? I think not.

I accidentally started a grease fire in the cook's hair...

[yadernye]

I know the McDonald's joke well: it was from a Steve Martin comedy record we listened to in our wayward youth...when we weren't out scoring with the chicks, that is. Ahem.

[yadernye]

Journalistic integrity? On TV? Surely, you jest. There is no "news" on the news anymore. Just the latest missing white girl story and celebrity baby blather. And lots of free air time for the "shape of the earth: views differ" crap that passes for political discourse in this country.