So I'm still watching CNN (you'd think I'd have something more interesting to do on a Sunday morning).
After CNN went to some lengths to defend themselves against Obama's tirade about the 24 hour media being devoid of substance and big on simple, angry, confrontation, well, they followed it up with a lengthy interview with Joy Behar. Seeking her input as to current events, including, oh, John Edwards love child, Glenn Beck moving to Fox News (he's frequently ridiculous, and is a former alcoholic and drug addict, so that is why he's so offensive didn't you know?). Oh now they're asking her about whether or not conservative women have more orgasms than liberal women. Mostly, they just are doing a promo for her new television show, not surprisingly called, "The Joy Behar Show" on CNN's sister network, "Headline News".
This is what apparently passes for "News" on "The most trusted name in news."
For those of you who don't know who Joy Behar is, well:
I know. I didn't know who they hell she was either.
Well, she's on television already 5 days per week, on "The View".
I know, I've never watched it either.
"The View", according to it's ABC website "features ABC News correspondent Barbara Walters -- who appears on average three days a week – moderator Whoopi Goldberg, comedian Joy Behar, actress/comedian Sherri Shepherd and designer and former “Survivor: The Australian Outback” participant Elisabeth Hasselbeck."
Yes. Joy Behar is an "actress/comedian".
This is news. An interview with a mindless moron, and a show featuring a mindless moron.
But. The question, fairly, is whether the public is becoming stupider BECAUSE of what they're being fed by the media (as Obama suggests) or whether the media is becoming stupider to adapt to the demand of the public.
I suggest its the latter.
The broad public doesn't want and won't tolerate media that is serious and difficult, and, well, not "entertaining". There is plenty of information on the internet regarding the President's health care program, regarding climate change, regarding all of the issues of our day - but the public, by and large, evidences a level of understanding that doesn't even approach that of media bozo's like Joy Behar and, yes, Glen Beck.
We exercise our voting franchise like we decide on our fast food. Not based upon any researched effort on determining what the nutritional value is, but based upon the packaging of the commercial and the way it "feels" when we eat it.
Welcome to the McDonald's world. To the world of McAnswers to our serious problems.
And if you don't like it - well, why are you watching Nancy Grace, Bill O'Rielly, Glen Beck,and, yes, Joy Behar?
4 comments:
omg I was watching that today too LOL. Pretty much thinking the same thing - like Joy going on about how Glenn Beck is ridiculous most/lots of the time (which I agree with haha), but then later comes the clip of her with Ann Coulter and the conservative vs liberal orgasm - oh yeah Joy, THAT is quality news. Every family wants to listen to that in the evenings :) Awesome job!
UGH.
I can't remember what else she rambled on about, but I laughed that a few mins after talking about how she enjoyed watching Jane VM's show (brady bunch lol), she talked about Beck being a former alcoholic and drug addict (I only recall glenn talking about alcoholism but who knows) and saying Glenn replaced one addiction with another (his program) --- well.... Joy.... JWM's new book is about her own alcoholism so are you going to say that Jane replaced her booze addiction with being on tv and yelling at people in a brady bunch-esque split screen? Seriously... I hope Jane saw that and was offended because I found it a very low-blow.
As for the show itself, I have been watching HLN as opposed to CNN for over 2 years, I prefer it to CNN most of the time.. but lately it's becoming more and more like an entertainment network and with the addition of Behar to the crew, I will be tuning in even less. Headline News? With Joy Behar of The View? What?
Oh this reminds me - Andrew Wilkow is a radio show host on Sirius Patriot/XM and his show is the most listened to of all Sirius programs if I remember right - but his show is VERY hard to follow sometimes LOL. Andrew is so smart (in my humble opinion), he actually turns my brain to mush most times but I still try to keep up. So.... it shows that there ARE people/listeners/viewers out there who WANT to know what is going on, who CRAVE it and search for it --- because he is a formerly unknown guy in his late 30s, but his show tops ALL others, even the music stations. Millions of people tune in every day and his show is different than I've heard from Beck, Limbaugh, Levin, etc... it's curdles my brain tissue with the amount of intelligent arguements going on (mixed with some interestingly poisonous sarcasm and wit lol), but he brings in the most listeners on Sirius.
CNN's various programs (HLN, other networks, etc) don't even touch the number of listeners these conservative radio hosts get, not even close, and many go very deep into constitutional issues (Mike Church, Sirius 7am mst) every day and still pull in far more than the cable networks do. That says something to me.
To me that says it's perhaps an even break between Mindless Media and Mindless Public. The networks might think they are following popular demand, but quite often their ratings show otherwise. Millions more look elsewhere for their news and information... I read something recently in the NY Times that says Larry King's show is the top rated CNN program, drawing a million viewers a night....
Andrew Wilkow has about 6-7 million listeners every day to his 3 hour long program, despite the brain melting lol. Does that tell you something?
If there are 300 million people in the US, plus access to CNN from so many other countries, and their top rated program is only viewed by one million people - that's hardly catering to the masses is it?
Here is one blurb on his ratigns that says 'nearly' a million:
""That’s partly because Mr. King, 73 ....{unrelated info}...continues to be the most highly rated host on CNN’s schedule, drawing nearly a million viewers a night.""
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/05/arts/television/05king.html
LOL.. great minds.. I'll have to check out the Wilkow show on Syrius.. thanks for the heads up!
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