Stupid Caused This

Glenzilla has a nice essay on media narratives, here.

What's interesting about this particular piece is that the top editor at a top publication admits that they crowd out "real reporting" in exchange for stories that can generate fast interest - and thus links, hits, and revenue.

The real harm inflicted by the behavior Harris describes isn't that we're all subjected to an endless stream of worthless gossip from our political journalists. That's more of an avoidable annoyance than anything else. It's that the trashy gossip completely crowds out any discussion of anything that actually matters, allowing our government and political class generally to get away with the most extreme acts of corruption, lawbreaking and destruction while those assigned to "report" on what they're doing prattle on about haircuts, horse races, and an endless stream of soap opera storylines. Those who know best how to feed journalists their easy, gossipy items are those who best manipulate their "reporting."

You see this effect week after week. One day, Obama is an elitist for suggesting people cling to God and Guns in hard times. The next day, Clinton is threatening because she brought up the RFK assassination.

Meanwhile, if you polled the American public on the policy positions of the 3 current candidates, I'd wager 90% of the American public has no idea.

When you look at why this is, you need not look any further than the American public. Greenwald uses the term "vapid". It's true, but not simply because the reporters or editors are vapid. It's because the vast majority of the American public is vapid.

And yes, if one of those "reporters" read my post, I'd be accused of being "elitist". Scott Adams once said being "elitist" is a virtue, not a vice, and it's true.

I'm not going to apologize for being exceptionally well tuned to current events and politics, nor for having "reason based" outlook. It's not my fault that the press is fixated on Britney Spears. It's not my fault that Jerry Springer is on the teevee.

Americans always get what they deserve.. every single time. Americans deserved George Bush and the glorious war in Iraq.

I didn't deserve it.