Friday, May 28, 2004
Beyond Infatuated...Now It's Stalking
You know how after awhile something that used to annoy you becomes so damn stupid and over used that you can only point and laugh anymore?
The Wall Street Journal’s Opinion Journal apparently does. The press has become infatuated with their new love child, the “abuses” at Abu Gharib that they simply cannot stop talking about or referencing it in ANY story. The more the article has nothing to do with Abu Gharib, the more likely you are to see the writer include it somewhere in the column. Some examples:
* A “worldwide annual study of consumer sentiment” finds that foreigners are less likely to “trust” American brands or to consider them “honest,” reports CNN/Money. “According to the study--conducted before news of the prison abuse scandal broke late last month--the total percentage of consumers worldwide who use U.S. brands has fallen to 27 percent from 30 percent a year ago across 15 brands surveyed, including McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Yahoo!, Disney and Nike.”
* Then there’s this, from a New York Times review of a Madonna show: “ ‘Burning Up,’ a seemingly innocuous club classic from her first album, was even nastier. As Madonna, still wearing her fatigues, sang the refrain--’I’m burning up, burning up for your love’--static on the screens above was replaced by scrambled camcorder images. War and sex and videotape: it was impossible not to think of Abu Ghraib, though she never made the connection explicit."
(Brief interlude while Serenity rolls on the floor laughing uncontrollably.)
Allow me to illustrate how very little thought this type of “reporting” requires:
“Today I slammed my knee on the bathroom door and I couldn’t help but think about those poor prisoners in Abu Gharib and how their knees must have felt after building their pyramid....”
“A news chopper got snagged on some power lines today and drug one 300 feet before coming to a stop....much like the prisoner at Abu Gharib was dragged....”
Sheesh...this stuff just writes itself.
If that wasn’t hysterical enough for you, check out what the New York Times is saying about their coverage of the war in Iraq:
The New York Times has issued a lengthy “From the Editors” note, in which it essentially says its coverage of the Iraq war has been too pro-American.
The horror! To think that a rag out of New York City, U S of A would dare to support America when there are perfectly needy Islamic militants and French citizens out there in need of a few bedfellows is shameful! SHAMEFUL I tell you!
The New York Slimes is about as pro-American as a Japanse suicide pilot in WWII.
You know, now that I think about it, I suppose I should have issued a ::Caution! Severe Side Splitting Pain and Drink Alert are Currently In Affect:: at the top of this site. Please accept my apologies but I am not responsible for any damaged screens or keyboards.
Really, there is just far too much hilarity ensuing over at the WSJ Opinion Journal. You really owe it to yourself to get over there and take a read.
[Thanks to Eric over at Who Tends The Fires for pointing the way to the laughter.]
