Please Explain US Societal Priorities?

[Jim Lapenta]

Gotta agree Andy on this one. Sorry to say I know who my U.S. senators and state rep are but as for any others well... I'm also sorry to say I really don't care who my state legislators are cause they are all greedy pigs now trying to save their butts. My new motto is if they are in now they are out on election day. I know about more pro athletes than politicians, doctors, scientists etc and really am not proud of it. But thanks to the media it's probably not going to change much. What's the big story here in sw pa today? The steelers won. And the penguins may leave if they don't get a new arena.( I say good! Go you overpaid crybabies!). No mention of senator McCarthy, no talk of what our crooked politicians are up to now, No medical breakthroughs. Just so-called sports. Even they are getting more like pro-wrestling with some of their soap opera antics. At least the wwf changed to wwe and now admit they are entertainment and not a sport. Hopefully the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL will follow suit.

 

[dpbishop]

I guess that's why we elect actors to political office; the media feels more comfortable reporting on them. (The one good thing about having Arnold in the Governor's office is it's keeping him from making movies) I saw today that some people who are dissatisfied with his performance are talking about Mel Gibson as a candidate. Go figure.

It's really not anything new. In 1920 H. L. Mencken wrote:

"The larger the mob, the harder the test. In small areas, before small electorates, a first-rate man occasionally fights his way through, carrying even the mob with him by force of his personality. But when the field is nationwide, and the fight must be waged chiefly at second and third hand, and the force of personality cannot so readily make itself felt, then all the odds are on the man who is, intrinsically, the most devious and mediocre — the man who can most easily adeptly disperse the notion that his mind is a virtual vacuum.

The Presidency tends, year by year, to go to such men. As democracy is perfected, the office represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. We move toward a lofty ideal. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron."

 

[archman]

Simply, everyone knows who Richard Pryor is. His name can be put on a headline and recognized. Other folks, however worthy, don't ring a bell and need to be explained in the print.

Also, everyone associates with media figures. They either saw a movie, bought their music, watched their game, etc... With more noble figures, there's typically little/no association.

Noble people are BORING to the lay public. Entertainers are not. Media's function is to attract viewership, even the news media.

 

[Mark Vlahos]

Here in the United States we don't have "news" we have "infotainment". Television news is the worst, with radio next, and news papers a close third. Even the "good" big city news papers when they have hard news it is almost all domestic news, the international section is tiny and even then does not go in depth on any story. The whole situation is embarrassing and worrysome.

Mark Vlahos

 

[archman]

Here in the United States we don't have "news" we have "infotainment".

I think the U.S. news media is fairly humdrum compared to many other nations.

Heck, in Russia they have news with topless anchors!

 

[Kim]

I think the U.S. news media is fairly humdrum compared to many other nations.

Heck, in Russia they have news with topless anchors!

At least in the US they just elect normal actors - not like Italy where they'll elect a porn star!
Of course - she didn't get quite so high as President.

 

[Mark Vlahos]

I think the U.S. news media is fairly humdrum compared to many other nations.

Heck, in Russia they have news with topless anchors!

My comment was about the content, heck if a topless anchor actually told me somthing valuable about what was happening in any other part of the world that would be an improvement.

Mark Vlahos

 

[archman]

My comment was about the content, heck if a topless anchor actually told me somthing valuable about what was happening in any other part of the world that would be an improvement.

Ironically, a great deal of non-american news content concerns goings-on in america! We're a global fascination, and our entertainers are internationally recongized.

 

[Vie]

I'd also be interested in commentary from those who are nationals of other countries. Do your societies emphasize your entertainment figures the way mine does?

Sadly, yes. What is even more disturbing in many Asian countries, including my own, is the use of "entertainment figures" by the goverment to propagate official propaganda.

 

[H2Andy]

On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's
desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.

some may say this has already happened.... quite a few times...



on a serious note, folks, please keep in mind that per ScubaBoard's Terms of
Service, no political discussions are allowed.

so far we've been great at keeping the discussion non-partisan, and i wanted
to say i'm really impressed