Monday, May 26, 2003

More on the media:

For some reason I've become a little media obsessed lately. Not sure why—maybe I just like to complain, and there's plenty there to complain about.

For example, have you read about this Jayson Blair thing? Super-interesting. I, much like most of America, don't know who to blame more. That kid is a total punk—doesn't appear to have any remorse at all, not to mention journalistic ethics, and has generally been a bad apple from the get-go, but the Times sort of did this to itself. Get some fact-checkers, honestly, and quit giving people so many free passes. And an editor-in-chief who's not so into ass-kissers.

I've pretty much stopped watching TV entirely now. I still love movies, but TV has gotten to the point where it just irritates the crap out of me. The only thing I pay attention to anymore are the commercials, and those I watch online.

When weighing the relative merits of the three major weekly news magazines tonight, I rejected Time on the grounds that it was too masturbatory. Has anybody else noticed this? Time is pretty much in love with itself, and not afraid to tell you about it. As a matter of fact, the entire AOL-TimeWarner conglomerate is a little too narcissistic for comfort. How many times have you read the words "Entertainment Weekly parent company AOL-TimeWarner" while reading something in EW? Too many. I end up feeling like I've walked in on a very private moment.

Clear Channel Communications, on the other hand, is not masturbatory; they're too busy pleasing their advertisers, the record labels, and everybody but their listeners—I need a radio station that has more than five songs in the rotation, for the love of Pete! And Cox Communications is not much better. Of course, the other option is KTRU. Right, pirating and mix CDs it is.

Please email your congressperson about the FCC.

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