WTF?! (Ramblings on mainstream media coverage)

Have you watched the evening news on any of the big network channels recently? I normally get my news from a variety of internet sources, but occasionally I’ll turn on the TV to see what’s coming out of the mainstream news world, as I did last night. All I have to say is...dang.

In the five or so minutes while I flipped channels between CNN, MSNBC, and one other station (I’m blanking on which it was), I got a range of “news” snippets (in order of increasing absurdity and stupidity): debate about Obama’s spending plan, the Rush Limbaugh/Michael Steele controversy, Cindy McCain’s love life, and some melodrama from the Bachelor (the TV show).

The discussion of the Obama plan, the most newsworthy of the list, was nothing more than partisan bickering disguised as meaningful debate: the Republican on the panel criticizes the new spending for not having enough tax credits and increasing the size of government, while the Democrat on the panel counters that we’re in this mess because of Bush’s spending. It’s the usual song and dance: they argue back forth a bit within their political party talking points, but never delve into any substantive debate. How about discussing how this plan will actually affect the American economy?

The Rush Limbaugh brouhaha is even worse. Rush Limbaugh made a comment, the chairman of the RNC responded, then apologized (or something like that – if you care about the details, look it up online). So now they’re debating who owns the Republican party. Literally, there was a yes-no poll about who owns the GOP. Is this news??? It sounds more like gossip that belongs in US Weekly. Clearly there are legitimate questions about the current state of the Republican party after being sorely defeated in the 08 election, but it goes much deeper than this. And this was on Larry King Live, mind you, a supposedly reputable news show.

As for the Cindy McCain thing, I guess her blog posts are somehow qualified as legitimate news since father ran for president, and the Bachelor... I won’t even go there.

I’m not going to blame the networks for the bitter partisan divide in American politics, but they definitely exacerbate it by inviting party talking heads on their news shows who argue real, important issues with empty talking points. I’m sure this is nothing new to a lot of people, but it had been so long since I watched the news that actually doing so kind of flabbergasted me.

The depth of coverage on mainstream news networks is so shallow, it makes Gossip Girls look important. In all honesty, I'm really disappointed by the lack of substance in what gets broadcast daily to millions of Americans. On top of all that, there’s hardly any coverage of international news. Of course there's going to be a strong domestic focus, but Americans are already pretty isolated from what’s going on in the rest of the world. So if the nightly news crap is the main source of information for a majority of Americans, then I would say we’re in trouble.

Here’s my attempt to a positive spin on the whole thing – maybe since my generation of 18 – 30 year olds does pretty much everything online, we're getting our information from better, more diverse sources and bypassing some of the mainstream TV garbage (although I don’t think that can be avoided entirely, since there’s plenty of it online, too). Until the big networks stop producing news shows like they produce their sitcoms, I think the internet is the best savior we have.

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Say It Ain't So Joe!

Former Democratic Vice-Presidential candidate to kick off Republican Convention with George Bush? Stop the world I want to get off!

I defend Joe Lieberman. Maybe it was a New England thing, maybe it was a Jew thing, maybe it was a Grandpa thing. But when he seemed in 2006 to be in his figurative political grave against up and coming, Iraq War hating Ned Lamont, I told everyone who would listen that Joe had to be the one. Sure he sounds like Bush Lite when talking about the War in Iraq, but thats just Joe being Joe. It's like when you let Grandpa ramble for 10 minutes at the dinner table about how they don't make peas like they used to. He's part of the family, so you let a few things slide.

But not this. Next week, the Democrats (Joe Lieberman's political party of choice, along with the rest of Yid Nation) will be gathering in Denver for the Democratic National Convention, aka the biggest political blow-out in 4 years. But will Joe be tapping the Rockies along with the rest of his freedom hating, latte sipping, limousine liberals? Not a chance.

Instead, Democratic Senator Joseph I. Lieberman will be hard at work preparing his speech for the week after, to be given just before our esteemed Preident Bush takes the stage in Minnesota at the Republican National Convention!

I get it Joe, you think the surge is working. That's great (wrong, but great). But what I don't get is the betrayal. You were mere millions of votes from being one mis-chewed pretzel away from the Oval Office, as a Democrat, and now all of a sudden you are supporting the other guy? The guy who is a replica of your opponent back in 2000, but with a better back story? Joe, bubbe would not be proud.

I don't know, maybe I'm giving us too much credit here, but don't you get the feeling that this sort of betrayal isn't really a Jewish thing to do? I know no one in the mainstream media is blaming the faith for his actions, but it's all a part of the story, and it does reflect badly. So shame on you Joe. You have let your people down Joe. On second thought, maybe you are more of a Republican than I thought.
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We're Everywhere (also, can a tatooed Jew be buried in a Jewish Cemetary?)

A recent check of my Jew Filtr in filterbox showed me some pretty interesting things.

First, Yid Scott Storch, one of the founding members of the Legendary Roots Crew aka The Roots, whose meteoric rise to America's Top Producer (patents pending) was characterized by hits such as Terror Squad's 'Lean Back', has hit some hiccups. Storch has apparently started to believe in the world of bling he finds himself in and needs to get everything together.

Number two, a peace of pre-state Israeli propaganda explaining to British soldiers why they should leave Palestine has interesting parallels to a lot of current anti-occupation propaganda, except that it calls for the Brits to leave as opposed to simply calling them infidels. Judge for yourself.

Third, I found a really interesting article about Israel's citizenship and immigration dilemma which has to do with the legitimacy of being a Jewish democracy and what that means, in terms of who should get citizenship and whether a cultural definition of a citizen might be better than the current religious definition.
Interesting quote - "The halachic position is that a person need not be Jewish to be close to God. Being a member of the Chosen People means being subject to special duties, but it gives you no monopoly on righteousness or spirituality."
Read it.

Finally, the tattooed Jew question. After reading a very interesting article with several people's takes on the issue, including Hollywood and Larry David, the conclusion is. . its forbidden, but won't keep you out of a Jewish cemetery.
Full article here.
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