2008 Woodie Awards
Celebrity worship a societal plague
Justin Lindbord
Issue date: 2/27/07
Last Updated: 8/9/07
Did you hear that Britney Spears shaved her head? She's back in rehab too - and the timing couldn't be worse. She's in the middle of a custody battle with her ex-husband, K-Fed.
Still reading? I knew you would be. Why? Because you are an American, a member of a gossip-mongering, nosey society with nothing but money and free time during which to spend it.
And you don't even care, really, about Britney, K-Fed or their two infants hanging in the balance. You care about seeing someone fall from glory to ruin. You care about being entertained by the story of the unraveling of Britney's life and about comparing your life to how twisted hers is.
This is a creeping problem with our news that tells us much more about the patrons than the purveyors. Those producing celebrity-oriented news, from CNN.com to the tabloids you see in the grocery store checkout line are only putting out there exactly what you the public want to read. One sign of this is what is found in the top stories on CNN.com.
As of Feb. 23, only five of the top twelve stories of the day are political. When I say "political," I am referring to the American sense of the word, which essentially consists of anything dealing with government or the rest of the world. Under this loose definition is included everything from Gore's environmentalist antics to the Democrats' ultra-secret plan for the future of U.S. involvement in Iraq.
Only one story contained anything truly significant, namely the FBI sting operation which foiled corrupt cops in Florida. The remaining six stories appeal to the sensationalist in us all. From the tale of the hiccupping woman who has not been able to stop for a month to the near tragic biting of a boy by a pit bull named 'Fatal' CNN lays down the standard for competent, headline journalism.
Be reminded: These twelve stories are what CNN thinks the public most wants to hear. They are quite entertaining, to be sure, but are they news? Or do they merely cater to the public's desire to be entertained but still feel like an informed, responsible individual by checking the news?
Still reading? I knew you would be. Why? Because you are an American, a member of a gossip-mongering, nosey society with nothing but money and free time during which to spend it.
And you don't even care, really, about Britney, K-Fed or their two infants hanging in the balance. You care about seeing someone fall from glory to ruin. You care about being entertained by the story of the unraveling of Britney's life and about comparing your life to how twisted hers is.
This is a creeping problem with our news that tells us much more about the patrons than the purveyors. Those producing celebrity-oriented news, from CNN.com to the tabloids you see in the grocery store checkout line are only putting out there exactly what you the public want to read. One sign of this is what is found in the top stories on CNN.com.
As of Feb. 23, only five of the top twelve stories of the day are political. When I say "political," I am referring to the American sense of the word, which essentially consists of anything dealing with government or the rest of the world. Under this loose definition is included everything from Gore's environmentalist antics to the Democrats' ultra-secret plan for the future of U.S. involvement in Iraq.
Only one story contained anything truly significant, namely the FBI sting operation which foiled corrupt cops in Florida. The remaining six stories appeal to the sensationalist in us all. From the tale of the hiccupping woman who has not been able to stop for a month to the near tragic biting of a boy by a pit bull named 'Fatal' CNN lays down the standard for competent, headline journalism.
Be reminded: These twelve stories are what CNN thinks the public most wants to hear. They are quite entertaining, to be sure, but are they news? Or do they merely cater to the public's desire to be entertained but still feel like an informed, responsible individual by checking the news?
For this reason, The Whitworthian asks readers to be responsible and respectful in any comments posted. The responsibility for statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not the whitworthian.com. Readers are also encouraged to report questionable comments by e-mailing editor@whitworthian.com.
Be the first to comment on this story