Wednesday, August 20, 2008

News

I am waiting for inspiration to strike...

I have yet to decide what exactly this blog is going to be about. So I am waiting...
Sometimes its hard to decide what to ramble on about on a given day....

Clearly today I am, once again, going to ramble on about nothing....

Off the top of my head, one thing that I find constantly annoying about the United States is the overtly dramatic news programs. This is a topic I love to complain about. I use it as one of my prime examples on how the US of A and Canada are different.
24 hour news programing. Is this something thats really necessary? Really?
(I am watching the worst eighties movie right now....its called "Slamdance")
Mostly it seems as if most of this 24 hour programing is filled with increasingly detailed weather reports, updated every 10 minutes. Lord help us if there is any extreme weather, because then you just get 24 hour weather reporting. Like now! Tropical Storm Fay is currently hovering around Florida, and every news station has reporters spread out over the state, reporting every 10 minutes on whats happening.
(What on earth is he doing with that egg yolk??)
And the news casters at the news station discuss, to the death, every detail of the weather. Its boring..... boring!! And it goes on all day. Once in a while, actual news is on. You know, current topics, stuff on the upcoming election. Actual news. But mostly its weather. Oh, and traffic reports.
(How does one tease ones hair that high??)
So its mostly weather, traffic, little actual news and tons of drama and scare tactics thrown in for good measure. Lots of tag lines like "Crazed sex maniac loose in your neighbourhood?? Find out tonight at 11", "Meth lab discovered in local home. Find out where, tonight at 10". And perhaps you wait, as you really want to know if that meth lab was in your neighbourhood. And the 10 o'clock news comes on, and at 10:59 pm, they say something like "Details are sketchy...blah blah..." and you never find out even a general location.
(Does that woman have a beard?? Is it even a woman? Are they seriously chasing that car on a Vespa? What is wrong with this movie!)
The news is far to dramatic for me. Drama which I find annoying. And violent too. Violence that I find unnecessary. Violence that I do not think needs to be shown during the 'noon hour'.
(Tighty whitey briefs and a trucker hat with reindeer antlers? For a sex scene?)
About sex offender busts, murders, kidnappings, rapes etc. Pretty much every violent thing you can think of. I honestly do not remember any news like this back in Canada. I mean, I am sure there are things like that happening in Canada, but maybe not as much Or if as much, then they aren't getting around-the-clock-lead-story coverage on every major network.
(Members Only jackets are sweet!)
Even CNN, while a better news source, still falls instantly short in my eyes everytime it reports on things like the birth of Brangelina's latest batch of kids, or who Jessica Simpson is dating now.... also not news. Well, its news of sorts, but not news that needs to be on CNN! Thats what celebrity gossip blogs are for!!
(Scruffy unshaven faces, mullets and gold hoop earrings are an irresistable combination)
In general, the States isn't a bad place to live, but I really can do without that kind of drama......

1 comments:

Mr. F. McNeil said...

i couldn't agree more about the "impending doom" of the news broadcasts in this country. I loved your interjections about the eighties movie, but it reallymade me wish I could watch what you were watching