News Gone Crazy...
I've been here in Kansas City for exactly a month and 2 weeks now. I dont know anyone here and there's nothing much to see here. So, the best way I kill time when I'm home doing nothin or during the weekends is by watching TV. Most of the time, I watched movies and sitcoms. Last couple of days I watched some news channels. After having watched them for 3-4 days I realized that the news channels here in the US are absolutely PATHETIC.
Essentially the news in the US comprises 3 main sections - political (read-Bashing Bush), crime and celebrities (read - paris hilton, lindsay lohan, et al).
The first section is quite self explanatory, anything to do with Bush is always criticized. Be it Iraq war, Immigration bill or anything else even remotely concerned with the government policies and economy.
The second section is blown out of proportion and even a simple murder or a car crash is given HUGE importance as if it involved the president of US himself. Sometime back there was this incident in Ohio wherein a pregnant lady was missing and her 2 year old son was found abandoned in her house. This case got FANTASTIC media attention. Each and every news channel FOX News, FOX Headline, NBC, CBS, KCMO-Local, CNN, CNN Headline and a host of other news channels played the same story AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN and AG....(voice fading into oblivion).
It was the same case when a WWE wrestler by the name Chris Benoit murdered his wife, his son and later hanged himself. The homicide was attributed to the unstable mental condition resulting from Steroid abuse. This one has been on the news for the last 3 weeks now. The extent of the media coverage is to say the least MASSIVE. They have their own forensic expert. They have their own lawyers. They have their own "prosecutors". They have their own doctors and their own psychologists.
Sometimes I get the feeling that the media channels do more investigation than the police department. Maybe its true and maybe the police "borrow" clues from the (dare I say) "speculative investigation" done by the media. The most ridiculous of all shows related to crime is a show hosted by Nancy Grace. Its a show wherein she ropes in the experts and the viewers can call-in and ask questions.
When her show was covering the pregnant mom disappearance and eventual death, I noticed that each caller called in and said "congratulations and love your show" and then asked the question. I also noticed that when the callers greeted Nancy Grace, the expression on her face indicated that she was grateful for the greeting and she had a smile. As soon as the question was asked and as soon as she was speculating on the crime, her facial expression changed to that of anger and when she was discussing on the 2-year-old child her facial expression changed to compassion. This goes to show that she is a tremendous actor and she has been "trained" to change her expressions. The expression changes definitely didnt seem natural to me. It one point I was so pissed off seeing her show that I felt like hitting her with my chappals.
The third section in the news is celebrity news. What are they wearing? Whom are they dating? Their misdemeanours, and so on and so forth. For example Paris Hilton's home-coming after her jail sentence featured among one of the top stories on all news channels. Then there was this celebrity style show which actually analyzed Paris Hilton's outfit when she walked out of jail. They discussed what was her hair like, her skirt, the colour of her skirt, blah, blah, blah. One of the news channels had hired a helicopter to follow the route of Paris Hilton's SUV and broadcasted Paris's drive from the jail in LA to her house on LIVE TV.
I watched the news just for 2 weeks and after that I just stopped watching them all together. The news here is full of crap and the news channels have gone beserk with their reporting. I'm typing this post whilst listening to songs from my playlist in Winamp and the strangest thing is that just as I'm about to end this post, the Green Day song AMERICAN IDIOT starts to play. Its a song that talks about the role of the media in the US. WOW...thats so IRONIC.
Essentially the news in the US comprises 3 main sections - political (read-Bashing Bush), crime and celebrities (read - paris hilton, lindsay lohan, et al).
The first section is quite self explanatory, anything to do with Bush is always criticized. Be it Iraq war, Immigration bill or anything else even remotely concerned with the government policies and economy.
The second section is blown out of proportion and even a simple murder or a car crash is given HUGE importance as if it involved the president of US himself. Sometime back there was this incident in Ohio wherein a pregnant lady was missing and her 2 year old son was found abandoned in her house. This case got FANTASTIC media attention. Each and every news channel FOX News, FOX Headline, NBC, CBS, KCMO-Local, CNN, CNN Headline and a host of other news channels played the same story AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN and AG....(voice fading into oblivion).
It was the same case when a WWE wrestler by the name Chris Benoit murdered his wife, his son and later hanged himself. The homicide was attributed to the unstable mental condition resulting from Steroid abuse. This one has been on the news for the last 3 weeks now. The extent of the media coverage is to say the least MASSIVE. They have their own forensic expert. They have their own lawyers. They have their own "prosecutors". They have their own doctors and their own psychologists.
Sometimes I get the feeling that the media channels do more investigation than the police department. Maybe its true and maybe the police "borrow" clues from the (dare I say) "speculative investigation" done by the media. The most ridiculous of all shows related to crime is a show hosted by Nancy Grace. Its a show wherein she ropes in the experts and the viewers can call-in and ask questions.
When her show was covering the pregnant mom disappearance and eventual death, I noticed that each caller called in and said "congratulations and love your show" and then asked the question. I also noticed that when the callers greeted Nancy Grace, the expression on her face indicated that she was grateful for the greeting and she had a smile. As soon as the question was asked and as soon as she was speculating on the crime, her facial expression changed to that of anger and when she was discussing on the 2-year-old child her facial expression changed to compassion. This goes to show that she is a tremendous actor and she has been "trained" to change her expressions. The expression changes definitely didnt seem natural to me. It one point I was so pissed off seeing her show that I felt like hitting her with my chappals.
The third section in the news is celebrity news. What are they wearing? Whom are they dating? Their misdemeanours, and so on and so forth. For example Paris Hilton's home-coming after her jail sentence featured among one of the top stories on all news channels. Then there was this celebrity style show which actually analyzed Paris Hilton's outfit when she walked out of jail. They discussed what was her hair like, her skirt, the colour of her skirt, blah, blah, blah. One of the news channels had hired a helicopter to follow the route of Paris Hilton's SUV and broadcasted Paris's drive from the jail in LA to her house on LIVE TV.
I watched the news just for 2 weeks and after that I just stopped watching them all together. The news here is full of crap and the news channels have gone beserk with their reporting. I'm typing this post whilst listening to songs from my playlist in Winamp and the strangest thing is that just as I'm about to end this post, the Green Day song AMERICAN IDIOT starts to play. Its a song that talks about the role of the media in the US. WOW...thats so IRONIC.
Labels: American Idiot, Bush, Celebrities, Green Day, Immigration, Iraq, Ironic., Nancy Grace, News channels, Paris Hilton, WWE
posted by Ram at 3:52 AM
9 Comments:
Rama WB! I missed ya.
News here is CRAP too. All abt murders, terrorists, shootings, crashes etc etc. I dun watch the News much.
TC!
Keshi.
Hey Ram,
I totally agree about our Media here. Since you know me (about a month now)you may have noticed that I don't listen to the Media. I don't even turn on my TV unless I'm putting in a DVD that I choose myself(Lots of Bollywood lately,Hehe). You say Ironic but I say , again, Co-inscidence about how Am. Idiot came on. But you know my thoughts on that matter.
As for "nothing to see here in KC", I say booo to that! There is plenty to see and do and eat but you would have to stay still and have some extra time on your hands which you seem to fly off with as of late. You have never taken the time to go to our AMAZING museums here. The Nelson is about on the level of some of America's greats. Especially with the new add ons. Our small but Contemporary "Kemper Museum" has wonderful updated offerings aswell and houses some of the most interesting Jewelry this Region offers, MINE! You have never gone to Lawrence, which I think you would really enjoy. William Bourghs, an amazingly maniaical writer lived there most of his life and David Bryne of the Talking Heads lived there too.
There really is so much more to see and do but you are leaving so I won't say anymore about it.
As for your writting, I think you are very talented and passionate. I love how blogging is just another way for you to stay in connection with your friends and family. You are so good and straight from the "Dil" with it. One of the beauties of knowing you is your honor to the connections you make with others. Being your friend is easy because you do a lot of the work of keeping yourself close to that person (literally by going to meet them where they are)and in today's busy world it's about a lost art. Some may say it's because you have more time on your hands because you are single still, but I can see past that, I know that it will be important for your partner to understand this wonderful virtue about you.
Best to you in your journey this weekend! I love driving. I usually drive to NYC 2x's a year-a 24hr. trip. I just get books on Cd at the "Cracker Barrel's" -totally takes you to another place while you are driving and you are there in no time!
Best wishes,
Mia Rosado
hows u?
Keshi.
@Mia
Thanks a lot for those wonderful words. I really appreciate it. Do keep coming back here for more.
@Keshi
Hey thanks for visiting here. I'm doing great. Visited the Linkin Park concert last weekend and it was mind blowing.
-Ram.
hahah..why am i not suprised..another friend of mine was also staying in kansas and used to crib how there is just absolutely nothing to do in the city!
@ekta
Thanks for visiting my blog.
Yeah its kinda boring here. Although my friend MIA would like to disagree.
-Ram.
hi!
welcome to my little blog! it's always great to meet people in this blog world..
so you're in my home...well my home country...
kansas city is not the most exciting of places....go to my hometown of NYC!
thanks so much for your thoughts...i really appreciated them...seriously....
yea the media here is a joke...but it knows how to play on the viewers....
oh welll..have a nice weekend....
aviana
stopping by to say hi!
hi aviana,
thanks for stopping by. yeah one can never compare NYC with any other city in the world.
I did have a great weekend. I cooked a lot of indian vegetarian food at this friend's place and it was great fun.
-Ram.
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