Author Topic: Tragedy sells- how can I stop buying?  (Read 2144 times)

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Offline 21stCenturyThinker

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Tragedy sells- how can I stop buying?
« on: December 07, 2012, 08:27:14 AM »
I really don't want to seem hard hearted. But I don't know Dennis Allen, head coach of the Oakland Raiders. And I certainly didn't know his father. But on Thursday Night Football I was forced (again) to be drawn into the personal tragedy of people I don't know. Dennis' personal pain was put out there for my consumption. Actually, it was forced down my throat since my only alternative was to turn off the football game.

I know tragedy sells. But I want to stop buying. I want my football game to be about football. Hard as it sounds, I don't care about Dennis or his dad or the grandfather of the running back who raised him like a son. I've lost friends in combat. I don't need the network to inflate tragedy and shove it down my pie hole. I want my news to be about news. What are those wacky Syrians up to? Government in Egypt crumbling? Heck yeah, tell me more. A kid in Salt Lake City committed suicide with a gun? Sorry, that's not news: that's just sensationalized tragedy.

I almost forgot the one GOOD thing Costas said in his Monday Night Football rant: if we need a constant stream of tragedies to remind us to keep the game in perspective, then there's something obviously wrong with our perspective.

How do I opt out of the tragedy loop?

Offline Alphabet Soup

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Re: Tragedy sells- how can I stop buying?
« Reply #1 on: December 07, 2012, 08:46:34 AM »
The beauty of the digital age is that - it's digital. When I gave up the boob-toob I held apprehensions that I might be back-watering myself, information-wise. In truth it has only aided me in separating the wheat from the chaff. When I watched the boob-toob news and encountered a topic I didn't care about I was forced to break the stream, either by changing channels, muting the sound,  or walking away. The (small) risk that I took was missing the topic I wanted to see.

Likewise it is with radio. I'm listening to Rush and a commercial comes on that features a limerick that is an ear-worm. If I shut off the linear stream I may miss the next bit (and often do). Same when Rush talks football. Since I have zero interest I tune him out (and often neglect to tune him back in).

With digital formats I actively participate in the selection of the information I am interested in. I read or watch the piece and if I determine that it doesn't meet my standards I abandon it in favor of the next thing.

I must admit that I don't know what a Kim Kardachshund is.  :o


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Re: Tragedy sells- how can I stop buying?
« Reply #2 on: December 07, 2012, 09:04:35 AM »
I don't know what to tell you, 21CT.  If you're hard-hearted, you've got company.  ::waving::

I see it more as drama sells, and that includes tragedy, and now we're right back to so-called "reality" shows.

One of the reasons I stopped watching and caring about the Olympics was the media's "soft focus" on the personal lives of the athletes.  I don't care; just show the competitions and shut up already about the hardships and struggles and "personal triumphs".

Today is Pearl Harbor Day and, as with Memorial Day, I expect the media as always to haul out the old-timers to tell their stories.  I know I'm *supposed* to be interested, but something just seems "off" about the way its done, as if the whole point is to wring a specific reaction from the audience, and I just don't want to hear it.

Gunsmith and I acquired the boxed set of "Band of Brothers" and after certain episodes the real men were filmed talking about that event.  Those I found interesting and worth my attention because I didn't feel manipulated.
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Offline LadyVirginia

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Re: Tragedy sells- how can I stop buying?
« Reply #3 on: December 07, 2012, 09:26:58 AM »
We streamed the Olympics this year but my daughter did have it on the regular tv too.  I think they can make anyone's background sound pitiful if they try.  However, I remember hearing one story that fell flat--try as they might they didn't succeed in making this one athlete sound heroic or tragic--basically the guy had work all his life training and did well and finally was at the Olympics.  They tried to emphasize the hard work as if that was the sacrifice he'd made.

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charlesoakwood

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Re: Tragedy sells- how can I stop buying?
« Reply #4 on: December 07, 2012, 12:22:10 PM »

Incessant dumbing media. It's all a human interest story, if they can't make it so, if it doesn't fit their meme it doesn't run.  Local news starts with a sports and weather tease, moves to apartment fires, carjackings, and robberies
then a tad of weather closing with ten minutes of sports.

There is nothing in local news that is of any value to the viewer except the weather. And all of them, Fox included, are perfecting that model.  It's a bottom line winner.


Offline LadyVirginia

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Re: Tragedy sells- how can I stop buying?
« Reply #5 on: December 07, 2012, 12:31:45 PM »

There is nothing in local news that is of any value to the viewer except the weather. And all of them, Fox included, are perfecting that model.  It's a bottom line winner.



We laugh at the commercial breaks for the local news shows during a tv show--their "news" headlines are either some tragedy or the best way to cook a turkey.   ::hysterical::

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Offline Glock32

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Re: Tragedy sells- how can I stop buying?
« Reply #6 on: December 07, 2012, 03:07:35 PM »
Speaking of local TV weather. I would like to announce that I do not give one sh*t about your station's Doppler radar, or your news helicopter's camera system.  I don't care if you call it some crap like Super SkyWarn Digital 6-5000. It annoys me even more when you insist on cramming that mouthful of a name into every reference to the thing. "Turning now to our Super SkyWarn Digital 6-5000 five day forecast..."

While we are on the subject of local news weather, it is not necessary to come up with some marketing name for every single event that is slightly out of the ordinary. When there's two inches of snow followed by a glazing of freezing rain, I do not need to be treated to such monikers as "Snowy Blast 2012".

Thank you. That is all.
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Offline Alphabet Soup

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Re: Tragedy sells- how can I stop buying?
« Reply #7 on: December 07, 2012, 03:25:04 PM »
OK now that tickles my funnybone  ::hysterical::

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Re: Tragedy sells- how can I stop buying?
« Reply #8 on: December 07, 2012, 03:27:13 PM »
The weather folks got their Doppler radar and now we're treated to more drama and hype with graphics than I believe the range of normal weather warrants.  But, the money is spent and we're all going to be the "beneficiaries" to justify the expense.

One thing about the weather reports -- and I think I've crabbed about it here before -- is the "real feel" quantifier.  The weather reader gives the temperature and then the "real feel" -- temp is 50, "real feel" is 55, or 45.  Real-ly?  Who decides what the temperature "feels" like; is there an official "real feeler" somewhere?  If so, who is it and can I smash her?
"Under certain circumstances, profanity provides a relief denied even to prayer." - Mark Twain

"Let us assume for the moment everything you say about me is true. That just makes your problem bigger, doesn't it?"

Offline LadyVirginia

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Re: Tragedy sells- how can I stop buying?
« Reply #9 on: December 07, 2012, 04:12:56 PM »
Glock and Pan, you're so funny.

I don't watch local news but I am treated to their drama during commercial breaks.  I hate the graphics!  I hate the themed stories!  Weather happens everyday but they present it as news!  And every sports event is SIGNIFICANT!

 Tonight why kids are failing in school!  Tonight the safest way to cook a turkey!  Tonight how to make the most out of your coupons! Tonight 15 gang members arrested!

Every story rates the same level EXCITEMENT!

"And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor."

Online Pandora

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Re: Tragedy sells- how can I stop buying?
« Reply #10 on: December 07, 2012, 05:34:57 PM »
That's twice you mentioned the advice being pushed on how to cook a turkey, LV, so I'd like to respond to that as it's one (more) of my pet peeves.  People have been stuffing and cooking turkeys for, oh, a very long time and now all of a sudden, it's "unsafe" to stuff due to "food-borne illnesses"?  Are there droves of people headed to the ER just after Thanksgiving with salmonella and/or e-coli?  Or maybe people have just gotten stupider about such things; this I have no trouble believing.

Between the dire turkey warnings and the reminders, with pictures, that there are some pitiful looking people in shelters and food kitchens that will have no holiday meal unless you give, it's as though *somebody* wants to put an impending tragedy-damper on the day through anxiety and guilt.

"Under certain circumstances, profanity provides a relief denied even to prayer." - Mark Twain

"Let us assume for the moment everything you say about me is true. That just makes your problem bigger, doesn't it?"

Offline LadyVirginia

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Re: Tragedy sells- how can I stop buying?
« Reply #11 on: December 07, 2012, 11:14:14 PM »
hahahaha, Pan

I guess that one bugs me a lot




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Online ToddF

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Re: Tragedy sells- how can I stop buying?
« Reply #12 on: December 18, 2012, 07:23:55 AM »
Speaking of local TV weather. I would like to announce that I do not give one sh*t about your station's Doppler radar, or your news helicopter's camera system.  I don't care if you call it some crap like Super SkyWarn Digital 6-5000. It annoys me even more when you insist on cramming that mouthful of a name into every reference to the thing. "Turning now to our Super SkyWarn Digital 6-5000 five day forecast..."

While we are on the subject of local news weather, it is not necessary to come up with some marketing name for every single event that is slightly out of the ordinary. When there's two inches of snow followed by a glazing of freezing rain, I do not need to be treated to such monikers as "Snowy Blast 2012".

Thank you. That is all.

Oh come on, admit it.  If you lived in the Twin Cities, were tuning into a man who looked like Pee Wee Herman, and heard the word "snizzle," you would be getting urges.  Go ahead, admit it.  We won't think you any less of a man if you did.

 ::exitstageleft::