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Friday, February 16. 2007

Media Frenzy

Well, my previous entry garnered some attention, proving the point “Sex Sells.” The previous week I had mused about being lost on a message board … well, that’s no longer a secret. The topics on the “PB Message Boards” are most often about the women who appear in the magazines or on the various Playboy websites, but a few deal with broader issues … sorry, couldn’t avoid the pun.

The media has a field day when any subject remotely wafts of sex, like the death of Anna Nicole Smith. CNN did 90 uninterrupted minutes of coverage in their 2-3 days of 24/7 coverage. MSNBC and FOX were far more serious in their 2-3 days of 24/7 Anna Nicole coverage — they took the appropriate commercial breaks.

Nancy Grace had to be the worst of the those covering this story –
 On her CNN headline News website, the poll question: Do you think foul play was involved in Anna Nicole Smith’s death? Now what in the fuck is that based on!
 In her first minutes of coverage Grace was interviewing a former police officer and F.B.I. agent — who had absolutely no connection whatever to the investigation — about what was going on with the investigation and when he hinted at the possibility of foul play, Grace excitedly interrupted him and asked, “You mean foul play was involved??!!” She was absolutely quivering with unrequited anticipation.
 So, six days later, five days after the autopsy which concluded no foul play, no ingestion of illegal controlled substances or poisons, in essence her death was of natural causes, pending a more in-depth toxicology report, Grace is still asking the question, do you think foul play was involved.
 But that’s not the worst of Nancy Grace: she was reporting that Smith had choked on her own vomit … until the medical examiner set her straight. What was that based on? Some wild speculation from someone who saw Smith arrive at the hospital in the ambulance. You gotta be joking!

Well, maybe Geraldo Rivera was worse … doesn’t matter, when you’re vying for the deepest crevice of the barrel, you can share the honor with everyone else who is looking to be the most disgusting person in media.

Mr. Mustache started speculating that there was foul play involved and that the attorney husband, Howard K. Stern (not the radio guy for anyone who might be wondering) had everything to gain by Smith’s death. And what did he base all this on? Well, it seems that in the first few hours after his wife died Stern wasn’t talking to the press. Obviously, to Geraldo, the sign of a murderer with something to hide!
 And the speculation now is whether or not Stern and Smith were legally wed.
 Who has custody of Smith’s remains? Judge Larry Seidman of Broward County, he said so! He’s appointed someone to help him figure out the legalities; basically, is Stern the actual husband/widower. Smith’s family, who have basically been estranged from the Playmate for many years, want her buried in Texas. Stern, of course, wants to have Smith buried in her adopted home, the Bahamas.
 Then of course there’s the baby, Dannielynn. Who is the father? It seems anyone who got a whiff of her perfume as she walked by is claiming to be the father.

It’s a big top three-ring media circus and as of today, February 16, the news channels are still giving it large chunks of air time.

Then there’s Lou Dobbs, who promised at the top of his hour on CNN there would be no news about Anna Nicole Smith and that touched of a series of tasteless comments by a few of his guests.

It’s such a sad story. She deserves far more dignity than what’s on display. Same with James Brown, the Godfather of Soul. People are still wrangling over his estate and remains and to this day he remains … above ground.

The real news we should be concerned with: the escalation of troops in Iraq and the Bush Administration’s build-up to war with Iran. Tonight we should have the results of a floor vote in the House of Representatives concerning a resolution offered by John Murtha of Ohio to link funding for the escalation to three conditions: A) that the troops have adequate rest before rotating back to the war; B) that troops heading back to Iraq be properly trained and C) that the troops going back to Iraq be properly equipped.

You might have guessed it: the Republicans are against the resolution.

Congressman Peter King (R-NY)
shaking hands with the president.

On MSNBC earlier today, Republican Congressman Peter King of New York said this resolution questioned the integrity and judgment of the Commander-in-Chief — duh! Let’s review Congressman King:
 No weapons of mass destruction.
 No links to Al Qaa’ida.
 No yellow-cake uranium deal.
 Your vice president outed a covert C.I.A. agent to discredit a critic.
 Usama bin Laden was left to get away in Afghanistan.
 In a 2002 report just released by the Pentagon, your president’s administration thought there would only be 5,000 U.S. troops still in Iraq by this time
 There would be no sectarian violence — no civil war — in Iraq

Jeez, do we need any further review! No kidding we’re questioning the president’s integrity and judgment! He got us to the point we’re at today: neck deep in another country’s civil war and on the verge of war with Iran! And, we find out, Iran, back in 2002, offered to help broker some deal with Iraq to avoid war! And Little Miss Condoleeza Rice claims she doesn’t remember such an overture.
 “OH,” you ask, “How did we learn about that?” One of her former aides testified to Congress — with appropriate paperwork — about the chance to work for a settlement to the whole Saddam question.

This could go on and on, but let’s end it here. Next week we will have the closing days of the Scooter Libby trial –
 Did you know the defense called only three witnesses to testify on Scooter’s behalf? No kidding! And they heavily implied at the beginning of the trial both Libby and Vice President Cheney would testify. Neither did.

Maybe Libby will get a cell next to Randy “Duke” Cunningham. Remember him? But I’m guessing Libby gets a pardon. Once he starts talking for real, the president’s legacy will be totally in the toilet — if it isn’t already.

Posted by Tim Forkes in Media Madness at 16:51 | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)

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