24/7 News Cycle

I have been telling you our 24 hour news cycle is completely out of control. This week has to be a turning point. John Stewart did a great job covering the astronaut story on the Daily Show tonight. Their headline was, “Accomplished women in Tragic Local Story”. As I’ve said, this is NOT news. Stewart and his writers totally get it. There is important news going on in the world. Can we somehow tune the 24/7 news cycle out? Can we turn it off?

As usual, I’m guilty of watching that which I deplore. When I checked my email this afternoon, I saw the headlines about Anna Nicole Smith. I immediately told S4 (spouse of four), and we proceeded to watch the coverage for an hour.

Watching the buffoons drool all over this story would be funny were the story not tragic. Those of you who know her, enjoy S4’s scathing wit. It was in full effect today. First, S4 met Rita Cosby, reporter from MSNBC. Rita has a strange voice for news TV personality. In short she sounds like a man. S4 asks, “Why is she on my TV?” Is this the best they could do? Is there a shortage? Look, I’m sure she is a nice Man-lady, but how did she get that job?

Then S4 hears someone compare Anna Nicole Smith to … wait for it… Princess Diana! It was difficult to hear what happened next on the TV as we were both busy yelling at the TV. S4 says, “This is why Al Qaeda wants us all to die.” Al Qaeda thinks we worship Paris/Britney/Anna Nicole. In reality, the overwhelming majority of Americans believe in exactly the same God as the Muslims (you could say we have different rules). But Al Qaeda is sitting in front satellite TV, smoking Hookah pipe, probably using Opium, treating women like absolute dirt, and condemning the moral depravity of their enemies in the West. Our coronation of Anna Nicole is their proof.

Look, the media, celebrities and politicians, they are the face of America our enemies see. We put them there. This is the free market, we understand this. Our opponents do not. Al Qaeda sees pictures of Britney Spears cooch and the late Anna Nicole’s tits pushed up around her throat, and they conclude we are all morally bankrupt. Then they see US servicemen killing Muslims. Every time we have an episode like this in our country, we lose. I guess what I’m saying, Al Qaeda hates us not for what we are, but what for they think we are. This is the real war. It is a war of perception, and we are losing. The media shares the blame.