It's a sad state of affairs. There is absolutely no barrier of sexual behavior that TV network executives aren't willing to cross in a desperate gambit for ratings. There also seems be to no sleazy line that a squeaky-clean teenage TV star or pop star won't cross to "break out" into grown-up stardom. Both of these maxims were proven again by the CW show "Gossip Girl" with a group-sex plot. Its November 9 episode depicted three friends completing a list that was supposedly printed in their college newspaper: "The 15 Things Every College Student Must Do Before Graduating." Number 11... continue reading
Horror spread quickly across America as the story unfolded: an Army psychiatrist went on a shooting rampage at Fort Hood in Texas, killing 13 and wounding 30. But as more information emerged, clearly pointing to an act of terrorism, many in the "news" media simply chose not to report news. By late afternoon, it emerged that the shooter's name was Major Nidal Malik Hasan. But that night, CBS and NBC completely avoided mentioning that the shooter was a Muslim. ABC's Charles Gibson suggested he was a "Muslim convert," which wasn't right, but at least he wasn't playing hide-and-seek with the... continue reading
In the earliest days of television, shows were often supported entirely by one sponsor. There was the "Texaco Star Theater" with Milton Berle. Remember "General Electric Theater" with Ronald Reagan? The corporate patron was held responsible for the content within the program. More to the point, the corporate patron wanted the association with the show it was sponsoring. Perhaps the best branding of them all was, and is Hallmark, with its Hallmark Hall of Fame movies. When that movie airs you just know it's a quality movie, because that's all Hallmark will produce. On today's TV shows, it's all changed... continue reading
The New York Times editorial page is a perfect weather vane for the way the liberal media's hot air is blowing. In an October 26 editorial called "Torching the Big Tent," they lamented: "The feeble pulse of moderation in the Republican Party is in danger of flat-lining in the Nov. 3 Congressional election in upstate New York." The feeble "moderate" the Times was backing for Congress was Dede Scozzafava - pro-abortion, pro-gay marriage, pro-union power, pro-tax hike. The Times found these positions to be proof of "refreshing tinges of centrism." The Times lectured the conservative movement to embrace this candidacy,... continue reading
Violence - especially grotesque, gory or bloody violence - has become a staple of network television during sweeps periods. But there's a new kind of violence surging - violence against women. A new study by the Parents Television Council called "Women in Peril" reveals that between 2004 and 2009, CBS, NBC, and Fox (but not ABC) all green-lighted a significant increase in the incidents - and degree - of violence against women. On average, during the five-year span there was a two percent increase in overall violence during the prime time viewing hours. But during the same time period there... continue reading
The Left is ecstatic about the latest ABC News-Washington Post poll, which claimed a surge in public support for the so-called "public option," wrapped in the (insincere) rhetoric of "choice" and "competition." The poll asks if the government should "create a new health insurance plan to compete with private insurance plans," and 57 percent agree. Happy days are here again for liberals. Liberals in the media found even better news to declare: a new low for the Republican Party, since only 20 percent of those surveyed "usually" think of themselves as Republicans. (Another 19 percent "lean more" toward the Republicans,... continue reading
The "Balloon Boy" hoax spellbound the entire country on October 15. Everyone empathized with the situation of the supposedly floating child or the supposedly distraught parents. But the real problem was different. It was the increasingly sickening blur between reality and "reality" TV. Skepticism about the boy in the balloon should have begun - and coverage should have ended - the second journalists learned that the family had made two appearances on the ABC "reality" show called "Wife Swap," where families switch mothers to dramatic effect. But maybe it was hard to imagine that someone would be so desperate for... continue reading
Rush Limbaugh was convicted of racism in a kangaroo court of "objective" media and dropped as a potential owner of the St. Louis Rams football franchise. His accusers claimed he once said slavery "had its merits" and that the assassin of Martin Luther King deserved a "Medal of Honor." The story circulated on the Internet and was eventually picked up by the major media, including both CNN and MSNBC. But no one bothered fact-checking. In fact, his accusers and those media that repeated the accusations never stopped to ponder there was no need to fact-check this, so obvious were the... continue reading
The programming gurus at MTV are basing their profit-making strategy on the viewer demographic of 12 to 34 - as if there's no difference in maturity level between 12 and 34. MTV's brand of sensationalistic "reality TV" was easily demonstrated on the night of October 5, when they aired a prime-time marathon (from 7 pm Eastern to 1 am) of their hour-long documentary series called "True Life." Just the episode titles were jaw-dropping. 1. "I'm Out." 2. "I'm Polyamorous." 3. "I'm Bisexual." 4. "I'm Changing My Sex." (This ran twice in a row.) 5. "I Work In The Sex Industry."... continue reading
Like everyone else on the morning of October 9, the major media's first reaction to Barack Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize was shock and disbelief. NBC's Matt Lauer spoke for the pack when he said he didn't want to be "rude," but how did Obama earn it? Washington Post columnist (and former reporter) Ruth Marcus was blunt: "This is ridiculous - embarrassing, even." She said the award is supposed to be for "doing, not being." That is true, but for the swelling group of Americans who are not enamored of Obama, that could easily be turned around on the... continue reading