The words "Big Brother" used to connote the fearsome dictatorship at the heart of George Orwell's novel "1984." But in recent years, the words have applied instead to one of the smarmiest reality shows on TV, a show that imprisons a cast of young people in a house, hoping they'll passionately carp at and canoodle with each other - not just in America, but in Britain and Australia as well. Now in its seventh year, the American version is just starting up again with an "all-star" edition, if you can call these Warholian characters "stars." They are to celebrity what... continue reading
The next time you bite into a juicy Wendy's hamburger, just remember this: the corporate folks at Wendy's apparently are content to advertise their burgers on TV shows that treat spousal rape as just another entertaining plot twist. The show airs on Fox's cable channel FX, a show called "Rescue Me," about a set of dysfunctional New York city firefighters in the wake of 9/11. Comedian and actor Denis Leary - last seen displaying his "comedy" on Comedy Central's putrid special "Merry F-ing Christmas" - writes and stars in the show. On the June 20 show, Leary's main character raped... continue reading
While the Bush administration focuses on the elimination of the terrorist threat in Iraq, the Saddam-was-no-threat Left has remained obsessed with the pre-war months, not only harping on the failures of Western intelligence, but more importantly, advancing a hardened historical narrative. They would have the world believe the Bush administration was not only wrong about the existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, but also lied intentionally and went to war for some unstated cynical reason - oil, enriching war profiteers, avenging Daddy Bush. To a large degree, they are succeeding with their revisionist history lesson and the proof... continue reading
The business of government has changed dramatically in the Internet era. Congress passed the E-Government Act of 2002 to require federal agencies to put their decisions online and be able to receive public comments online. It didn't take long for democracy as a whole to come knocking on Washington doors - electronically. Just as lobbying Members of Congress moved quickly from paper envelopes and stamps to e-mail campaigns, the work of federal regulatory agencies, which operate often with more power and less public scrutiny, is now affected by waves of mass e-mail campaigns. Groups pushing any number of political causes... continue reading
With Katie Couric lounging in the wings, Dan Rather is now expendable, and the suits at CBS News are squeezing him out of his last remaining gig on "60 Minutes." This has caused great distress for those who like their news to look like a long commercial for MoveOn.org, which is to say, the Dan Rather fan club. CBS smiled politely as they pushed him away, but the Philadelphia Inquirer quoted an anonymous former CBS executive, who denounced the shove-off as "disgraceful. He's a legend. He gave his life to that company. Even though he made a big mistake, he... continue reading
On June 15, President Bush held a signing ceremony at the White House for the Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act, a new law increasing the maximum fine for indecent TV programming tenfold, from $32,500 to $325,000 per violation. The president knows the problem. The current maximum "is meaningless. It's relatively painless for them when they violate decency standards. And so the Congress decided to join the administration and do something about it...The Congress got serious." It may have taken three years too many, but when Congress finally acted, it did so in an overwhelmingly bi-partisan fashion seldom seen in Washington anymore... continue reading
Our media today seem absolutely allergic to good news, especially when it comes to Iraq. In the early morning of June 8, the story broke that American forces had killed Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, our most infamous terrorist enemy in Iraq. This was terrific news, a time for rejoicing in America. A man who viciously caused the death of thousands, and killed Americans like Nicholas Berg by personally sawing off their heads, would kill no more. This should have been a time for national euphoria, and for most, it was. But the media's hearts clearly weren't in it. Within just a... continue reading
The world of comic books has sure changed a lot since we were young. It was a singular pleasure of a bygone day to gather an allowance and head for the corner drugstore for an issue of "Superman" for 12 cents, a quarter for a book with three - three! - stories. Today, comic books still seek an audience of young men (and to a lesser extent, young women) hungry for heroes. But that's where the similarities end. Today's comic books have undergone a Starbucks transformation. They are now called "graphic novels" and are bound on fancier paper, selling at... continue reading
In Washington these days, all eyes are directed to the White House as literally the center of the political universe. President Bush's job approval rating is the benchmark by which the left measures his clout - and by contrast, its own. When he is brought low, it means they are having a good year. This is especially true for the national news media, which can barely refrain from a collective self-satisfied smirk these days. But here's the funny thing. Nobody looks at their approval rating. A Harris poll in February found that only 25 percent said they have a "great... continue reading
In real life, what the Mafia does is not exactly funny. But in the hands of Hollywood and its cultural cliques, violent crime can not only be funny, but lovable. HBO's "The Sopranos" is Exhibit A. It's been such a sensation that it's created a kind of mobster chic. I'm a sucker for the zillionth rerun of any "Godfather" movie. "Leave the gun, take the cannoli." "Every time I try to get out, they pull me back in." "It's not personal. It's strictly business." "Keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer." The lines are endless. I've tried watching "The... continue reading