June 06, 2007
Tiki, too smart for Today
I was casually watching the Today show this morning on the off chance that Matt Lauer might say something about trip to Cuba. He didn't (at least during the time I watched). But at one point Al Roker piped up and said "Jennifer Anniston has a new boyfriend." The discussion turned to Anniston and her new beau and how he looks a lot like Brad Pitt. Suddenly Tiki Barber, the former running back for New York Giants and new addition to the Today Show cast, committed the mortal sin of asking, "Why do we care?"
Roker began to sputter, saying that as long as People Magazine was going to put it on the cover... and then two other broads jumped in and began interpreting Tiki's pointed remark and softening it by saying that he was asking why society cares.
I've heard Tiki Barber speak before and he's no dummy. I think (or I'd like to think) that he meant exactly what he said: Why is this news? Why are we talking about it?
I realize that this gets into the debate about what people say they want versus what they really want and the debate about the media giving the people what they want. But I thought these "journalists" believed in some sort of calling. We hear all the time that they entered the profession to help people and change things by exposing corruption and injustice. But it seems to me that they are quite comfortable feeding us truckload of cotton candy every day.
I don't think the majority of Americans care about Jennifer Anniston's new boyfriend. A segment does, for sure, but that's the lowest common denominator that they are catering to. A segment that has attention deficit disorder. A segment that Jay Leno makes millions of dollars on by ridiculing them with his Jay Walking segments. By the way, the people that are laughing at those idiots could not themselves be idiots otherwise it wouldn't be funny.
For the record...
I don't care about Jennifer Anniston's new boyfriend.
I don't care about Paris Hilton or Perez Hilton.
I don't care about Lindsey Lohan and her addictions.
I don't care about about Britney Spears and her bald head.
I don't care about Bennifer or Tomkat or Brangelina.
I don't care about whether Clay Aiken is gay.
I don't care about Rosie and Elisabeth Hasselbeck's feud.
Are there things out there that you don't care about, that the media seems fixated on? Let me know in the comments.
Posted by Henry Louis Gomez at June 6, 2007 02:59 PM
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Comments
I don't care who is pregnant, who is anorexic, or how low Katie Couric's ratings are. I don't care what any actor or actress has to say about politics or the environment.
Posted by: Scott ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.babalublog.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at June 6, 2007 03:52 PM
amen Henry
but the today show and their staff are not journalists...
they are entertainers
no different than Oprah and the other talk show hosts
I just wished they stopped pretending to be a news show
Posted by: Cigar Mike Pancier at June 6, 2007 03:57 PM
Ok, I'm in the media so maybe I am part of the problem, but I agree: Much of what is passed as "news," is not, but it damn, you might be surprised how well it sells. It's sad and quite pathetic at times, mainly for how it takes time and space away from what really matters, even if it is much less sexy.
That said, my answer to your question is two words: "American Idol."
Or maybe it's, "Donald Trump."
Posted by: Marc R. Masferrer at June 6, 2007 04:01 PM
I do care about Katie Couric's ratings: the lower they go, the happier I am for her misery. I guess I'm just a Cuban fanatic hothead that lives in a Banana Republic...
Some suggested over the weekend that it’s wrong to expect Elian Gonzalez to live in a place that tolerates no dissent or freedom of political expression. They were talking about Miami. All eyes on south Florida and its image this morning. Another writer this weekend called it ‘an out of control banana republic within America.’ What effect is the Elian Gonzalez story having on perception of Miami? We will talk with a well-known columnist for the Miami Herald about that. --NBC’s Katie Couric opening the April 3, 2000 Today Show.
Posted by: George L. Moneo at June 6, 2007 04:18 PM
Who is Perez Hilton? I'm serious I never heard that name before.
Posted by: daniel_in_garanhuns at June 6, 2007 05:17 PM
Shimon Perez Hilton, Israeli Prime Minister and Hotelier extraordinaire...
Posted by: George L. Moneo at June 6, 2007 05:21 PM
Perez Hilton is the 21st century's answer to Hedda Hopper- he's a gossip monger/blogger.
I don't care about:
-who will host the View (as long as Star Jones doesn't come back)
-whether Angelina is pregnant again or adopting all the orphans in the world
-whether Madonna is doing the same
-anything Madonna is doing
-that Jessica Simpson and John Mayer broke up or how this will affect global warming
-the possible Spice Girls reunion tour
-How much Nicole Ritchie weighs
Anything Hillary Clinton and John Edwards have to say... about anything
Posted by: Claudia at June 6, 2007 05:30 PM
Perez Hilton is a gossip blogger and you can probably guess his sexual orientation.
Posted by: Henry "Conductor" Gomez at June 6, 2007 05:35 PM
Bitch.
Posted by: George L. Moneo at June 6, 2007 06:01 PM
I don't care either! Amen!
Posted by: Dave Sandoval at June 6, 2007 07:27 PM
Ah yes, gossip bloggers...where to start?
Posted by: Ziva at June 6, 2007 07:36 PM
I don't CARE:
about Paris Hilton, the personal lives of movie stars, the sex lives of movie stars or the sex lives of anybody with whom I don't plan on having sex, and is not sexually craving me, my kids, my husband, or any animals we own.
Am I strange or something?
Posted by: R S at June 6, 2007 07:40 PM
Mr. Conductor: You are SO insensitive and uncaring. That kind of attitude can land you in court!
Posted by: Marifea Perez-Unstable at June 7, 2007 12:05 AM
Marifea: You give me priapism. Do something about it.
Posted by: mrcs_Concepcion at June 7, 2007 12:34 AM
George: very funny, I got my laugh for the day, thanks
Posted by: daniel_in_garanhuns at June 7, 2007 07:23 AM
Hey out of curiousity: An item that got reported here in brasil in a daily "celebirty news" show (kinda like access holywood, inside edition) about arnold smoking a cuban cigar in canada. Is that making the news back in the states?
Posted by: daniel_in_garanhuns at June 7, 2007 09:05 AM
It was reported and some bloggers tried to make stink about it asking why Michael Moore gets an investigation from OFAC while the governator skates.
Non-story.
Posted by: Henry "Conductor" Gomez at June 7, 2007 10:30 AM
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