April 28, 2009
Mmmm BLT. Wait, what?
The latest fuckery the press seems to be churning out is the horrible swine flu, presented as if it were the boogie man with no end in site. The truth is that annually about 35,000 people in the United States alone will die this year because of influenza. While this statistic isn’t sexy enough to sell papers or raise ratings, it is the fact. The topic could spark insightful conversations about immigration and the state of health care in America, but those aren’t sexy. The only people who are actually talking about immigration are Beck and Hannity. Unfortunately, I can’t discern what they are even saying because when their mouths open, all I hear is white noise. No one is talking about health care other then them reminding us of washing our hands and not sneezing on people. The latter will never happen in my house because my husband is somewhat of a kamikaze sneezer. There is no forwarning when that man sneezes and you’re lucky to escape its wrath with your mouth closed. (I am immune to this strange affliction because my brother suffers from it also)
The worst part about the media created uproar about “Swine Flu” is that it can actually be bad for the economy. During a press conference yesterday the director of homeland security and temperary director of the CDC were expressing relentlessly how the recent influenza outbreak should not be referred to as “swine flu.” The obvious reason is that American farmers of corn, soy, and pork could all be negatively effected. This is a 15 billion dollar industry that while facing the recent economic hardships, now has to deal with the perception that their products can result in the boogie man living in your closet. Does Wolf Blitzer give a shit? Absolutely not. He’s got 3 hours of airtime and god damn it, those crazy eyes alone won’t push the ratings higher. Last night local, national, and cable news anchors all used the term “swine flu” when reporting the story. Not one reminded the public that eating pork has nothing to do with catching the influenza. Why would they forgo reminding people that BLT’s are delicious and safe to eat? Well because the suffering of our farmers is sexy and does sell. It would also then spark an argument about the inevitable bailing out of farmers which also, is very sexy.
It is absurd to think that the media is clueless about their own impact on Americans. It is also absurd that they are not absolutely held to the fire for their own shoddy reporting. I’m not accusing the mainstream media of reporting false facts, but there is something to be said about the tone of said facts. You can say: “A Dingo ate my baby.” and “A DINGO ATE MY BABY!” in two completely different ways. The reporting on this issue has been fear mongering in its worst form that has led me to believe that not only are the terrorists of today already in America, but also in our televisions, radios, and newspapers.
Variety is the spice of life 