Draggin' Out My Soap Box....
Hmmm.... where to begin? Well, I guess at the beginning. One of my very good (invisible) friends lead me to THIS on our message board the other day. It is a video showing how the media "tricks" us sometimes by digitally doctoring their photo's to make us think things are BIGGER, BETTER (worse), whatever, than they really are. She titled it "Things That Make Me Go Hmmm..." ... but it did mOre than make ME go hmmm... for sOMe reason, this little item has ABSOLUTELY infuriated me.
I don't watch television... I rarely see a movie... and I don't watch the news either -- but it WAS the last to go from my agenda - as I really DO enjoy keeping up on what's going on in the world. So, I read the paper, Time, Newsweek... etc...
Now, here's the thing. When I first saw this I asked Hubby if he had ever seen it - and sure enough he had. Hubby watches TV religiously... he's seen every movie ... and he watches the news. So I asked him if this "bothered" him. And he admitted that it does ... a little. But... and he went on to make justification after justification for it. (THIS bothered me too! ... but I didn't say so... he's entitled to his opinion and if he were a blogging man I would allow him his time on my soap box!) But through our discussion, I ended up ALMOST in tears ... over something that I don't participate in! Now WHY is this? No... the tears were not from anything that Hubby said. They were from this very DEEP sadness that this situation gives me. I quit watching television because it became too violent, too raunchy, too sensational. I quit going to the movies for much the same reason. And I quit watching the news because they would take a story with (T H I S M U C H) content, find the WORST possible part of it and focus on (IT)... and disregard all other parts of the story as if no one would possibly care about (THAT STUFF).
So, here I am having this discussion with my Hubby ... and I'm almost in tears... and he says "Honey, WHAT's WRONG?" ... and I have to wonder... what IS wrong? WHAT am I feeling? And here it is... I "FEEL" that the last MORSEL of honesty in the world has just been RIPPED apart ... once more by the MEDIA! I've known for years that you can't believe anything they SAY... but I thought I could believe what I see. Now I find out that it's not just doctoring PICTURES... it's also using last months war footage to tell today's story... OR even BETTER YET ... STAGED war footage! And is it in the TABLOIDS??? No... it's coming from Reuters. It's coming across the wire services. It's on my local news. It's in my newspapers. And NOTHING is real anymore! And so I feel... betrayed. And that makes me very sad. And what makes me even sadder is that the world (all the people in it) stand by and say "it's okay"... it's just the way it IS these days, and toss out justifications for it. And so, how much worse will it get? Well... let's see... 40 years ago you weren't allowed to say the word "damn" on television, and Lucy and Ricky had to sleep in seperate beds... 30 years ago there were 7 words (only 7) that you weren't allowed to use on television and Love American Style taught us that it was okay to hop in and out of the sack with whomever we pleased... 20 years ago all but ONE of the words was now allowed, and nudity was okay as long as it wasn't full frontal nudity... Where are we TODAY? The "F" Bomb is dropped on a regular basis -- as a matter of fact, some movies seem to need it about every 5th word just to tell their story! Soooo.... if we can close our eyes to that... we can say "it's okay" (well, except for the radicals who want to take Road Runner off because there's too much violence) ... because that's just the way things ARE today... WHERE are we going to be in another 40 years? (and if I stay healthy, yea, I COULD still be here)... THIS ISN'T television DRAMA ... or COMEDY... this is the NEWS!!! This is SUPPOSED to be REAL!!! But NOTHING is real. If I'm feeling betrayed by the media TODAY, what am I going to be feeling like in 10 more years? Sorry... this in NOT okay. It makes me cry. Real tears.
Stepping down now. Go on about your day.
( i wonder what Dr. Andrew would say about this... hm... i think i just put myself on his couch... sigh...)
posted by Melli at
8:19 AM
10 comment(s):
First wipe your tears. I'm a news junkie, love tv and can't get enough of media in general....that's why I run www.penrick.com/forum. I couldn't wait to put this video up for conversation.
I think it's important to see what's going on in the world, what is being blown out of porportion and especially the things our government are trying to hide from us.
Trying to make journalists credible instead of just sensational is great!! I used to have my own cable tv show and hope to have it again. I could blow smoke or tell the truth. I'm in the middle. I tell what I hear is truth but I give my opinion about it all. I push to make people accountable in my community who are involved in politics, write articles and tell the news on the radio.
I love to get right up in their face. We do have lots of problems in the world without making any up or stretching the truth. Society and their love for reality shows and simplistic entertainment makes it easy for media to play games with us. Hell, you don't see The Enquirer or Star out of business yet. Give the people what they want!! Ugh!!
By
Penrick, at
8/17/2006 9:44 AM
Hi Melli,
I think your reaction is one of perceived injustice, and also a perception of helplessness - those media people are going to put up their slanted messages and there is nothing you can do about it.
Well there is something you can do about it, and you just have. You can educate yourself so you are an informed consumer. Once you know their approach, you can treat the messages accordingly. You are not getting the wool pulled over your eyes, not at all.
My advice? Go buy yourself one of those plaques with that familiar saying on it, and take it to heart: God grant me the courage to do the things I can, the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, and the wisdom to know the difference.
You especially need to pay attention to the serenity part. Chill out ... life will go on!
Andrew
By
Andrew McAllister, at
8/17/2006 11:08 AM
Melli, I rarely watch television either. I am very skeptical about what I do see and hear.
i do not feel my trust has been violated. To violate my trust you had to have had it in the first place.
In 1977 I went to college to be a journalist and I was given the assignemnt of interviewing a controversial professor on campus -- and I was told the story was to "accentuate" his non-conformity. I turned in an unbiased, factual story of a man who used unusal teaching methods. When I turned the story in I was told I would never make it in the reporting business. My story was then doctored to make the man look like a mad scientist. He was scantioned by the college and quit his job. I told the journalism instructor that my integrity meant to much to me and I was selling it for a career in journalism, and I changed my major.
I think soon the media will go to far and people will insist on the truth again. When they do, there are people ready and willing to provide it. It is just that right now, their voices cannot be heard.
By
Charlene Amsden, at
8/17/2006 11:22 AM
I know Melli...I have been doing a study with one of my blogging friends that you should go visit....http://susanbowers.type
pad.com/in_the_stormy/ She is a Christian friend of mine here in Savannah...Anyeay, we are studying Beth Moore's Daniel...She really tells you like it is. Right now she is comparing how Babylon in Daniel's time is exactly like our States....greedy, living for self and only wanting, wanting and wanting. We are falling apart here.
I know how you feel. But you have to have the confident in our God that He knows that too. We Christians have to stay in our bibles and in bible studies and in our churches. You know it is not going to get any better. I wish it was going too but you and I both know better.
Just hang in there, Persistance, friend...I am watching the mail box...
By
Ramblins of a middle-aged goddess, at
8/17/2006 11:32 AM
This is why I try to educate myself and draw my own conclusions. It's crap, it really is. If I want the REAL news, I'll often watch the BBC to get a different opinion (NEVER watch Fox news) but you just have to hold on to what's still good.
I'm sorry it upset you so. {hugs}
By
Carmen, at
8/17/2006 12:45 PM
Well, I have a soap box post today as well.
BUT
Your box is much prettier and your thoughts much deeper.
The thing is, I totally understand how you feel.
I see my little grand-daughters and worry about the world they are facing.
((hugs))
By
PJ, at
8/17/2006 2:27 PM
Being upset about injustice is a good thing. Keep educating yourself to the facts ( the voting record of your Senators and House members). Listen to the BBC and you will certainly hear alot more news than our press tells us.
I've always been haunted by the statement, "All it takes for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing!"
Don't cry, vote, be active in your community, run for local office....challenge the big dogs. Be informed and check your sources. You are not powerless and you can make a difference.
God is still in control or none of us would be here now. Trust God, Pray, and be open for opportunities.
You can't change something until you first acknowlegde the problem. Check off number one. Now on to number two.
We now return your soap box to you...program already in progress.
By
Lazy Daisy, at
8/17/2006 3:30 PM
Oh yeah, I knew this. It sucks. It's wrong. There's very little truth out there in the media. Even the news. If you watch the news enough, you'll catch them using last weeks war footage on this weeks story. It bites. CNN does it, Fox News does it, They all do it.
By
Meira{FB}, at
8/17/2006 9:37 PM
Melli - Just believe in yourself, you can't go wrong there.
By
Unknown, at
8/18/2006 7:44 PM
Melli,
First, thank you for all your nice and thoughtful comments. Intelligent minds think alike!
I enjoyed reading this post immensely. You are right on so many levels. I can't stand much of the media today. They're all "mind thieves" - they would remove all reason if they could and I think sometimes they work very hard at it.
Keep up your healthy attitude! I'm with you 100%!
Have a great weekend.
Carol
PS. I've added you to my blogroll as of this morning - hope you don't mind.
By
Unknown, at
8/19/2006 9:16 AM
Post a comment
<< Home