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02/25/2004 Archived Entry: "I'm buying a gun so I can Elvis my stupid TV."
I'm buying a gun so I can Elvis my stupid TV.
I woke up this morning, produced the morning news and got it sent off, then headed into the office to get to my regular work. I turned on CNN for background, and I'm somewhat confused.
Wasn't CNN a news channel recently?
They seem to have changed their format to some grotesque mix between E!, CourtTV and the 700 Club today. I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that Daryn Kagan's entire shift was devoted to Mel gibson's stupid Jeebus movie - what critics say, what critics of the critics say, what clergy say, what critics of clergy say, what the Pope said, etc.
These segments were only briefly interrupted for updates of the Martha Stewart and Scott Peterson stories. Oh, and Oscar previews, lots of Oscar previews.
Who the fuck is programming this shit? Does AOL/TW have an interest in Gibson's Jeebus movie, or do they really think that people are really as interested in this as they seem to be?
CNN has lost the plot. They really don't know what kind of channel they are now. It's kinda sad, because they used to be a pretty good news organization.
Replies: 10 people speak up
Now why would CNN disrupt its Bread & Circuses format to confuse the masses with news such as:
(AP) Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan in testimony before the House Budget Committee urged Congress to deal with the country's escalating budget deficit by cutting benefits for future Social Security retirees rather than raising taxes.
Silly, rabbit, Trix are for kids! And serious news if for grown-ups, not for silly us.
Posted by Metropolitan99 @ 02/25/2004 12:23 PM NY
I don't watch Faux News by choice, but it was on at my gym while I ran on a treadmill. (We're not allowed to change it.) The stories were just about the same as on CNN. Scary. Kerry's second-in-command was "interviewed" and, of course, he was grilled about Bush's mean-spirited, negative, hate-filled position on marriage. I think it's time the Democrats turn the whole "negative" criticism back on the most negative "presuhdunt" we've ever had. His state of the union speech was all about how we all need to be quivering in fear. His responses on Meet the Press were also all about what a dangerous place the world is. Now he wants to ban gay marriage. When Faux News started attacking Kerry for his position on civil unions, the response should have been, "You know, Mr. Bush is a very negative and fearful man. His state of the union preached fear and hatred. His responses to Mr. Russert focused on negativity -- fear and danger. His proposed amendment is just more of the same negativity -- the fear that somehow more people marrying will destroy marriage. The ban is motivated by his negative desire to pander to the right which is justly angry about deficits. Banning gay marriage will not "defend" the institution. It's a matter that should be left up to the states. There is already a national Defense of Marriage law. Hatred and narrow-mindedness has no place in the Constitution." Sorry for the rant, I just had to get this off my chest. It's time to label Bush-Rove negative, negative, negative.
Posted by Mike @ 02/25/2004 12:36 PM NY
CNN hasn't been a news channel since around 1995.
Posted by Spud @ 02/25/2004 12:56 PM NY
AMEN Brother....
I live in Atlanta and work at the CNN Center although not for the network. It is not a news chanel anymore since Ted Turned sold it to AOL/TW. It is so so so sad.
Posted by Atlanta Friend @ 02/25/2004 03:00 PM NY
Yeah, I've been noticing this odd, artificial buzz that's being drummed up for Gibson's movie and wondered what was going on. For a long time now I've looked at "news" networks like CNN as being under the thumb of some corporate/faschistic identity, and this clamor over "The Passion" is simply another example of the storyline that's being pushed, as though we, as a society are being beaten into the shape of a theocratic slave complex.
The internet continues to be the fly in the ointment to these Kristian klowns, and before too long we'll see it monitored or limited or simply amputated. Those of us who are unwilling to "give our lives to Jesus" or whatever slave bond they propose need to be thinking well ahead of events. Consequently, we need to invent alternatives to the net so that we can stay informed and organized. This oppression from the elite will not stop even if Kerry pulls the election off (I'm dubious). The Coup Machine is still up and running, crushing us relentlessly with lies like this anti-marriage shitstorm we're being drenched with. The klowns are looking at Bush's dismal poll numbers and are already plotting the impeachment of John Kerry for ..... (fill in the blanks).
Posted by Thurber Hamm @ 02/25/2004 04:16 PM NY
We have CNN (MSNBC) on in our office most of the day and its infortainment style drove/drives me insane. I currently do not have cable or satellite at home but hope in the future I can get BBC or something that resembles REAL NEWS. Gets really old hearing the same 6 f*king stories every hour. (e.g. Martha Stewart, Scott Peterson, Gay Marriage, and so on).
We report. We decide. You obey.
Posted by Purity_Control @ 02/25/2004 07:40 PM NY
Call them on it.
I don't have their number handy but last summer I heard a CNN Headline News report make some crack about "...today's more centrist congress...", I picked up the phone and called their newsroom (I live near Atlanta). I was put through to someone who was identified as a producer. I told her what I had heard (she seemed equally surprised at the centrist remark) , and that no one who pays any attention to politics would consider this congress "centrist" by any stretch of the imagination. I finished by telling her I admired CNN for what it had done in the past, but I had no interest in watching a "Fox wannabe" channel. I watched the next play of the same report 30 minutes later, and the "centrist" remark was gone!
I had a similar thing happen with a local news station on another issue (Bush tax cuts).
I think they pump out whatever crap they can get away with. We just can't let them get away with it.
Posted by Larry Dean @ 02/25/2004 07:44 PM NY
i was supposed to have the dish network installed a month ago but the severe weather has screwed up the installation date twice.
i now realize that cablevision has 1 1/2 channels of religious programming. dish tv has five. there is now some sort of agreement between familynet and faux news. i plan to point out to them before they show up again that i am ditching cablevision because of murdoch's reach into my household and i don't think the faux news channel should be broadcasting on another channel unless they give us another news channel like the cbc.
i'm sick and tired of them shoving their agenda down our throats. i am sick of cnn thinking they are better than "entertainment tonight". mel gibson couldn't have a better pr team than the fools at cnn. i personally will never see another movie by this sob. andy rooney was right.
Posted by jeff @ 02/26/2004 10:20 AM NY
well, CNN has to find its niche. Faux, and MSGOP are fighting eachother for the right wing whacko title, and CNN realizes they just cant outwhacko the 2 of them. so CNN has to figure out what role they will fill. clearly they cant go the opposite direction, after all, NO ONE wants to see a left wing news channel (sarcasm, but sadly they dont think so) the only niche left for CNN to fill is the completely inane and vacant market, and they are doing it well.
by the way, i am so sick of this god damn jesus movie. why do i care? how is a movie about the most famous jewish man in history anti semetic? and for that matter, how can you claim that a movie is historically accurate when it is based on a work of fiction (or more accurately, mythology)? not to mention the fact that they cast jesus as a white guy, everyone knows jesus was black, it even says so in the bible.
Posted by justin @ 02/26/2004 01:42 PM NY
I agree that CNN is WHACK, but not that no one is interested in The Passion. I am as middle-of-the-road as you can get, I hate Rush and all his ditto heads, I voted for Nader, and I generally have serious reservatons about anything reported on Fox, but I really liked the movie and liked watching the controversy about the movie because it is so utterly blatant that Mel Gibson and his movie is being attacked based ONLY on the subject matter. BTW, I bet you anything that you would never call Allah or the Bhudda by some made-up name intened to mock. Why do people feel like we have to protect EVERY single religion on Earth, yet feel absolutely no shame about discriminating against and mocking Christians? I never used to think that way, until I saw for myself all of the lies and attacks on this movie.
peace,
dude
Posted by myspamaccount@nospammail.net @ 03/04/2004 02:20 PM NY
