Coffee In A Cardboard Cup
This is the title of a song written by Kander and Ebb that I first heard about 30 years ago sung by Mandy Potemkin at the Hollywood Bowl. Here are the first few lines:
"THE TROUBLE WITH THE WORLD TODAY
IT SEEMS TO ME
IS COFFEE IN A CARDBOARD CUP"
I did spend the first forty or so years of my life in New York. Every day I would arrive at my office with a paper bag containing a buttered bagel as well as "coffee in a cardboard cup." I, without benefit of brilliant lyrics, would like to bring up a more troubling "trouble" than coffee cups made of cardboard.
Until about twenty five years ago, those seeking "national" exposure were limited to those very few CBS, NBC, and ABC network opportunities. Not any more!
For the last sixty years, television has become "The Mothers Milk of Politics." To present your face, voice, and body as often and to as many as possible is the goal of most people who are running for or occupying elected office.
It has been reported and denied by all parties that Rep. Barney Frank has been asked to join the Screen Actors Guild because he appears on Television more than any working actor.
In addition to whatever is presented as "news" by the four broadcast networks as well as the Sunday "discussion programs," we have created a new form of purported journalism, the 24/7 voracious cable networks, presented to us by most of the same guys who bring us over the air stuff. I will of course take issue with that situation, but at another time. I speak of CNBC, CNN, MSNBC, FNC, in addition to several other stations that occupy the cable universe.
All of these "for profit" groups are looking for content they can label as "breaking news" so they can attract a larger audience which they can sell to advertisers. Multiple murders? Great. Celebrity sexual transgressions? Perhaps even better. These "entertainment networks" would rather that the public consider them to be "news networks" but to me that would be, and is in fact, a joke.
Now at long last, I slide slowly into my point.
Unfortunately in recent days there have been only a few mass murders, or high profile celebrity transgressions, child kidnappings, but alas these cable guys have discovered the public's outrage about the AIG bonus payments.
As a result, from "our President on down to hundreds of members of our House and Senate" there has been a rush to the cameras and microphones to condemn the evil of the AIG bonus disclosure. The Democrats can blame the Republican Bush administration, and the Republicans can blame the new Democrat administration. What a "win win" for everyone speaking before any camera. If one were to watch these "sanctimonious men and women" say the same things over and over as though what they are saying is adding to the discourse, it seems to me that after a while it would look and sound funny. Not a "ha ha funny" but rather a "look at me I am outraged by this," funny.
There has been an "off with their heads" or "have everyone involved either resign or be fired" attitude. Just in passing, NONE OF THESE COMMENTS MADE BY THESE PEOPLE IS NEWS!
About 30 years ago my best friend's then-wife became significantly outraged when we returned from the market with "the wrong lettuce." I stupidly asked her when she calmed down that she put the lettuce into perspective which of course fell on deaf ears. For whatever reason she was very upset and in retrospect it probably had little or nothing to do with the wrong lettuce.
And now I offer to the readers a contemporary parallel to the "great lettuce drama."
We are in the seventh year of our war in Iraq. We have incurred over four thousand military deaths and over fifty thousand injured or wounded. President Bush and Vice President Cheney lied to all Americans including Congress in order to stampede us into the War.
The scope of the AIG event is comparable to me to "the lettuce" while the Bush/Cheney Iraqi War represents the most horrid of events.
Who are the members of Congress who are in a tizzy about AIG and gave our President Bush a virtual free pass on this duplicitously planned war?
How come the same people who go on television to express their outrage about AIG were less outraged when President Bush allowed Halliburton and KBR to run rampant by overcharging for their services, allowed people to be tortured, and violated our Constitution?
Here is a question for all of the cable actors pretending to be journalists. When a Congressperson complains about the AIG bonuses, why not ask them about their attitude on the Iraq war or torture, or domestic surveillance? Where was the outrage about the Presidential transgressions? How can anyone rail against AIG and be complacent with wars, death and destruction? How many American or Iraqi dead or wounded for each million dollars of AIG bonus payments?
As my new friend, actor/producer Yakov Smirnoff says about the United States when he performs, "What a country!"
OK me, I have a question for myself. What would I suggest be done about the media's handling of wars, AIG bonuses, Wall Street transgressions and felonies?
In replying to myself, I wish I knew!
In case you did not see Keith Olbermann last Thursday night on MSNBC, go to this link.
Good for HIM. And Good for THEM!