Wednesday, October 19, 2011

World Series Starts Tonight


(latimes.com)

Well lets start with this little bit of information:

http://www.juancole.com/2011/10/news-that-makes-you-go-hunh.html

Ok, back? Now the other day Libby took her dad to Duke Hospital for some consultation, and she was sitting in the waiting room there and of course there was a nice color teevee the Hospital provides to help families pass the time while they wait, and on the teevee was Fox News. There was no way to change the channel either. The same experience awaits you at the airport, and at your McDonald's or Bo Jangles, although now and then you might see CNN or the Weather Channel. According to Cole's observation (based on media analysis), Mr. Obama and the government generally is framed in a certain negative way, while the framing of private endeavor is framed in a more positive way. Same with the ongoing and currently simmering political campaign for President, 2012, where, for example, only MSNBC takes note of the rather obvious fact that the GOP is putting forward candidates who are either craven or entirely muddled, and that no GOP candidate would make a competent President unless by President you mean (as perhaps the GOP does mean), a mouthpiece for hidden power who will never take the power of the office into his own hands. That is, one simple step back from even George W. Bush's view of the Presidency--that it comes down to a simple bi-pole light switch, On/Off--"I am the Decider." That is, one would still think, viewing the possibilities of a Republican President as the "clown car" stops in your living room each week, that none of these people would actually be President if elected. Rather, they would be the spokesman (...errrr... spokesperson) for the United States, reading the country's position on various issues from a script cobbled together the previous evening by skilled analysts and advisors. This sort of President, more and more the GOP definition of the office, never has to deal with anything in "real time." (Thus, that lurid few hours when W. Bush found himself flying hither and yon whilst the country seemed under attack.)

But, meanwhile, the World Series starts tonight. And it starts on Fox Sports, which will also carry the NFL on Sunday. And as the American people live their lives, teevees murmuring mostly in the background, it is reassuring that Fox, which brings them the National Passtime's season-crowning conclusion, and the fall/winter background of professional football, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years Day, and then the start of NASCAR, Daytona 2012--well of course it's reassuring to know what Fox thinks about economic and political events and just plain old-fashioned news--such as the big blizzard/heatwave, or the psycho in Des Moines, or the plane that barely lands safely or doesn't, while the spaghetti sauce simmers and the kids do their homework, and dad gets home from work if he still has a job, or cracks a beer if he doesn't.

Also, October is Five Dollar Footlong Month. So did Subway steal this from Mr. Cain, or visa-versa? Perhaps Fox will tell us next Sunday, in the voice of George Will, who loves him some baesbol.

Meanwhile, the real world does its thang. For example:

http://blog.iblamethepatriarchy.com/2011/10/15/storytime-korner/

1 comment:

  1. i really hate having TVs everywhere i go. our wonderful veterinarian has put one in the waiting room--it shows endless loops of pseudo documentaries about pet health, people in white coats talking about diseases and worms and toothpaste for dogs...

    they're everywhere.

    but i do love me some beisbol too, and i am glad to see the cardinals beating the tar out of Bush's team.

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