September 30, 2010

Keeping them Honest

This is truly one of the strangest things I've ever seen on television:

I wouldn't be at all surprised if were to turn out to be an Andy Kaufman-style performance-art hoax in the end. But maybe not, because people are weird and they do nutty things all the time that would be great performance art if only they didn't mean them sincerely.

So, in my capacity as a connoisseur of weirdness I am glad I got to see it. The faux-solemnity and self-importance of the "Keeping them Honest" catchphrase makes it even funnier. The guy is off his nut, and his sophomoric behavior targeting a student body president is indeed shocking considering his position as an assistant attorney general. I mean, of all the damned things.

But I have to say, it's also a bit shocking (to me) that this piece of trivia is a major story in what is allegedly a news broadcast. It's not exactly news, so to speak, that cable news has dumbed down the traditional nightly news broadcast to a point where it is really a different sort of thing altogether. I think the word for it was once "infotainment," but maybe there's a newer euphemism for it. Simply put, there is very little actual news to be found on cable news channels, despite the round the clock schedule. The idea that you can watch an hour of television each night that will keep you informed on current events is a thing of the past. If such a thing were presented in this country, I'd certainly watch it.

As anyone who has ever spent any time in the UK knows, it can be done. There is more content in the nightly fifty-five-minute Channel 4 news broadcast than in a month of CNN, MSNBC, and FOX combined. Plus, watching it doesn't make you feel embarrassed to be a member of the human race. It's really too bad we can't get it here.

If I were in charge of CNN/MSNBC/Fox, I'd license the Channel 4 news and show it at 6PM every day. The rest of the day could be devoted to what these people do best, like screaming at each other across a desk and commenting on video of tiger cubs and other weird stuff they found on youtube, and asking each other how their weekend was. Maybe I'm wrong but I really think their ratings would go up.

ADDED:

Getting even weirder:

Posted by Dr. Frank at September 30, 2010 05:38 PM | TrackBack

Comments

This is pretty funny. Thanks for posting. Now I'm wondering why I don't watch the CNN.

Posted by: josh at September 30, 2010 06:57 PM

This is a David Cross character waiting to happen.

Posted by: COOP at September 30, 2010 06:57 PM

Also, I love the fact that its Michigan. That state is like a window, offering a glimpse 20 years into the future of this country. Did you know the President of Detroit schools is functionally illiterate? Are you even surprised?

http://www.thebvx.com/2010/03/12/detroits-school-board-president-illiterate/

Posted by: josh at September 30, 2010 07:01 PM

COOP, you are so right.

Posted by: Dr. Frank at September 30, 2010 07:13 PM

Wow, not only is his "campaign" reprehensible, but it appears that even Forrest Gump could soundly defeat Shirvell in a debate.

Posted by: B. at October 1, 2010 08:16 PM