Southpaw Jones

Archive for November 6th, 2008

Life is NOT Fair Nor Balanced

Nov 6th, 2008 Posted in Interesting? | no comment »

Two days after the greatest political event of my lifetime, everyone is looking forward and looking back, trying to figure out how the miracle of President-Elect Barack Obama occurred.

Of course, the losers were preparing to whine long before Election Day. I heard a report that Obama had more positive treatment in the media, 2 to 1, and McCain faced more negative stories, 3 to 1.

I guess the implication is that in an ideal world, we should see one positive Obama story for every positive McCain story.

Similarly, we should see 1 to 1 ratio of negative stories.

My question is this:

WHY?

Is it more important for the media to be balanced or truthful?

The two ideals are far from synonymous.

How are we supposed to take Fox News seriously when their very motto is naïve, idealistic, and immature?

Fair and Balanced.

That means that every issue must have an equal number of supporters and detractors, pros and cons, facts and fictions.

It’s ridiculous.

Let’s take the serious, pressing issue of chocolate.

Most people I know LOVE chocolate, but occasionally I’ll run into an individual who just doesn’t care for it.

According to the rules of Fair and Balanced, if we were to discuss chocolate on television, we’d have one half of the screen feature a chocolate lover while the other showcases a chocolate hater.

The view from the couch would lead you to believe that our nation is split down the middle on the issue of chocolate!

It may be fair and balanced by some kind of kindergarten standard, but it is not an honest portrayal.

The same goes for global warming.

99 out of 100 scientists believe it is real, so an accurate depiction of the debate would feature 99 dudes brow-beating 1 poor sap.

That’s the way it is in the real scientific community, but on TV, it’s one-on-one, equal time and equal footing.

Don’t we learn early on from parents, teachers, weather, bosses, bullies, corporations, diseases, and genes that life is not fair?

Why should the media be fair?

Obama is a better man than McCain.

Obama was a better candidate than McCain.

Obama made fewer mistakes than McCain.

Shouldn’t an accurate media tell us this story as it stands in reality?

Or should they warp the situation and force it into a 50/50 mold?

• McCain says, “The fundamentals of our economy are strong.”

• Um, Obama had a piece of lint on his suit.

• McCain chose a wretched VP candidate.

• Um, Obama is not good at bowling.

• McCain suspended his campaign, took 24 hours to travel from New York to Washington, and failed to lead in the crisis.

• Um, Obama once knew a guy who did a bad thing.

Isn’t that nice and fair and cuddly?

One negative Obama story for every negative McCain story!

It makes me feel like a child voting for recess captain.

You can keep your fair and balanced.

I’d rather have the cold, hard truth.

You know, as Stephen Colbert brilliantly put it, “Reality has a decidedly liberal bias.”

This country is moving in a wonderful, progressive direction, and we’ll move a lot faster if we stopping putting the extreme minority on pseudo-equal footing with the great awakening.

EVERY DANG THURSDAY
8:00 PM
Flipnotics at the Triangle
4600 Guadalupe
AUSTIN, TX
(512) 380-0097
www.flipnotics.com
________________________________________________________________

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2008
7:00 PM
Spike Gillespie’s Dick Monologues
Hyde Park Theatre
511 West 43rd Street 78751
AUSTIN, TX
For reservations, tickets and info: spike@spikeg.com
dickmonologues.com
________________________________________________________________

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2008
8:00 PM
CRUELTY Release Show!
Opening Bell - Mosaic
300 North Akard #300 75202
DALLAS, TX
214-665-BELL
openingbellcoffee.com
________________________________________________________________

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2008
7:30 PM
Opening for The Asylum Street Spankers!
Jefferson Freedom Cafe
1959 Sandy Lane 76112
FORT WORTH, TX
jeffersonfreedomcafe.org
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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2008
9:00 PM (Doors open at 8.)
Matt the Electrician & Southpaw Jones
Anderson Fair
2007 Grant 77006
HOUSTON, TX
713.528.8576
www.andersonfair.com
________________________________________________________________

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2008
Lajitas Resort
HC 70, Box 400 79852
LAJITAS, TX
432.424.5000
lajitas.com
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CRUELTY is now available!
Order the CD now at southpawjones.com.
Purchase MP3s at cdbaby.com or