Friday, November 11, 2005
DIVERSITY IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER
Melissa Merli had an article in the Living section of the Monday November 7th edition of the News-Gazette headlined ATTRACTING A DIVERSE AUDIENCE. The article was about Robert(Bob) McChesney "one of the nations leading media scholars, critics, historians and activists." How do we know this, just ask him I suppose. As far as McChesney attracting a diverse audience, well I would suppose it runs the gamut from the "hate Republicans and Bush" crowd to the "really, really hate Republicans and Bush" crowd. I guess diversity is measured in degrees of shared opinion these days since many on the left of the political spectrum have determined conservative views unworthy of consideration. After all, the lefties are sooooo ever much more intelligent.
Still, I think it is great that Media Matters, hosted by Bob McChesney, is garnering national attention and bringing in pledges to the local PBS station WILL. The article points out basically this is no thanks to WILL whose budget, cut by evil public airwaves hating Republicans(implied not stated), have forced the program to succeed because of hard work and excellence(hmmm should be a lesson there somewhere about free enterprise versus handouts?). Donations from a recent pledge drive even came from as far away as PARIS! Of course, not Illinois, but France. It is doubtful some of the insular university community is aware that there is a Paris, Illinois and if they are, it is highly unlikely that they care. The hinterlands surrounding Urbana don't figure in to the diversity paradigm I imagine.
As far as the political tilt of the show, well at least McChesney has the decency to admit it was a "conscious decision" to have guests of mainly(only in my opinion) the political left. He didn't want them getting yelled at and he wanted to give them a chance to develop their ideas. I guess it would also be free from any dissenting points of view which might challenge their orthodoxies. Although, I have to admit that I would be tempted to tune into a show where the guests and hosts didn't continually scream and talk over one another.
But back to the diversity business, the article tries to imply that not all guests are from the political left. Why recent guest Andy Bacevich is a "self described" conservative and a grad of West Point. See. Diversity rules. Of course, Mr Bacevich is the author of a new book called "The New American Militarism; How American are Seduced by War". While not a hysterical Bush-bashing zealot, a conservative?, well, compared to whom? Noam Chomsky(you may all genuflect now at the mention of that name). I mean I could call myself the Queen of the May but that would not, in reality, make it so. As if!!
The article continues to rave about McChesney and his ability to bring "heavy-hitting media stars" to a two-day conference last May entitled "Can Freedom of the Press Survive Media Consolidation." Well, the obvious answer to McChesney and all the guests was a resounding NO. Quelle surprise! They can't even survive having a get together with anyone with a divergent point of view! I don't get the point of holding a conference to discuss something that all the speakers pretty much agree on in the first place. Well, acutally I do. These leftist elites just luvs to hear demselves a talkin'. I picture it being sort of like a support group where people get together who hold exactly the same views to speak and have their colleagues tell them how brilliant they are. Then, the local paper can write about them and verify that they are "one of the nations leading media scholars, critics, historians and activists." Just ask the "heavy hitters" from his fan club......
I know Mr McChesney is not keen on the whole grading thing which is why he attended Evergreen State College in Washington but, hey, this is my blog. I give Robert(Bob) an A for entreperneurship, a C- for real diversity and a big fat F for having illuminati Tim Robbins(Mr Susan Sarandon) write the foreword for his most recent book. Finally, if our "free" press can survive egotistical, condescending, self professed intellectual elitists, it can probably survive almost anything.
Still, I think it is great that Media Matters, hosted by Bob McChesney, is garnering national attention and bringing in pledges to the local PBS station WILL. The article points out basically this is no thanks to WILL whose budget, cut by evil public airwaves hating Republicans(implied not stated), have forced the program to succeed because of hard work and excellence(hmmm should be a lesson there somewhere about free enterprise versus handouts?). Donations from a recent pledge drive even came from as far away as PARIS! Of course, not Illinois, but France. It is doubtful some of the insular university community is aware that there is a Paris, Illinois and if they are, it is highly unlikely that they care. The hinterlands surrounding Urbana don't figure in to the diversity paradigm I imagine.
As far as the political tilt of the show, well at least McChesney has the decency to admit it was a "conscious decision" to have guests of mainly(only in my opinion) the political left. He didn't want them getting yelled at and he wanted to give them a chance to develop their ideas. I guess it would also be free from any dissenting points of view which might challenge their orthodoxies. Although, I have to admit that I would be tempted to tune into a show where the guests and hosts didn't continually scream and talk over one another.
But back to the diversity business, the article tries to imply that not all guests are from the political left. Why recent guest Andy Bacevich is a "self described" conservative and a grad of West Point. See. Diversity rules. Of course, Mr Bacevich is the author of a new book called "The New American Militarism; How American are Seduced by War". While not a hysterical Bush-bashing zealot, a conservative?, well, compared to whom? Noam Chomsky(you may all genuflect now at the mention of that name). I mean I could call myself the Queen of the May but that would not, in reality, make it so. As if!!
The article continues to rave about McChesney and his ability to bring "heavy-hitting media stars" to a two-day conference last May entitled "Can Freedom of the Press Survive Media Consolidation." Well, the obvious answer to McChesney and all the guests was a resounding NO. Quelle surprise! They can't even survive having a get together with anyone with a divergent point of view! I don't get the point of holding a conference to discuss something that all the speakers pretty much agree on in the first place. Well, acutally I do. These leftist elites just luvs to hear demselves a talkin'. I picture it being sort of like a support group where people get together who hold exactly the same views to speak and have their colleagues tell them how brilliant they are. Then, the local paper can write about them and verify that they are "one of the nations leading media scholars, critics, historians and activists." Just ask the "heavy hitters" from his fan club......
I know Mr McChesney is not keen on the whole grading thing which is why he attended Evergreen State College in Washington but, hey, this is my blog. I give Robert(Bob) an A for entreperneurship, a C- for real diversity and a big fat F for having illuminati Tim Robbins(Mr Susan Sarandon) write the foreword for his most recent book. Finally, if our "free" press can survive egotistical, condescending, self professed intellectual elitists, it can probably survive almost anything.
