On Wednesday MSNBC’s Mika Brzezinski decided to take a stand and refused to report on the latest Paris Hilton news story. Brzezinski told her producers and viewers that it was not newsworthy and the lead-in story when there are real news to report. Bravo! This position has prompted attention on the web, particularly Youtube, from viewers who commended her for taking a stand against soft news and the obsession with celebrities.
If only more shows such as CNN or the right winged FOX could take a similar stance then perhaps we can actually discuss more important, relevant news such as the war in Iraq, the defeat of comprehensive immigration reform, the inadequacy of the healthcare system, or the deterioration of the economy, rather than non-sensical celebrity news. Brzezinski should be applauded for going with her gut and telling her viewers that enough is enough. The aftermath of her actions has yet to be decided but judging from the emails and responses from viewers online and off, this might be the highlight of her established stellar career as a journalist.
Earlier this week Anderson Cooper from CNN lamented the fact that Hilton has received so much attention for basically doing nothing. In fact, he continued that he thought she was insubstantial and made nothing of her fame except to promote her lifestyle. As you could probably imagine, Cooper probably has to vomit during commercial breaks and stab his toes every time he has to report on Hilton. As a creditable and investigative reporter, Cooper has risen to fame during the Katrina disaster for his reports on the real-life crisis of the victims and criticism of the inept system that failed to prepare for the disaster.
The media wheel has fallen victim to soft news and understandably so as what matters most to them is the bottom line. Americans have fallen victim to be consumed by peripheral news which has no qualitative value except to lull them into ignorance. This vicious circle has to be broken. More people should stand up for what they want and not what the media tell them they need – more celebrity news. Let the vomiting begin.
I am in total agreement, who honestly cares what Paris is doing this particular day? Personally, I would say this goes further than the simple detachment of the American people, rather a more insidious population control agenda by politicians.