Pundits keep jawing on just to drone
Avoid TV "news" like a bill collector on the phone
And the Pope watch goes on
And the Pope watch goes on
And the Pope watch goes on
and on and on and on . . .
Dallas sent in the above (sing it to the Sonny & Cher hit "The Beat Goes On."). And each day it just becomes more true.
Check out ABC's Nightline tonight:
The outpouring of admiration for the late Pope John Paul II is hardly limited to the world's 1 billion Catholics. He has impressed and inspired so many people across various faiths. Tonight, we'll hear from a Jewish man and an Anglican Archbishop on their lasting impressions of the pontiff.
And the Pope watch goes on
And the Pope watch goes on
Excuse me just a minute, the WMD report, Nightline devoted how many episodes to detailing that? How many examing whether Colin Powell's statements about being misled were genuine? We had Terry Schiavo. Now we have the Pope. And we get news when?
And no, Dallas, you're not the only one noticing it. Over at News Dissector, Danny Schechter was addressing this topic this morning:
Yesterday afternoon, I had a Chuckgram from my former colleague C. O'Brian, alerting me that CNN was promising an interview at 8 PM with the last person on earth not interviewed about the Pope. At first, I thought it was a joke, but then I began to wonder. The network was reporting that "more than 1 million mourners filed past Pope John Paul II's body in the first 24 hours of viewing, the Vatican said late Tues." Many, if not all, were televised.
The media buildup to Friday's funeral is well underway. The marketing and promotion for it would win an Oscar if they gave one in that category. Maybe the Oscar is now passé. The new award: The John Paul, of course. (I kid not to demean the late Pope but to ask if perhaps the coverage is a bit over the top. Just a wee bit?)
The coverage is more than over the top. But hey, if they covered real news they might have to worry about being attacked for being factual. Better to slap a filter over the lens and go for fuzzy hues then reality.
Lynda: I was sad to hear that Ted Koppel was stepping down from Nightline. Then the last week and this week made me realize I wouldn't really miss it.
Well, Lynda, tonight, if you're in a TV mood, Jane Fonda will be on David Letterman's CBS show. I'm not calling that "hard hitting news." It's a talk show. (Often a funny one.)
But with TV "news" enraptured with the Pope (honestly, they're like a death addict, aren't they?), if you're looking for something to watch, I'd steer you there. (Time permitting, I'll be watching Letterman myself.)
E-mail address for this site common_ills@yahoo.com.