Am I the only one generally displeased with the fact that another trial featuring a moronic burnt-out pseudo-celebrity has been rated by the American media gods as newsworthy and we're all now going to be condemned to hear nonstop coverage of Beretta's real-life clash with justice?
I mean, the fuckwit gets arrested tonight, and CNN decides to go to nonstop breaking news coverage for the rest of the evening.
An [incomplete] review of stories likely to make news in the American media today or tomorrow: Middle East
UN inspectors got to the Jenin refugee camp and pretty much confirmed that the Israelis have attempted to cover up a massacre.
People are still killing one another in the Occupied Territories
Explosions in Bethlehem as the Church of the Nativity standoff continues.
Israeli's prepare to withdraw from all of West Bank except Bethlehem and Ramallah. Afghanistan
Hotshit weekend warrior in air national guard drops bomb(s) without permission from control on what were apparently clearly-demarcated allied soldiers in a well-known firing range engaged in ground-to-ground fire away from Kandahar. Horrible accident, yes, and I imagine this guy feels like shit. But still a pretty brutal lack of professionalism from the world's best military.
King Zahir Shah returns.
Osama Bin Laden and the majority of the al Qaeda leadership spends yet another day presumably alive. Does the media even care any more? Course not. It's a cold story. Nevermind this was the primary objective of going to Afghanistan. USA
Train derailment kills 6 in Florida.
Bigass fire in a Galveston Texas Hospital.
Brewing controversy over Bush's staff's right to edit transcripts of his speechs to eliminate his, um, stupidity. Rest of World
Small plane accidentally crashes into Milan skyscraper.
Thor Heyerdahl dies. He was cool.
American troops sent to Phillipines, not to fight al-Qaeda linked terrorists, but, get this, evil communists out to take over the world! Let's party like it's 1972!
Baltazar Garzon, dicator-hunter, makes progress in arranging for the questioning of dicator-buddy #1, Henry Kissinger.
Now, is the Robert Blake bullshit more important, interesting, or relevant to the lives of Americans or anyone else than any one of the above stories? No. And will any of the above stories be the top story in tomorrow's morning news? No. Mr. Useless Actor will be. And once this goes to trial, we can all look forward to hearing nonstop about Blake this and Blake that, not only through every "respectable" American media outlet, but through Inside Edition and its ilk all day long.
*sigh*
This isn't a matter of "taste" in which stories appeal to you. This isn't the same as some Babylon 5 fan filling messageboard wondering painfully how on God's green earth coverage of the World Cup from Japan will preempt their latenight reruns "even though nobody they know likes soccer anyway." This is pretty cut-and-dried. Blake is junk journalism, and that isn't going to stop it squeezing out coverage of dozens of potential news stories that are considerably more relevant to everyone.
At least the non-American media can generally be trusted to steer clear of this sort of stuff, but as a news junkie I'm a little pissed. My condolences to those of you with only ready access to the American media for your news fix.
Posted by Vogon Poet (Member # 393) on :
Well, he was in Electra Glide in Blue. . . 8)
Posted by Malnurtured Snayer (Member # 411) on :
If Rob were still here, he'd have a field day.
Posted by Jay the Obscure (Member # 19) on :
My fianc� was watching E! and they broke in. I had no idea that CNN went with it like that.
One expects such from E!, but it's a shame and a half that the other "news" stations are already starting their collective engines.
Posted by Malnurtured Snayer (Member # 411) on :
The timing isn't a coincidence. I bet Parks is trying to keep his job, if he hasn't been let go yet.
Posted by Jay the Obscure (Member # 19) on :
Mr. Parks is gone.
The Police Commission said no. The City Council said no.
His only recourse is to sue...which we all know is never out of the picture.
Maybe, just maybe, we can implement some reforms now.
[ April 19, 2002, 10:14: Message edited by: Jay the Obscure ]
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
Who?
Don't you lot get BBC News 24 (or possibly even Sky News)? We pay for it y'know, just to provide you lot with a non-biased news network.
Or at least slightly less biased.
Sorta.
Posted by Jay the Obscure (Member # 19) on :
Bernard Parks is the present Chief of Police for the city of Los Angeles.
So there. Posted by Ritten (Member # 417) on :
Gee.... and I wonder why I don't watch more tv......
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
Gosh, yes, this hegemonic culture control is totally inescapable.
Uh, who are we talking about again?
Posted by Jay the Obscure (Member # 19) on :
One Michael James Vijencio Gubitosi, AKA Robet Blake.
Star of Our Gang shorts in the '40's and "Baretta" in the '70's.
He has been arrested and charged with the murder of his wife outside of a Studio City restaurant.
Posted by Grokca (Member # 722) on :
I'll bet Fred cares.
Posted by Cartman (Member # 256) on :
Well, I don't.
But then I try to avoid CNN.
Satellite... what a wonderful invention.
[ April 22, 2002, 14:15: Message edited by: Cartman ]
Posted by Kosh (Member # 167) on :
quote: I'll bet Fred cares.
I'll bet he still has all the money he made on the show too, Unlike Robert Blake.
I predict a TV movie. It has all the great elements. Blake a fallen star, kind of nutty to begin with, marries what seems to be a former stalker. She stalked Blake and another guy, trying to mary one of them. Blake gets her pregnant, then marries her. I wonder if Kato Kaitlan was living next door?
Posted by Shik (Member # 343) on :
To hell with Robert Blake. There's a more important issue: Linda Lovelace died.
Posted by YrdMehc (Member # 417) on :
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