Do I have to...

              “Bi-Whale-isanship” hard to come by in today’s news

Any manners expert will tell you, “Remember; don’t ever talk about politics or religion at the dinner table.”  What’s quietly creeping into the third slot of that statement? You guessed it; whales.

It has been well documented that different news organizations will cover stories in different ways. However, this is usually referring to religion and politics. CNN is usually regarded as being very slanted toward democrats. While most people will recognize that FoxNews is highly slanted toward the opposite. Most people can assume that the truth lies somewhere in between these two networks.

While this bias is usually restricted to the political arena, it appears that this difference of opinion has gone to the next logical candidate, killer whales.

It is a tragic tale that is only further complicated by the coverage of several news outlets.

CNN described the attack as a preventable accident in which the whale was “just playing around” and could have been agitated by being in captivity. While the story is presented as a tragedy, much of the article is spent portraying the whale as “the victim in all of this”. They have also recently had many animal conservationists on to defend this point.

FoxNews paints a different picture. Tilikum is described as a serial killer. One that has been connected to several confirmed deaths in parks around the world. There is no sympathy for this whale.

With such different opinions on what should be a factual piece, it’s tough to decide how America will perceive this whale attack news. The next time you bring up whales in a friendly discussion, it could be the end of that friendship.

                        Television’s Paradox of Hatred and Ratings

Everyone that read the title just had the same reaction: “[groan] I hate hearing about those guys. I’d rather stab my hand with a pencil than sit through another piece on them.”

But you’re reading this article…

Since Tiger Woods’s apology early Friday, there has been a healthy cycle of analysis, followed by a healthy cycle of society saying “I’m on Tiger overload”. His case of adultery and numerous affairs has captivated the world since Thanksgiving. This around the clock coverage has lead to considerable backlash; however, this is not the first time this has happened to a public figure. While people’s complaints seem to get louder and louder, TV executives will point to one thing: extremely high ratings.

Enter the “Favre Syndrome”. Favre has spent the past three seasons wavering on his return. All the while, millions of articles, segments and posts have been dedicated to him and his actions. This has lead to a large part of the world saying to one another that they don’t want to hear anymore. Most people would assume that this would lead to the downfall of him as a ratings superstar. However, in their playoff game against the New Orleans Saints, more people watched it than any other non-Super Bowl show in the history of television.

The story here is that, to a TV executive or to a company looking to buy advertisement, any outpouring of emotion, even hatred, should be viewed as positive. While many people have grown tired of the Tiger Woods saga, their emotion keeps them attached to the story. This ensures that they will hear more and more about what they hate.

This viscous cycle of coverage leading to hatred; which leads to more coverage, leading to more hatred, can only exist in the entertainment world. It is here that the bottom line will always be king, and people like Tiger Woods and Brett Favre will always be around.

Made you look!

Flight apparently a privilege reserved for the skinny

Recently, director and actor Kevin Smith was asked to get off of a Southwest Airlines plane before takeoff due their policy on weight.

The controversy became heightened when Smith began to post his rants onto his Twitter account which currently has over 1.5 million followers. While Smith admittedly says that he is ‘way fat’, he believes that he passed the requirements that should enable him to fly on the plane.

According to Smith, the stewardess said that he needed both armrests to fit down comfortably as well as the seatbelt to fit without an extension. This, however, was not good enough as he was still forced to exit the plane.

“It was absolutely humiliating. Not quite as bad as ‘Jersey Girl’ but definitely worse than ‘Mallrats”, Smith (probably) said.

Southwest Airlines stands by their actions, saying that their “Customer of Size” policy has been in place for 25 years and that it is for the safety of the flight. The company also said that this is not a unique policy to their airlines and that there is no profit benefit from this exercise.

His carry-on luggage is in his gut.

The bigger story of this is the clear affect of Twitter in today’s world. This is a story that would not have been covered 5 years ago because the real news is the outrage that was created by people over the internet who had heard of Smith’s problem over Twitter.

Southwest Airlines has since sent out a public apology as well as a $100 voucher to Kevin Smith, which they say is standard procedure.

somethinghalcyon:

Thanks lovely!

The first acknowledgment to me on tumblr… woohoo! Thank you!

Grammys Now Where the Dogs of Society Howl

(picture above)

This boy’s too young to be singing the blues- (Goodbye Yellow Brick Road) 

One of the closest connections that tied me to the relationship of my parents was given to me as a Christmas present when I was 10 years old. I was given my first CD, “Elton John’s Greatest Hits Volume 1.” My dad explained to me that his first gift to my mother when they were dating was a record of “Your Song”, the number one track on the CD. I played it all the time, savoring the emotion and lovely melodies that filled the album. My association with music and my dad’s courtship of my mother way back when was one of the reasons my passion for it had stayed so strong. Although it has wavered somewhat over the years, nothing was as great of a shock as the opening performance of the 2010 Grammy Awards…

Well the years went by, and rock just died- (Crocodile Rock)

The pairing of Sir Elton John and Lady Gaga may have pleased those who associate great music with whatever new hit comes out on the radio, but to me it was a clash to the way I viewed an icon. Elton John has always been an advocate for the progression of new music and, much like Lady Gaga, is no stranger to outlandish dresses. I am also sure that not everyone has the same connection with his songs as I do. To me, though, the performance seem to cheapen the depth and talent of Elton John’s classic songs, while adding prestige and further legitimacy to Lady Gaga’s (which to me is, at best, artsy techno pop)

But losing everything, is like the sun going down on me- (Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me)

I guess you could say I learned a valuable lesson about music and that I should just worry about what it means to me. Still, it’s difficult to imagine another person whose life involves the thought that “Elton John is that gay guy who did the duet with Lady Gaga.” Thanks a lot, Grammy Awards. That’s one more piece of my innocence I won’t ever get back.