Thursday, June 28, 2007

Open Thread

NPR related comments welcomed.
Posted by Mytwords at 12:06 PM
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2 comments:

Porter Melmoth said...

Wow, Mytwords, your R&R (or was it AWOL, due to shell shock??) from Neocon Public Radio Exposure has brought you back into the ring with plenty of deserving left jabs and gut punches. In the recent 'hard work' of the NPR 'slog' of these past few days, there have been so many pathetic moments, I can't think of them all. But here's three that I can easily recall:

1. Similar to their Michael Mooreophobia, NPR just has to advertise their dubious feelings about Apple Computer. They're obviously intimidated by both. They kiss up to loving neocons but get all skeptical about something like the iPhone. Fortunately, guest commentator David Pogue was allowed to be pretty objective about this new product. I would imagine that NPR types would still be using DOS computers if it were up to them.

2. Unintentional comedy: Adenoid Andrea Seabrook did a little piece on 'seersucker suit day' in Congress. She copped a Trent Lott interview, but then when others saw her coming, they rejected her like a bad habit. She vainly tried to throw her clout around by whining, 'Come on, Andrea Seabrook, NPR!' as if that was sufficient to open up a door that had already slammed. Poor Andie.

3. The reckless use of 'illustrative sound bytes' in any given NPR story, to establish credibility, I presume, has reached a wretchedly laughable stage. Not even laughable, actually. I heard a sound byte this morning of what sounded like moving a metal chair on a concrete patio, and it was described as a guy going up stairs. Very helpful. Plus, it lasted about 2-3 seconds. It really gave the story a lot of color!

Bright spots: (I can only think of two)
1. She has the most unappealling voice on all of NPR, but Joanne Silberner actually wasn't as hard on Michael Moore's 'Sicko' as I thought she'd be! She made a few smuggy whines, which seemed to let Missy Block down because they weren't very caustic. Critic Bob Mondello seems a gentlemanly sort.

2. In spite of increased Africa coverage due to stepped-up CIA and neocon scheming there, (it's just starting, folks) the reportage of Ofeibea Quist-Arcton seems exemplary amidst the stale NPR stew. Correct me if I'm not picking up on anything, but she seems to be helpful and objective, like Sylvia P. in Rome. Plus, her style livens up the otherwise terminally bland offerings of all the usual suspects. Her signoffs from DAKAR seem to imply, 'take that, NPR!'

Sorry to run on. Please keep up the vigorous and bracing analysis of the sideshow in the media circus known as NPR News!

6/28/07, 1:53 PM
Mytwords said...

Porter,

Seriously, you've got to start posting your critiques on your blog instead of leaving them buried here in the comments section--they're great. I'll move the link to your blog up and you can always embed a link to your posts in this humble comments area.

Just a thought...

6/28/07, 2:33 PM

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