Scott Simon felt moved to open his heart and denounce the terrorist bombings in Baghdad. Here are highlights glossed with hyperlinks:
"...the kind of news that can startle and sicken.
Many of those killed were reportedly young school boys....
Every now and then it doesn't seem impertinent to ask 'Why?' What did the people who plotted those bombings think that killing innocents would do about anything?
Several Iraqis in the market told authorities they recognized the women, they were mentally handicapped....mentally disabled adults...respond to attention, how they're so often eager to be helpful. The thought that someone took advantage of these generous instincts is - I can't avoid the word again - sickening.
Those innocent people killed...were the object of the attack. Some people make violence their own ideology, death and destruction their own goals. They may invoke venerated names, even God's, or cite some goal, even peace or freedom as their guiding lights, but killers often say they hear voices. Conventional politics takes so much time, so much compromise. You can lose or win and see little result, so some people try to capture history with a single shot....people don't have to know what you stand for, just what you're willing to do - that's how the thugs in this world can make good people cower.
8 comments:
I've decided to stop listening to NPR on Saturday mornings... I'm not sure why I ever did (maybe I wanted news and information?).
I LOATHE Scott Simon. He is SO creepy, SO phony, SO egotistical and ... I don't know. He's a giant ICK. He creeps me out. Just... yuck. CREEPY. His 'empathy' when chatting with guests reminds me of Hannibal Lector empathizing with Clarice Starling. And that creepy, self-satisfied laugh. ICK.
PS. I love your blog. But I wish you had the occasional poll for, say, people to rate the worst/most loathsome/most deceptive NPR host, or story of the week, or current NPR "theme". (or best, most thoughtful/most responsible/bravest reporting, as well).
for example: Is "StoryCorps" worth the airtime and its sappy saccharine tales? Yes or No.
Great dissection there, Myt!
And mercy, does no one like Scottie? Gotta say, own Saturday mornings have been a lot less irritable without him invading my living space. Same can be said for Sundays with 'Auntie Leanne' as she's affectionately known here.
It's fund-razing time, folks. Make that call!
Well b!p!, no fundraising here. My station's so loaded that they only have to ask twice a year. Ain't that sweet of them? I slammed the door on them a lonnnng time ago.
Indeed, my Saturdays are no longer Simonized either - well, except for a few gruesome snippets here and there. I haven't 'fit in' with NPR for so long now, it's hard to remember when I didn't have some complaint with them.
Alas, poor Scottie's set himself up for automatic-loathing on many different fronts.
I've done so before, but I'd like to compliment Ofeibia Quist-Arcton, who, in my opinion is doing quite a good job with Africa coverage. I still have a bit of trust in BBC-style reports, which are usually non-speculative. Besides, she is much, much better than that hideous Gwen Thompkins, who almost out-Simonizes the great Simon in her insipidness and condescension, especially when she goes for the laughs.
I'd like to know if others think Quist-Arcton might be spinning anything, though. See the suspicions and guilt-by-association that NPR instills?
As I tune in Sat. morns briefly to get the headlines (while squiggling around any contact with the Simonizer), I of course make note of the newsreaders (as they sensibly call them at BBC). Sometimes they 'NPR-spin' stuff, sometimes not. But what's with that wearisome drawl that Lakshmi Singh seems to flaunt, more and more? Sounds like she's been taking elocution lessons (and failing them) from that silly Eleanor Beardsley person. Hardly ANY of these people are either very appealing or any good at what they do!! I've heard high school radio production class teams that are better!
This morning, (Sunday), I caught a bit of Auntie Liane, (sometimes I dare myself!) and I heard references to Gazan 'militants' having busted down that wall into Egypt about 5 times. 'Militants' is a term that explains everything, doesn't it?
Finally, this week's most annoying Simonization: that stupid, stupid 'sports voice' that he puts on. You know, that beefed-up novelty voice that's supposed to be a parody of whomever. Awful, simply awful.
Oh, and that stern rebuke he gave that sports writer a week ago, who referred to the race of certain players that he was writing about. Simon said to him, 'you've got a problem', and the writer sounded pretty flustered. Wow, the Simonizer must get pretty high, exercising his power like that. He certainly seems to get pleasure from torturing us so relentlessly...
Enough!
great graphic, myt.
Yucky but compelling.
wonder if that is really a picture of scott simon.
If so, he looks like he sounds.
er
Yes, Simon-sez must be feeling prettttty flattered by us fans.
Scott Simon and his buddy Daniel Schorr are about as bent toward rah-rah warmaking as anyone I've heard.
Yea! to BBC. Altho they got some duzies there too.
How about As It Happens on CBC? Love that show.
Aha, my wife and I are not the only ones who see Scott Simon as a pompous egotistical jerk. I was glad to run into these comments about him.
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