Saturday, March 15, 2008

Open Thread

NPR related comments welcomed.
Posted by Mytwords at 2:10 PM
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10 comments:

Porter Melmoth said...

The Simonizer attempted some 'fair and balanced' coverage of senatorial opinions regarding Iraq today. Amazingly, Sen. Jim Webb got a few minutes to speak, and he did so very well, I think. Scoots seemed pretty darn serious, even sullen, in facing Webb, whose confidence was utterly apparent in his well-wrought (and truthful!) answers. More proof that Sen. Webb is a gentleman.

Kyl of Arizona voiced the predictable BushCorp side of things. I can never forgive this bozo for his notorious Kyl-Liebermann Amendment last year. At any rate, Scoots came off as
warmer, and more comfortable with him than with straight-arrow Webb. In his best Middle School Councilor mode, Scoots asked Kyl, 'Is it tough to be a Republican today?' (as if, 'Is it tough to be an 8th-grader today?'), and he let Kyl ramble defensively on and on - nothing to do with Iraq!

I didn't devote the effort to timing these two segments, but it seemed to me that the verbose Kyl got more airtime than the concise Webb.

Yes, I'm an admirer of Sen. Webb, and I expect great things from him. I'm at least daring to hope.

This was the only Simonizing I subjected myself to this weekend. Webb's clarity made it endurable.

3/15/08, 4:36 PM
Anonymous said...

Hum-dee-dum, didn't hear a thing, hum-dee-dum. But thanks, Port, for the update on what I'm hum-dee-dum - oh yeah - missing.

Scott Tissue was probably watching his P's & Q's because he was dealing with a guest who would tell him what-for if he stepped outta line in his jerk-off line of questioning. True, I don't believe Webb suffers fools easily (or turkeys, in this particular instance). After all, he is one of those lawmakers with family actually!in!Iraq! as we all know.

3/15/08, 4:50 PM
Anonymous said...

Nationalist Propaganda Radio is complicit in the Operation Mockingbird black-out of the Winter Soldier 2008 testimony March 14-16 carried live on Pacifica Radio.

Yesterday I heard some of NPR's fake debate show called "Intelligence Squared," maybe called that because both sides are CIA.

The statement being 'debated' was "the US should be the policeman of the world."

The pro side was represented by a security advisor to the Council on Foreign Relations, Max Boot.
That's his real name.

The other side was barely taken by someone probably from the center-left of CIA.

NPR markets fascism the way Henry Ford marketed the model T. Any color you want as long as it's Death Star black.

3/16/08, 12:13 PM
Porter Melmoth said...

If anyone was able to slog through two hours of prizewinning fussbudget Ari Shapiro's drainpipe voice on Sunday, they would have to conclude that this guy has taken it upon himself to be an apologist for the US 're-invention' of Iraq. Substituting for Auntie Liane, Amazing Ari proves that he's pretty darn diverse. Why, he's all over the map, going to plays, bopping over to Baghdad, and hell, doin' the Sunday breakfast gig as easily as gossiping up on the Hill. Yes, Ari's got the makins' of an NPR superstar. But that voice! That awful, awful, NPRepugnant voice! Can't the engineers de-tweak it so that he doesn't sound like he's talking through a 89-cent crystal-set mike? And that talking! Jabber-jabber-jabber! He almost beats out Inscreep in the speaking-faster-than-he-can-
think department. Oh, but Ari's far more brilliant, isn't he? Thus, the haughty confidence. That sickening confidence that got him busted for his trademark snottiness-that-passes-for-
journalism that FAIR pointed out recently. Can a Dan Schorr prize be revoked?
I'm happy to announce though, that I didn't suffer through all two hours of Ari's spring fling garden party. I couldn't do that to my dog, who looked at me as if, 'you are one sick puppy, man!'
After Ari's chummy little giggle with Nina the T, my dog threatened to lift his leg over the radio. A walk with him in the non-NPR fresh air cured everything.

OK, OK, one more thing: again, again, again, I just have to carp about that troublesome Eleanor Beardsley person, who's been popping up disturbingly often recently, despite some other more normalish reporter covering things France-ish.
E.B. sounds like some busted up plastic doll (that still thinks it's cute) to be found in a yard sale's 'FREE' bin, with a pull string that recites goofy lines about French people in a wobbly voice that doesn't know what notes to hit.
Of course, since she's describing the antics of those wacky Frenchies, what better than Ellie Bea to deliver their news with clownish dreariness? 'Thiszis Ellleneknyorr Beeaerdleah en Paaareeass...' (Did that transliteration really work?)

You know, if some of these NPR-oids really had style and class, like distinctive voices such as Katherine Hepburn or even Jimmy Breslin, it would be one thing, but NPR gets these not-even-ready-for-hammy-acting types, and their 'creative' journalism sucks, too. We as a public deserve much, much better, don't we? Of course, I blame NPR management for letting this bozo patrol get out on the air, but when it's stacked with BushCorp flunkies, there's no accounting for taste.

OK, pretty superficial stuff to complain about, but I ask you, where the hell does NPR GET all this lousy, lousy - really lousy - on-air 'talent'? Probably from the offspring of CEOs and other power people in bed with NPR who have journalistic stars in their eyes... or whatever. In Britain, 'public' schools are really the very private, elitist establishments that take care of their own. National 'Public' Radio is actually a similarly elitist (well, middle-to-upper class) outfit that only cares about itself. Thus, my battle cry: Rupert - take what is rightfully yours: NPR!!

3/17/08, 11:26 AM
Anonymous said...

This morning NPR had an in-depth investigation into why we love Fox's pro-torture super hero Jack Bauer so damn much. I felt like they were pouring teh stupid directly into my ear canals. How does Pam Fessler justify doing pieces like this?

What's amazed me more and more lately is how NPR will target their upper middle class audience in terms of cultural issues, propagandize them from the pro-corporate, pro-elite washington consensus Council on Foreign Relations point-of-view, and yet still manage to fill their air-time with so many stories which are simply stupid and infantilizing. This piece was, of course, a two-fer.

3/17/08, 11:35 AM
Porter Melmoth said...

Yup anon, proof positive that NPR's Foxified approach is a permanent trend. I keep reminding myself: thank heavens that Ed Murrow's not around to witness it.

(Ed, can you hear me? Tell God to make Rupert Murdoch take over NPR. And soon! Free us from this bondage!)

3/17/08, 11:49 AM
Anonymous said...

sorry, forgot to mention that NPR also did an earlier piece on "Catwoman" on Sunday. So, technically, NPR was pouring teh stupid in the OTHER ear canal this morning.

How do these people live with themselves? Pathetic. Is this why they went into journalism?

3/17/08, 1:28 PM
Anonymous said...

and he let Kyl ramble defensively on and on - nothing to do with Iraq!

Especially enjoyed hearing that the reason the soldiers are stretched so thin in Iraq is BILL CLINTON downsized the military. The bastard! But then, no follow-up from Scottie-kins asking, "Okay, then if the army was already in trouble, why go to war in the first place? Who's brilliant idea was THAT?"

3/17/08, 1:55 PM
Anonymous said...

Heh - and when it was announced on yesterday's Meet the Fart Balloon (Russert, that is) that Meeeeeee(first)-chelle was once again going to be part of the "insights and analysis" panel, I shrieked in horror with a blood-curdling "ewwwwwwwww" (the terror of knowing that nothing illuminating will be put across), powered off, and did something else. Oh how they must love their (deluded) sense of "credibility" with their newfound tee-vee presence (the Mara and Juan bobble-heads aside).

3/17/08, 6:14 PM
Anonymous said...

Got a chuckle tonight hearing a listener response to their airing of President Hickoid's atrocious catterwallin' at the oozy-schmoozy Gridiron Club thing:

"Kudos, NPR, for taking the bait."

(I don't suppose it was issued by one amongst our gang?)

Miraculous that they even elect to read mocking reactions to their fluff stuff. But it feels obvious that they crave the attention, no matter how disparaging the aim.

"...and tell us where you live and how to pronounce your name" (mentally add Missy-poo roller-coaster lilts at the appropriate phrases)

3/17/08, 6:27 PM

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