GT40FIED
09-27-2004, 08:20 PM
Ok...so the board is picking up but still a bit slow...so I now present you with my new theory.
I have come to the conclusion that American newspapers (I can't speak for the validity of foreign newspapers) are on a mission to make us all less intelligent...or at least less aware. They are second only to public schools which suck hard mostly because many parents are too chincey (sp?) to pay for them. It is my belief that our public school systems are meant to keep those who are not what most would call privilaged at a disadvantage. When was the last time you saw a CEO of a Fortune 500 company who attended a public school? Not often, if ever. But that's a whole other topic. Back to newspapers.
If you think about it, it becomes fairly obvious. First of all, the industry standard for the ratio of advertisement to actual column space in newspapers is around 60/40. That's 60% ads vs. 40% column space. Then there's the content of those columns. There is more than one section solely there for the purpose of pacifying people and helping them ignore important events. An example...the sports section. Instead of providing news that could educate people on affairs at home or abroad that go unnoticed by 97% of people everywhere (like the actual contents of the Patriot Act), they tell you who won some trivial game that in the grand scheme of your life means nothing and in-depth reviews of strategies of said trivial game. By now you're probably saying to yourself "But Steve, surely some people don't want to know what goes on in other parts of the world". That's fine...they get their own special paper. I'll call it "The Moron Times" or "The Idiot Post". It will consist of op-ed article by that asshole who hosts "Sports Machine", a column by that idiot who hosts "Wind Tunnel" (Dave Dispain or something like that), some snippets about which bar is having lady's night and when, and a column by Bill O'Reilly for good measure. "God" forbid a NEWSPAPER should provide me with NEWS. It's in their name, but I'm sure it's a mistake. And I'm sure it's just coincidence that the truely important news goes into little by-lines and on page A-4 or something of the like. Bottom line...newspapers, much like TV news, is trying to make you dumber. For more information on the subject, check out Noam Chomsky's wicked cool documentary "Manufacturing Consent". Noam Chomsky is better than you. Hell...he's better than me. Not even god can claim that position.
I have come to the conclusion that American newspapers (I can't speak for the validity of foreign newspapers) are on a mission to make us all less intelligent...or at least less aware. They are second only to public schools which suck hard mostly because many parents are too chincey (sp?) to pay for them. It is my belief that our public school systems are meant to keep those who are not what most would call privilaged at a disadvantage. When was the last time you saw a CEO of a Fortune 500 company who attended a public school? Not often, if ever. But that's a whole other topic. Back to newspapers.
If you think about it, it becomes fairly obvious. First of all, the industry standard for the ratio of advertisement to actual column space in newspapers is around 60/40. That's 60% ads vs. 40% column space. Then there's the content of those columns. There is more than one section solely there for the purpose of pacifying people and helping them ignore important events. An example...the sports section. Instead of providing news that could educate people on affairs at home or abroad that go unnoticed by 97% of people everywhere (like the actual contents of the Patriot Act), they tell you who won some trivial game that in the grand scheme of your life means nothing and in-depth reviews of strategies of said trivial game. By now you're probably saying to yourself "But Steve, surely some people don't want to know what goes on in other parts of the world". That's fine...they get their own special paper. I'll call it "The Moron Times" or "The Idiot Post". It will consist of op-ed article by that asshole who hosts "Sports Machine", a column by that idiot who hosts "Wind Tunnel" (Dave Dispain or something like that), some snippets about which bar is having lady's night and when, and a column by Bill O'Reilly for good measure. "God" forbid a NEWSPAPER should provide me with NEWS. It's in their name, but I'm sure it's a mistake. And I'm sure it's just coincidence that the truely important news goes into little by-lines and on page A-4 or something of the like. Bottom line...newspapers, much like TV news, is trying to make you dumber. For more information on the subject, check out Noam Chomsky's wicked cool documentary "Manufacturing Consent". Noam Chomsky is better than you. Hell...he's better than me. Not even god can claim that position.