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Bus One Seven: Comfortably Numb
What the world doesn’t need is another epic tragedy
by Roderick Armageddon

Is there nothing positive to celebrate? Must we be faced with a downward spiral of depressing fodder launched from an unrelenting media cannon? I believe one of our country’s greatest flaws is the manipulation, repackaging, rebranding and reselling of negative information - spoon-fed to us under the moniker "news," though so little of it is actually new. We are victims of an increasingly sour American media machine, yet we feed the news with ratings and opinions that help to sustain its voracious appetite. Just as baseball is America’s game, "bad news" is our nation’s vice - as American as apple pie. I have no intention of making complete sense of this issue; it’s too grand and too deep for me to even begin to unravel, so delete that First Amendment message before you even touch the keyboard. Let’s face the facts, America is addicted to rehashed pain and our drug of choice is the nightly news.

Media saturation and overexposure is by no means a novel concept, but this current wave provides us with an excellent opportunity to re-examine the sensationalism of negative information. Better yet, it gives us the opportunity to take action against a machine that apparently assumes we’re satisfied with the current status quo.

There’s little doubt that to the majority of Americans, September 11, 2001 will be known forever as the most terrible date to darken the calendar. In addition to reporting on the vital information that we all needed and wanted, the tragedies of that day gave way to a veritable treasure of misery-ridden news angles and opportunities. With no apparent consideration for ethics in journalism, the story possibilities grew richer in dramatics, with aggressive graphics and somber musical introductions accompanying a slide show of despair projected on the stars and stripes. This level of sensationalism and drama is a sure-fire motive appeal plucked straight from the bowels of Universal Studios, exploiting our love of country, family and freedom, as well as our hatred of Bush’s "evil-doers." It’s as if NBC phoned Jerry Bruckheimer and demanded he jet to New York for a brainstorming session on repackaging the greatest American tragedy of all time. Clutching the hand of his favorite director, Michael Bay, the two immediately cast Bruce Willis as the Fire Fighter who saved the financial district, rocketing to Afghanistan to cut the wick of evil before the match could strike again. Gil Gerard wouldn’t stand a chance against this level of drama.

Armed with the ultimate tragedy, perhaps America’s news media believes this is the last great opportunity to shine and there’s no better way to do it than by jumping aboard the bad news express. They didn’t have a chance during WWII and global news reporting was in its infancy during Vietnam. The Gulf War wasn’t really a war, and the conflict in Eastern Europe was far enough away from our interests that Wolf Blitzer didn’t even feel the need to set up camp in Chechnya. But the war against terrorism represents a golden opportunity to flood the American public with a Costco-sized bundle of reconfigured bad news, setting into motion a national movement of rage and sadness, marching to the hum of a John Williams-infused chorus. Perhaps this is the media’s golden opportunity to fashion news as never before.

Should we just stand back and accept this as the next logical step in news reporting? I suggest not. I believe it’s our duty to our fellow Americans to take advantage of the last bit of control available: turn the channel. Better yet, shut the television off. If you decide to brave the news - sifting through the garbage for a fresh catch - take it upon yourself to avoid purchasing products from those companies who advertise during the nightly "blues." Send whatever message you can. It may seem a tiny drop in the bucket, but in a capitalist society, sometimes the only way The People can make their voices heard is by casting a vote with their checkbooks.

Remember the television program Real People? Sarah Purcell and company managed to fill an entire hour with simple, everyday human kindness and innovation. Perhaps my memories have been jaded by the passage of time, further warped by the birth of "reality television," but it’s my firm belief that news is by no means synonymous with bad.

It might be best for us to reflect not on the content of the news, but rather the delivery and the subtext. By reading past the headlines, between the lines, we just might find the real meaning, or at least the heart of the information - that is, if it hasn’t already been plucked out, still beating with life on it’s way to becoming food for the dogs of war.

After further investigation, Buck, Colonel Deering and ELO seem like an attractive alternative to the nightly news - VCRs, DVD and CD players might be the perfect tools for drowning out the sorrow. After all, consumer electronics were never designed to provide answers to life’s complex questions; they were built to take us away from reality. Perhaps it’s only fitting they feed from the same 120 volts that offer up an all-access pass to the nightly news.