[LEMONS]


2.03.2004

Terror! Live at Ten!

FoxNews drives me absolutely bonkers. Not because it's conservative--Hell I enjoy the "infotainment" of Rush Limbaugh sometimes and can appreciate the journalism in the Weekly Standard--but because it's all spin and sensationalism masquerading as news. It bothers me as a Serious Journalist, in the same way that doctors are bothered by faith-healers. (Or at least like a web designer is by my site.) I've never understood how rational people - and I know many who do - can watch it.

But the thing is, when I do watch FauxFoxNews, I can see it's appeal. It's akin to watching Friday the 13th, or a Janet Jackson halftime show. Sure, it's a train wreck, but all that gore and twisted metal and unexpected boobies are just so damn entertaining, in a terrifying, end-of-the-world sort of way. FoxNews gets you worked the fuck up. Damn the facts, it's a scary world! Muslims! Democrats! Taxes! Environmentalists! Show me some more! I'm ready to roll, motherfucker!

This was certainly true of the ricin story, which happens to coincide with an important day for the Democrats. The buzz is that the Grand Old Party is getting a little antsy about all the free press the Dems are getting, particularly as most of them are bashing Bush and not each other. Pictures, of course, are worth a thousand words. Or in my case, 3000 words. So I'll shut up now, and let the screen shots of front pages from a few major news sites--taken several hours after the ricin story broke--do all the talking.

(click to enlarge)


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