The Way I See It - All the news that's fit to be missed

The Way I See It - All the news that's fit to be missed
By: Doug Dickerson/Staff Writer 09/13/2006

Sanity calms but madness is more interesting
-John Russell


Perhaps my younger "hip" days are too far removed from me, but I just don't get the attraction and spotlight that is put on some things going on today. As we are concerned with fighting a war on terror, immigration and border security, mid-term elections...you know, things that are of consequential importance, there are just a few things I don't understand. Allow me to share a few examples.

I tuned in for Katie Couric's anchor debut on CBS the other day. The half hour news, news-magazine - whatever you want to call it, had a big splash about Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' baby photos. Amazingly, there may be a few out there who might actually care about seeing the pictures, but can someone please explain the news worthiness of such coverage on the prime time evening newscast? Did this not belong perhaps on Entertainment Tonight as opposed to a "news" program? During the 30-minute newscast I was subjected to baby pictures and old footage of Hulk Hogan. Thanks CBS for putting the world in perspective for me.

Then, the other day the television networks were going nuts on another story. The amount of coverage was truly amazing. No, we had not signed a treaty with Iran over nuclear production, it was not an announcement that troops were coming home from Iraq, neither was it an announcement for the cure of cancer. So, what was this important story that was of such importance to the news outlets? Paris Hilton.

Yes, you heard me right, Paris Hilton. Paris was driving home the other night and was pulled over and charged for DUI. Don't get me wrong, I am certainly not condoning DUI by Paris or anyone else, but I just don't get all the fuss over a talent-deprived, spoiled brat socialite as being worthy of that much coverage. Speaking about the incident Paris said, "Everything I do gets blown out of proportion. It really hurts my feelings." So, let me get this straight - Paris gets busted for DUI and then complains that her feelings are hurt. God help us!

Now, let me address something a little closer to home. As you have seen and read over the past few days, several young men from Wando High School were arrested for their alleged participation in armed robberies in the Mt. Pleasant area. It would seem by most accounts of the media coverage, both in print and on television, that the big story is that seven of these boys were football players, and one in particular was the star quarterback of the team.

Perhaps I am missing something here, but is the fact that the boys played football the real story here? The perception, right or wrong, is that more folks were concerned about the future of the football team and how they would fare in Friday Night's game than they are about the future of the boys involved. I know in the Lowcountry that football reigns supreme, and at the risk of upsetting the sports gods, can we not all agree that these boys from seemingly good, middle class families, have larger issues at hand than football?

These examples are but a snapshot of what I observe on a daily basis. I am sure there is enough blame to go around as to why we tolerate this madness. People gloat in the fall and misery of others and the media is all too eager to serve it up in large doses to satisfy that need.

However, the next time I want to get a good dose of madness, I wish they would leave the celebrities out of it and instead just show me what took place in Washington. That should be more than enough madness to satisfy my curiosity.


©Summerville Journal-Scene 2006