Argus Posted January 18, 2015 Report Share Posted January 18, 2015 So I was watching CBS news the other day and on came a breathless story of a 'modern Bonnie and Clyde', replete with multiple exclamation points. It seems these two teenagers from Kentucky stole a pickup and drove across a farmer's field, causing some damage... !?Wait, there's more! They drove to North Caroline where they dumped the pickup and stole another one! And they passed some bad checks!And as I'm watching I'm wondering... why is this on my television? But I'm a channel surfer, so of course I'm flicking channels, and lo and behold the story comes on ABC and NBC too, and later on CNN. It's a big, national story! It also appears on CTV news that night, and is in the papers here in Canada this morning and in the UKApparently they were caught - while sleeping. Thank God!Why in the hell was this ever a national story let alone an international one? Can anyone figure that out? Okay, the girl is a pretty blonde, but she's all of 13 so it's not like she has sex appeal. So why the media focus on this? What was it about this story that caused so many major media outlets to run it? http://abcnews.go.com/US/runaway-kentucky-teens-alleged-cross-country-crime-spree/story?id=28307041 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-kentucky-teens-crime-spree-20150118-story.html http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2911954/Runaway-girl-13-boyfriend-18-wanted-police-crime-spree-Kentucky-mom-confronted-underage-relationship.html http://www.newsweek.com/car-stealing-teen-criminal-couple-lam-300233 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hardner Posted January 18, 2015 Report Share Posted January 18, 2015 Why in the hell was this ever a national story let alone an international one? Can anyone figure that out? Okay, the girl is a pretty blonde, but she's all of 13 so it's not like she has sex appeal. So why the media focus on this? What was it about this story that caused so many major media outlets to run it? You ask the question, then you answer it immediately after. Are you really surprised at this coverage ? It makes more sense to me than Peter Mansbridge covering the latest viral video going around of a cat stuck in a tree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimmy Posted January 18, 2015 Report Share Posted January 18, 2015 There is always some event going on that baffles me as to why it's in the news. Some murder case, out of thousands of other murder cases, somehow captures the imagination of tabloid media and everybody covers it because everybody thinks everybody else is interested in it. Or some disappearance. Or something else. Sometimes there's an angle that makes it ideal for tabloid journalists-- often the angle is that the people involved are really attractive. I think we were talking about all this stuff not too long ago in the Oscar Pistorius thread. I saw a news article yesterday about a cat in Russia who saved an abandoned baby from certain death. Somebody heard a cat meowing loudly and went to find out what was going on. They found the cat in an alley, in a box, meowing its head off, and the cat was cuddled around a newborn baby. Without the cat crying, who knows how long it would have been before someone found the baby. And they think that without the cat there to keep it warm, the baby would have frozen to death before anyone found it. For me, I care far more about that kitty than I care about Oscar Pistorius or Natalee Holloway or Jon-Benet Ramsey or any of the other random news celebrities who have come and gone over the years. -k Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hardner Posted January 18, 2015 Report Share Posted January 18, 2015 For me, I care far more about that kitty ... That's enough of a punchline to deserve a *rimshot*... What's with all this useless reporting about random crime stories when we're ignoring the IMPORTANT stories... like Mittens, the kitty that has super baby-saving skills ?!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GostHacked Posted January 18, 2015 Report Share Posted January 18, 2015 Just look at the line up of TV channels and the types of programming and you can understand why this story gets major headlines. I could do without the latest hip cat video of the week. It's not important. To me this is a local story and does not need national attention. Romanticizing criminals? Maybe I've not been watching enough informative murder porn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GostHacked Posted January 18, 2015 Report Share Posted January 18, 2015 That's enough of a punchline to deserve a *rimshot*... What's with all this useless reporting about random crime stories when we're ignoring the IMPORTANT stories... like Mittens, the kitty that has super baby-saving skills ?!? 1 - It shows not all cats are dicks. 2 - The cat saved a life (which I can get behind) The cat seemed to give a shit compared to whoever left it out in the cold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hardner Posted January 18, 2015 Report Share Posted January 18, 2015 1 - It shows not all cats are dicks. Right but is that "news" ? I think we've learned as much as we need to about cats, thanks to the internet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bush_cheney2004 Posted January 18, 2015 Report Share Posted January 18, 2015 So I was watching CBS news .... And as I'm watching I'm wondering... why is this on my television? It's not on your television....it's on American television and cable networks. Why are American networks on your television ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hardner Posted January 18, 2015 Report Share Posted January 18, 2015 Why are American networks on your television ? Because we pay for it. Now get back to work and produce me my content.... Also, Argus seems to have lost his remote... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bush_cheney2004 Posted January 18, 2015 Report Share Posted January 18, 2015 Because we pay for it. Now get back to work and produce me my content.... Also, Argus seems to have lost his remote... He paid for that story ? No wonder he is upset...I got it for free ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Argus Posted January 18, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2015 It's not on your television....it's on American television and cable networks. Why are American networks on your television ? Why are you trolling again? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hardner Posted January 18, 2015 Report Share Posted January 18, 2015 He paid for that story ? No wonder he is upset...I got it for free ! Our cable rates... see about 4 other threads where the same things are being discussed etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hardner Posted January 18, 2015 Report Share Posted January 18, 2015 Why are you trolling again? Don't see it that way, see it as more American content. Kind of like Pauly Shore... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Argus Posted January 18, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2015 You ask the question, then you answer it immediately after. No, I speculated, then dismissed the speculation. If she was a hot chick, okay. Teen sex = RATINGS. But she's 13! Are you really surprised at this coverage ? Yes. It's on the front page of newspapers and on the national news. It's not a quaint or cute little human interest story, it's NEWS. Murderers don't usually make the national news, and we have a couple of kids who steal a car on the front page?? How many teens run away and steal cars in a given year? Ten thousand? Twenty? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Argus Posted January 18, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2015 Don't see it that way, see it as more American content. Kind of like Pauly Shore... Come on. You know his schtick. "Why are you talking about Americans? Why do you care about what happens in America?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hardner Posted January 18, 2015 Report Share Posted January 18, 2015 No, I speculated, then dismissed the speculation. If she was a hot chick, okay. Teen sex = RATINGS. But she's 13! Are you trying to say that there is something wrong with the market ? Yes. It's on the front page of newspapers and on the national news. I am actually surprised it's in the newspaper, actually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hardner Posted January 18, 2015 Report Share Posted January 18, 2015 Come on. You know his schtick. "Why are you talking about Americans? Why do you care about what happens in America?" I know, it's his catchphrase.. like Fonzie's "aaaaaayyy"... or JJ's "DynoMITE"... I love this channel, pass the popcorn, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bush_cheney2004 Posted January 18, 2015 Report Share Posted January 18, 2015 I know, it's his catchphrase.. This is a fluff thread just like that story. Always funny when a Canadian complains about a story he was forced to watch on American television. LOL...it never gets old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hardner Posted January 18, 2015 Report Share Posted January 18, 2015 This is a fluff thread just like that story. Always funny when a Canadian complains about a story he was forced to watch on American television. LOL...it never gets old. Well, reading his post again he doesn't seem to be complaining as much as asking "why" ? Asking "why ?" is the first question, asking "what next ?" is the second question and maybe "what in the end ?". The "end" seems to be shaping up as MainStreamMedia becoming Entertainment Tonight and emerging tiny "publics" of prestige and influence, which solves the problem nicely and brings us back to square one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bush_cheney2004 Posted January 18, 2015 Report Share Posted January 18, 2015 (edited) ...The "end" seems to be shaping up as MainStreamMedia becoming Entertainment Tonight and emerging tiny "publics" of prestige and influence, which solves the problem nicely and brings us back to square one. I already told you guys that there is no more news...just "promotable content". Get over it.....especially when watching foreign content ! Now you know why Mayor Ford was such a hit on late night U.S. television. Edited January 18, 2015 by bush_cheney2004 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hardner Posted January 18, 2015 Report Share Posted January 18, 2015 I already told you guys that there is no more news...just "promotable content". Get over it.....especially when watching foreign content ! "Content" is such a semantic step backwards. It's like calling all foods "matter". I can watch "news" "deep background" "trash TV" but they are different things to me. Now you know why Mayor Ford was such a hit on late night U.S. television. I never didn't know why. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Argus Posted January 18, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2015 Are you trying to say that there is something wrong with the market ? I've frankly always found the leering news media fascination with teens and sex to be kind of depraved, but I thought in this case, since she's 13 there must be something else to it. I am actually surprised it's in the newspaper, actually. It's not just in the newspaper in Canada, it's in the newspaper in the UK! Whahhh!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bush_cheney2004 Posted January 19, 2015 Report Share Posted January 19, 2015 "Content" is such a semantic step backwards. It's like calling all foods "matter". OK...but the word "content" has been the CRTC's mainstay guardian of Canadian culture. Must be protected from the invading hordes, including their "news". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GostHacked Posted January 19, 2015 Report Share Posted January 19, 2015 I know, it's his catchphrase.. like Fonzie's "aaaaaayyy"... or JJ's "DynoMITE"... I love this channel, pass the popcorn, etc. Don't be part of the problem Mike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WIP Posted January 19, 2015 Report Share Posted January 19, 2015 So I was watching CBS news the other day and on came a breathless story of a 'modern Bonnie and Clyde', replete with multiple exclamation points. It seems these two teenagers from Kentucky stole a pickup and drove across a farmer's field, causing some damage... !? Wait, there's more! They drove to North Caroline where they dumped the pickup and stole another one! And they passed some bad checks! And as I'm watching I'm wondering... why is this on my television? But I'm a channel surfer, so of course I'm flicking channels, and lo and behold the story comes on ABC and NBC too, and later on CNN. It's a big, national story! It also appears on CTV news that night, and is in the papers here in Canada this morning and in the UK Apparently they were caught - while sleeping. Thank God! Why in the hell was this ever a national story let alone an international one? Can anyone figure that out? Okay, the girl is a pretty blonde, but she's all of 13 so it's not like she has sex appeal. So why the media focus on this? What was it about this story that caused so many major media outlets to run it? She apparently has "sex appeal" to her 18 year old boyfriend/or abductor..whatever the case! And you can bet for damn sure, that media covering the story will play up the sexual aspects of the story - pictures, witness accounts, rumours etc., whether they admit it or not. Does Kentucky still allow 13 year old girls to get married? That was the norm at one time....maybe that's where we're headed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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