Wednesday, October 12, 2005

Yes, I Realize I’m A Little Late On This, But I’ve Been Busy, Ok?

Still, I feel compelled to mention my thoughts on the totally meta Jet Blue plane thing, what with the people on the plane watching themselves on TV while they were figuring out if they were all going to die a horrible fiery death. They had a segment on it on last week’s This American Life, and it what it pointed up for me was the utter uselessness of news reports like this. Talking heads on the TV, watching the plane circle, speculating about what was going to happen, only to have the plane land safely, tells me that it’s time for the news to stop their endless yakking about what if, especially if the poor people in the midst of the trouble might be watching. Can you imagine? This just in from Fox News – “Tell us what might happen here, Chet” “Well, in all likelihood the tire will catch fire as soon as it hits the ground and immediately ignite the entire plane. I’m pretty sure everyone will die.” And you’re on the plane. And then it doesn’t! Like you’re not already worried about your fiery death and never saying goodbye to your Peekapoo! News should give us useful information – am I wrong? Or how about even – actual information? Ladies and gentlemen, breaking news, a plane is in the air having trouble with its landing gear. “We will return when we know anything else. Go watch the Simpsons now. Goodbye.” Instead of yakety yakety blah di bloo. One of the funniest things I ever saw on The Daily Show, some time ago, was Jon Stewart consulting a panel of experts on some subject or another. You know how they break up the screen to accommodate two or more talking heads? This screen started breaking up into like, thirty-two talking heads. Every time he’d say, “Okay, let’s go to Granwyth Hulatberi from Ontario,” and they’d squeeze in Granwyth who’d say like, two words before Stewart cut over to the next guy. Stop it.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yes, I agree. I live in LA and it was so ridiculous! The comes a point when broadcasts like that are spewing completely superflous information. The Daily Show is what my boyfriend and I watch nightly, right after a good round of "who's line" on ABC family and the occasional America's Funniest reruns. I hate it, but love it with him because he laughs so much and then I find myself laughing too. But we always count on Jon Stewart to point out the obvious and make it funny or, God forbid, make us think! I hate the news. I try to just read it on-line. :)

Teodoro Callate said...

Yes, yes, and yes to all.

Though just like I will say out loud that I think Hanson is OK, I will admit that I watched that airplane event the other week. When the plane landed, I surprised myself with my strong reaction. I had been laying on the couch, voyeuristically waiting for the impending carnage. I didn't want that, but there I was. Then the plane landed and it came to a smokey stop, and I jumped up and pumped my fist and shouted, "Yeah! Those guys are badass!" Referring to the pilots.

In the end I was glad that I was so pumped about badass pilots, and I felt better about watching it and appreciating the smart, badass people that know how to land large, heavy, fast, people-filled aluminium tubes with broken wheels.