DL Open Thread Tuesday January 4th 2022
Just when I say I’m maintaining my media black out Middletown gets hit with a snowstorm trapping me in my house in front of my computer. FWIW – these are the “news” things I noticed.
BREAKING: NY Attorney General Letitia James has subpoenaed Ivanka Trump and Don Jr for testimony and documents in the civil investigation into property valuations.
Also BREAKING – It doesn’t fucking matter. The Trumps just run out the clock and everyone forgets that they were ever subpoenaed. In fact they’ve already acknowledged that is going to be the strategy.
Speaking of things that don’t really matter.
Media Matters’ recommends that news organizations NOT air Trump’s lies about January 6th live. Media Matters recommendations echo those of New York University professor and author of PressThink Jay Rosen, who in responding to a prompt from a Columbia Business School adjunct professor on Twitter, offered recommendations for news outlets:
- No build up, no count down,
- no empty podium awaiting his arrival
- Don’t carry it live; disinformation risk too high
- After it’s over, sift for any genuine news and report it
- Do not amplify familiar lies and distortions; they’ve all been fact-checked already
They’ll amplify all the lies and bullshit – you know why? There is money in it. US media is FOR PROFIT.
Which reminds me – I had this exchange with a conservative family member over the holidays:
First of all I’m not racist, but…
Hold up. When someone leads with that, you know you are about to hear some racist shit.
First of all I’m not racist, but…why does EVERY commercial have to feature a mixed race couple? It’s like EVERY commercial now.
My response was – ‘EVERY” commercial? If you notice a lot of mixed race couples in commercials it is because there is money in it. If there was more money in showing couples comprised of Men with goats, that’s what you’d see.”
Schumer vows Senate rules change vote by Jan. 17 if GOP blocks voting rights | TheHill
Coo-coo Capitalist Elizabeth Holmes is guilty on four counts at least, which given the realities of trying to convict prominent white collar criminals is probably as good as could be hoped for:
Elizabeth Holmes, the founder of the failed blood testing start-up Theranos, was found guilty of four of 11 charges of fraud on Monday, in a case that came to symbolize the pitfalls of Silicon Valley’s culture of hustle, hype and greed.
Does that annoying actress in the Verizon commercials remind you of anyone? You know, the one in the red pantsuit who is in peripatetic motion? (Apparently she’s on SNL, but she’s no Amy Poehler.)
I see that damn commercial way too often, and all I can think is…
Bethany Hall Long.
Kate McKinnon. For me – Marjorie Taylor Green is a dead ringer for BHL.
No. BHL. Literally the first person I ever saw carrying a cellphone in EACH hand while walking at least a mile a minute.
You’ll just have to trust me on this one.
Marjorie Taylor Greene’s head seems to invite portrayal as a giant papier-mâché puppet. Gaetz’s too.
I generally like Kate McKinnon on SNL, but I’m really sick of watching her stomp around in that ad. She’s no Jan From Toyota. I can see why she’d remind folks of a bad local politician in the commercial, but she’s really funny playing national pols on the TV show.
SNL hasn’t had anything trenchant to say in 30 years. Not at all surprised you like the commedia dell’arte clown show for boomers that it has become.
Her impressions are funny, good for some yuks. They don’t need to be “trenchant,” except for somebody obsessed with politics. I would never argue that SNL is as good as it used to be. Besides, I only watch the clips online. Is that the way you know it’s not trenchant, order you watch it all the way through so you can make sure it’s not?
Au contraire, once in awhile they take a break from a racially mixed couple for a same sex couple, always females. When your nation is based on greed everything is based on profit, as much as possible. And yes, profit dominates the media as Rupert Murdoch long ago insured the Tabloid Mentality destroyed journalism. As for Elizabeth Holmes celebrate the day: A rich person is held to account. Huzzah! It’s that time of the year!
Cali GOP Freedumb-Fighter Successfully Exercises Her Right To Die Of Covid:
https://www.thedailybeast.com/kelly-ernby-orange-county-california-deputy-da-dies-abruptly-after-falling-ill-with-covid-at-age-46
A rare high profile anti-vaxxer who was not secretly vaccinated.