Rake me up some muck
Kobe, Kobe, Kobe! Apparently we just can't stop caring about the Kobe Bryant case. What did he do? What shocking things are people saying about the alleged victim? Judging by the fact that this case has been a top story at all the major news sites lately, it seems that we just can't get enough of the crime's dehumanizing details.
So here is my shocking, revolutionary suggestion to the courts, lawyers, plaintiffs and defendants in this case: how about you actually just try Kobe Bryant in a court of law, and then emerge from the courtroom and let us know the verdict? Because that seems far more appropriate than holding press conferences every thirty seconds pandering to the Jerry Springer that lurks just beneath the surface of the American public, don't you think?
A corollary suggestion involves feeding everybody even remotely involved in the case, including the media reporting obsessively on it, to the Rancor. (It's a messy death, but much quicker than the Sarlacc Pit; I'm not above showing a little mercy now and then.)
Sigh.
Comments
I agree wholeheartedly. Mr. Ridder of the Knight-Ridder News Service spoke last week at Aquinas College and I caught a bit of his speech on NPR. One of his main points was that this sensationalism is in part brought about by the 24/7 news outlets (both traditional and web). Frankly, there often isn't enough news to talk about around the clock, so you find reporters elevating simple criminal events like the Kobe trial to the same level of prominence as attempts to rebuild the whole sociopolitical structure of a nation, in order to fill timeslots.
Whether or not that thesis is entirely sound, Mr. Ridder also made the point that people eat this stuff up. Noam Chomsky (I *think* he was the first) once pointed out, news media aren't particularly in the business of getting the news out, but in the business of selling eyeballs/ears to advertisers. If it sells, it leads. Thus begins a domino effect, where if one news outlet covers an "intriguing" story, the others can't afford NOT to.
I vote for the Sarlaac pit for everyone involved. A rancor would be too quick.
Posted by: alan | October 15, 2003 3:17 PM
Is the title of this entry an homage to the Evanescence song, "Wake Me Up"?
Posted by: pcg | October 15, 2003 8:58 PM
Unfortunately, Peter, I'm not nearly that clever. Kinda catchy, though...
I did spell "Sarlaac" incorrectly, and feel a bit foolish about that. Me being a Star Wars nerd and all. This wouldn't have happened five years ago.
Posted by: jrau | October 15, 2003 9:35 PM