So, gruesome death! Now for a word from our sponsors! Don't touch that dial!

[stoopbeck]

Gah. Let me just say, in my latest bout of misanthropy, the news is on top of my bad list.

Hey, look! Lots of people died! Let's show you gruesome footage of babies being torn out of their mother's arms by massive waves! Cool, huh? Well, we're the only station that's got 'em! Check this one out of a twenty foot wave hitting a building full of people! Make sure you notice the dead bodies! Wow, this makes us the best news channel EVER! And yes, isn't it sad? Horribly sad. Let's show that clip again, shall we? And again? People died screaming and flailing... wanna see it in glorious widescreen technicolor? I know you do! But before we show you, let's have a word from our sponsors. Aren't they just wonderful?

Shut up, news. Shut up, uncaring unfeeling anchorman. Shut up, platitude-spewing woman-on-location. It's bad enough that over 22 freaking thousand people died. Twenty-two thousand. Dead. Don't make it worse by making this into a way to make more money and get more viewers. Please. PLEASE. Just shut up.

Comments

[espritdeterre.livejournal.com]

I felt like they did the exact same thing after 9-11. Not immediately after, but a few weeks later when the shock wasn't quite so great, it still seemed to be exploited. They freaking put pictures of people jumping to their deaths on the FRONT PAGE! I saw it when I was in school and could barely function for all my rage. How do they justify this?

The most moving thing I've ever seen on television following a tragedy was not gruesome footage of the catastrophe. It was a scrolling of everyone's name who died in the Oklahoma City Bombing and it aired during the execution of Timothy McVeigh. How about we treat this sensitively for once instead of trying to capitalize? I'm with you, Alex.

[stoopbeck.livejournal.com]

Thanks. Gah.