| Winter 2005-06 |
Being a news producer I have to weigh the entertainment value as well as the news value of a story. That's why every hurricane season I have this internal debate, should I send a reporter out in the storm? In reality I don't really have to send any reporter out to a storm. I could just have them stand outside the TV station and no one would know. I could even put a camera on the roof and just have the weatherman talk about how it's "really coming down out there." But who wants that? The real drama in watching is having the reporter possibly get blown away. Admit it, when you watch my news coverage you're waiting for the blood and gore. It's human nature to want to see those things. And it's good business for me to give you want you want. When a storm hits I have reporters clamoring to go out in the storm. Last year one of my reporters had a horrible cold, yet he still wanted to go out and report how hard the wind was blowing. I sent another reporter, but I nearly did send him. A few years back a new reporter came into the news office with a crazy idea, why not just have the reporter stay inside the news van? No, I said, that's not how we do things here. This reporter was quite stunned, seeing as they saw sending a news crew to report on the storm surge to be completely irresponsible. Irresponsible?! People trapped inside their homes don't have much to see. Having a reporter out there in the middle of the storm tells people what NOT TO DO. We always start every report from the field with a warming, "this is a professional reporter and they know what they are doing. Don't you go out in the storm, you might get blown away. Like our reporter might." If a reporter is blown into some power lines or taken out to sea by the waves it will certainly serve as a cautionary tale to all those watching. Don't you think? Well, even if you don't think that I'm still going to send out my reporters to cover life threatening events with absolutely no thought to what might happen to them. What could happen to them anyway, they're reporters. Nothing bad ever happens to reporters. It's a little known fact that news reporters have this God given ability to stay out of trouble, even while in the midst of it. You didn't know that? Now you do. So the next time you see a reporter fighting for their lives while covering a news story don't worry, they're going to be all right.
|
You are not good enough! Yes, it's true; you are a total and complete mess. The way you look, the way you dress, the car you drive, yes even the way you live is ALL WRONG. But never fear there is help out there for you. Television is coming to your rescue. If you're not happy, if you're not fitting in, or if you just want a new look then we are looking for you. A new make-over show is coming, and it's called "Extremely Made Over." We would love you to be part of our Extremely Made Over family. Are you satisfied with who you are? Are you tired of being an also-ran? Don't you feel that if you had a new look you could conquer the world? We feel that way too, and we want to help you out. Extremely Made Over has gathered the best trained professionals in the world to help you become the best you possible. Once onboard you will be transformed into the very epitome of beauty and style. Everything from the clothes you wear, to the car you drive, to the design of your home will be made over by our crew. We start with you, of course. Tired of your hair? Our professional hair stylist will make it shine, bounce, while still making it manageable. You'll only have to run a brush through it in the morning and it will look as good as when we first styled it. Following that your wardrobe will be trashed and our fashion experts will help you choose a new wardrobe. Like to wear sweats to the market? Not after our fashionistas get through with you. You will know the difference between Prada and Dolce & Gabbana in no time. But we don't stop there. You car, or sled, needs a makeover too. Our team of customizers will turn your car into a pimped out ride deluxe. How do 20 inch rims and psychedelic colors grab you? You think your Honda Accord looks good now, but we know you will love it with new rims, an in-dash bar, and pull-down mini plasma TV with DVD player and Playstation 2 included. Can't you just see yourself mixing a drink as you drive home from work? You won't need happy hour anymore. If you're interested in being Extremely Made Over don't hesitate. Go to our website and sign up. You might be one of the lucky few that get Extremely Made Over! Because you're not good enough until you are Extremely Made Over.
It will always amaze me to hear of someone who is willing to give up their rights in order to make sure that I don't have those rights. Because the idea that I am free to do something they don't want me to do is so repulsive, so vile to them, that they would rather give up their own right than have me exercise mine fully. This is what I find to be happening with our freedom of speech. The freedom of speech is the most important freedom we have. It gives us a way to voice ourselves against injustice, and to praise fairness. One might say that it is the keystone to every other right we have in this country. The right to vote is an extension of our freedom of speech. One might even argue that the right to bear arms is also an extension of this freedom. Whatever your personal stance on any and all of the issues that we face, the one thing we should be able to agree on is that any abridgment of our freedom of speech is detrimental to all of us. Nevertheless, there are those who actively seek to abridge this core freedom. What it comes down to is regulating thoughts. Someone who wishes to curtail the freedom of speech is simply looking for a way to regulate the thoughts of the American public. By defining what can and can't be said the debate is skewed to favor one side over another, and there is no debate. The government will always want to regulate the freedom of speech, and often times government officials will say that this freedom does not allow for someone to yell fire in a crowded room. While I'm not saying that one should do that, the regulation of any speech should stop just short of endangerment. Even then there is a problem, because any and all situations are completely arbitrary. Yelling fire at a party might be considered a funny joke at say a party attended by firefighters. What it comes down to is this. Any mollification of our freedom to speak our mind turns us down a dangerous road towards censorship. Someone will inevitably be offended by what we have to say, and will call for censorship of our speech. The answer to these calls for censorship isn't to put limits on what we say; it is to expand these freedoms to their maximum point. The freedom of speech must be expanded whenever possible, because all freedoms stem from the right to think one's own thoughts. Those who would curtail a person's right to think are very dangerous individuals. I consider those who would act to curtail my freedom of speech to be cowards. They cower to debate in an open forum of ideas. They are the types that wish to tell you what you should do, while not following their own advice. They are hypocrites who will send troops to fight a war, but lie to protect their true motives. They are quite simply inhuman, and not interested in seeing humanity reach a higher plane of existence. A plane where the debates go on, but are not fought over with guns or bombs, but with ideas, and words only. They're afraid that their ideas, and their words, will not withstand the openness of freedom.
|
 The word hero is thrown around a lot, to the point that the word has lost some of its meaning. In reality there are very few true heroes in this world. Rosa Parks is the very definition of a hero. Her actions changed the world we live in, for the better. Without her who really knows how long it would have taken for this country to move forward socially. If not for her might we not still be a segregated nation? Without her actions might we not remain in the darkness of racial bigotry? Even if the answer is no it's clear to see that Rosa Parks helped pull us out of ignorance. The changes that happened after Rosa was asked to give her seat to a white man have been for the better, and the betterment of humanity as a whole. If that isn't the definition of a hero then no one is a hero. I'm proud to say that Rosa Parks is my hero.
|
Fall 2005 / Bliss / archive / Summer 2006