This is a problem that's only going to get worse. It's the information age, everybody is famous for fifteen minutes, short attention span nightmare that makes me want to smash my computer over somebody's head.

I go on Yahoo news and I see headlines like "Sheriff Took Inmate Golfing" and "Drunken Wedding Guest Arrested". This is not exactly earth shattering stuff. Yes, I realize that people want some goofy news to break up the heavy stuff (war/economy/politics). But it's getting out of hand.

There's a proliferation of non-events being treated as real news. Every morning I get in my car and I hear these idiots on the radio talking about some guy in Colorado or Virginia was pulled over by a cop and handed the officer the beer he was drinking instead of his license. How many times do I need to hear variations on the same zany traffic stops, people caught fucking somewhere in public, some kid getting his head stuck in a toilet, etc, etc?

I feel the same way about that stuff as I do when "Won't Get Fooled Again" or "You Shook Me All Night Long" come on the radio the guys listen to at work. Doesn't it get old? I have gotten to points where I lose my cool and I say "Don't you guys remember the other story about the teacher-student affair from two weeks ago that sounded exactly like this one?".

You ever hear the phrase "stop me if you've heard this one"? You don't hear that anymore. Because the flow of junk news is so fast and furious that people forget that they just heard the same story ten minutes earlier.

Actually, now that I think of it, I've made this same rant a couple times already, in different variations. So ignore everything I just said. And don't bother with the "You don't have to listen to the radio, you don't have to click on those links!" bullshit, we all know this stuff is pervasive and unavoidable, it's the world we live in. I'm just an angry guy that's all.

Many people blame the media for this. Honestly I can't blame the companies for what they're doing. They're just trying to follow what the general populace wants and responds to.

Whenever it comes up in conversation and people try to get me to talk about this bullshit, I simply say something like "I really don't care about this bullshit", or "this has no effect on what I find important".

I feel sorry for Americans because it's just way too much in the US. It's to the point where you can't even look to the major news networks to get real news any more. But keep in mind that this is the culture that most people want in the US.

A culture where 'Toddlers & Tiaras' is an acceptable show and baby pageants are "noble". I can't really can't expect anything else from a country where 40% of the people think the Earth is less than 10,000 years old. This is a community that will accept any bullshit that is fed to them.

If you feel this passionately about it, then stop trying to get your news from the standard sources. Al Jazeera is great, and there are many online sources that you can customize to get the news that you are looking for. And whenever someone brings some stupid shit, just remind them that it's bullshit and tell them about something that you learned recently that is far more important, and where you got it from.

Shogunates and peasants thought the exact same thing at the end of the Edo period.

I guess I have to fight the good fight, even if I come off as a grumpy gus. It's like recycling, it has to start with each individual person putting their foot down.

Who you calling grumpy?

Damn kids.

political news is all controlled by corporate sponsors, all the commercials and ads. now they'll have long segments on the new gadgets out like the latest Apple product is supposed to be news to us. but man look at their stock price. it has electrolytes.

rush limbaugh caught nbc editing that 911 call to make it appear more racist, whatever gets more people to watch the commercials.

that's exactly why i love the onion!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqvETppShfQ

Yes, I hear ya. Yes, I know what ya talkin' about.

I stopped watching TV perhaps two years ago...It solely drove me nuts as you said, to the point. Same thing with newspapers floatin' round the lunch room at my working place which s'posed to be the intelligent way to feed yer head...NO, its not doing it for me. I reckon to stick your head in papers during break is, btw, just an excuse to escape in eyes open dreamland for a second...watch your work fellows, nobody's interested in the latest share market updates.

Well, Google news is my source in the morning. It's good summarized AND the main thing: You pick!

Well, I agree also- we cannot escape sometimes...at work (as another example) we have that one radio station- quite acceptable in the afternoon; well...different story from nine to twelve: Alan Jones, the breakfast- show opinionator...means talkin s**t for half a work day, means no music in the morning...now I am getting angry...keep the fight goin'...YES !! perhaps I should start writing letter Anonymous "Dear Mr Jones................(not enough dots)"

PS: That's my kind of say