Guess What I'm Re-reading?
"Every law that curbs my basic human freedoms; every lie about the things I care for; every crime committed against me by their politics--that's what makes me get up and hound these fuckers, and I'll do that until the day I die...Hell, I'd be happy with actual unbiased journalism nowadays. I await the day when a Spider Jerusalem rises up, however, and makes journalism actually interesting and sexy. And, you know, true. So-called "Literary Journalism" came and went like a quiet fart in a public bathroom. Journalists haven't been whiskey-slugging grizzled men for a long time, having traded in that look for $100 haircuts and kids in high school (in a safe neighborhood). Judging by the news outlets nowadays there's a single pair of testicles (or "attack womb," if you will) between the lot of them.
We show them they're accountable. We show them that just as they try to herd us back into cages of quiet mediocrity, we can chase them back to fucking hell with the truth.
It's the journalism of attachment. It's caring about the world you report on.
Some people say that's bad journalism, that there should be a detached, cold, unbiased view of the world in our news media. And if that what you want, there are security cameras everywhere that you could watch tapes of.
I want to see humans talking about human life, personally. I want to see people who give a shit about the world. I want... I was to see possessed journalists. Yes! I want to see people like me, rising up with hate, laying about them with fiery eyes and steaming genitalia--"
--Spider Jerusalem (Warren Ellis)
So wake me when Spider shows up, will you?
posted by Greg at 1:04 PM
4 Comments:
As much as I love the bombastic speeches of Spider (Warren) I can't say I walk the walk - I never engage in any kind of news - reading, listen watching. The only news I get is off of the ticker of one of my digital signage installations, and the only reason I read that is to make sure it is working correctly.
So even if Spider started a column in the Times next week, I would never know.
And by my ignoring everything going on in the world around me, I really do kind of feel that I have no right to make any comment - if i don't pay attention I must not really know what is going on and without facts I shouldn't be allowed to pass judgement.
Everyone has the right to make a comment. EM, I think that you are probably amongst those of us who might have gotten in the habit of paying attention to the, um, media, if it had been worth a shit any time in our lives.
During the aftermath of Katrina (I only refer to the bitch by her last name, that is all she gets from me) I watched CNN and HN all night, every fucking night. It did it because I was obsessed, and in shock and wanting to punish myself, but also because it was the only time that any of these people had any spine at all. It gave me a little hope.
I am a huge, huge sap.
I will say that I did develop certain respect for Anderson Cooper, and not just because he is totally hot, but because he was genuinely pissed off for all of those people.
But I still don't watch his show.
It's kind of funny that the closest we get is probably John Stewart.
Maybe Keith Olberman, but I haven't watched his show enough, and he's not exactly an attack dog.
I love This American Life, but they don't count. Too much gum, not enough teeth.
I will stand up for NPR and the BBC - still the best real news anywhere.
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