The Insane Drivel of AOL
One look at the home page of AOL this morning captures the fullness of America's nonsensical, trivial insanity. You would thing this page might have the most relevant and important news items of the day, or links to information that had some artistic or intellectual value--but you would be very, very wrong. Here's what AOL thinks is important to America this morning:
Jeniffer's Dress Was Pretty Stretchy
Where Full Moon Party Rages
Deadliest Catch Star In Hot Water
Man Caught Applying Makeup on TV
Man 72 Claims to be Shortest in World
Guess the TV Star in Hot Pink Bikini
Kelly Ripa Flaunts Figure in String Bikini
Fox New Host Reveals Surprising Morning Ritual
Colbert Honors Mother in Show's Return
Kate Middleton Sports New Dress, Old Shoes
Biggest Loser Reveals Off Camera Secret
Happy 24th Birthdar Rhianna
What "Fraiser" Star's Home is Hiding
Dog and Kitten are Adorable Pals
Highest paid Pro Athletes of All Time
The list above accounted for 95% of the home page screen real estate, and it was what AOL thought was vital and important this morning. Buried amid all these image laden article links was one single newsworthy story about the Supreme Court deliberation on Affirmative Action, and one on Romney's fundraising problem. All things considered, AOL's appreciation of reality is roughly equivalent to one of those rag newspapers like the Enquirer that fabricates odd stories for the local supermarket checkout aisles. Add to this the ubiquitous insult of the goofy girl in the stark blue ads for Progressive Insurance Company--insurance I would never, ever consider buying simply because of the stupidity an endless offensive drudgery of this ad campaign, and here you have a perfect montage of our ridiculous sludge like culture. My guess is that you can find much the same on other major portals like Yahoo, etc.
What is it about our media that consistently elevates this trivial, celebrity based "news" as important? I suspect the answer is that people click on these things--that this is what people want. Yet in visiting AOL this morning one had little choice. It was either click on the nonsense, or leave. I hung around just long enough to write this post, and then made a graceful exit, banishing AOL to the dustbin of irrelevant drivel.
Jeniffer's Dress Was Pretty Stretchy
Where Full Moon Party Rages
Deadliest Catch Star In Hot Water
Man Caught Applying Makeup on TV
Man 72 Claims to be Shortest in World
Guess the TV Star in Hot Pink Bikini
Kelly Ripa Flaunts Figure in String Bikini
Fox New Host Reveals Surprising Morning Ritual
Colbert Honors Mother in Show's Return
Kate Middleton Sports New Dress, Old Shoes
Biggest Loser Reveals Off Camera Secret
Happy 24th Birthdar Rhianna
What "Fraiser" Star's Home is Hiding
Dog and Kitten are Adorable Pals
Highest paid Pro Athletes of All Time
The list above accounted for 95% of the home page screen real estate, and it was what AOL thought was vital and important this morning. Buried amid all these image laden article links was one single newsworthy story about the Supreme Court deliberation on Affirmative Action, and one on Romney's fundraising problem. All things considered, AOL's appreciation of reality is roughly equivalent to one of those rag newspapers like the Enquirer that fabricates odd stories for the local supermarket checkout aisles. Add to this the ubiquitous insult of the goofy girl in the stark blue ads for Progressive Insurance Company--insurance I would never, ever consider buying simply because of the stupidity an endless offensive drudgery of this ad campaign, and here you have a perfect montage of our ridiculous sludge like culture. My guess is that you can find much the same on other major portals like Yahoo, etc.
What is it about our media that consistently elevates this trivial, celebrity based "news" as important? I suspect the answer is that people click on these things--that this is what people want. Yet in visiting AOL this morning one had little choice. It was either click on the nonsense, or leave. I hung around just long enough to write this post, and then made a graceful exit, banishing AOL to the dustbin of irrelevant drivel.
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