Ex-Watergate writer laments 'idiot culture'

[teach1st]

http://www.sptimes.com/2004/03/19/Tampabay/Ex_Watergate_writer_l.shtml

St. Petersburg Times, 3/19/04

TAMPA - Legendary reporter Carl Bernstein riffed Thursday night about President Bush, the Martha Stewart trial, the war in Iraq and his affection for Florida.

But mostly he talked about an epidemic that troubles him deeply these days. He calls it "the triumph of idiot culture."

Speaking to a crowd of about 200 at the Wyndham Westshore, he placed most of the blame on modern media outlets.

Bernstein, the former Washington Post journalist who, along with fellow reporter Bob Woodward, unearthed the Watergate scandal that led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon, said much of today's news has deteriorated into gossip, sensationalism and manufactured controversy.

More

Mr. Bernstein calls Bush "the most radical president of my lifetime and perhaps in the century."

[Quetzal]

1. It is great that people in the media are speaking out about

its problems.

[Maccagirl]

2. His old buddy "Woody" is part of that culture.

I wonder if Bernstein has brought that up in any of their conversations?

[The Zanti Regent]

9. Yes, seems Woody fits right in with the rest of the Nazi Propagandists

Goebbels never had it this good!

[Jacobin]

17. Woody sold out like a $20 whore

[tkmorris]

3. Speaking of idiot culuture......

Mr. Bernstein says that Bush may be "the most radical president of my lifetime and perhaps in the century."

Umm. Since he is the ONLY president so far of this century I'd say that yeah, he's probably the most radical. So far. It seems really strange to speak of an idiot culture and then prove that you are a card-carrying member of same. Dork.

[leftchick]

4. He is so right about this...

<today's news has deteriorated into gossip, sensationalism and manufactured controversy.>

To watch our crap on tv and then see real news in Europe this past year was astounding to me. I can only imagine what the average foreigner thinks when they tune in to cnn/msrnc or faux. Very embarassing....

[smartass]

5. Who was "Deep throat?"

[kcwayne]

6. Linda Lovelace

[hang a left]

11. From the article

Try as he might, Bernstein could not escape the ghosts of Watergate, even for one night. A man stood during the post-speech question-and-answer session and asked if Deep Throat, the anonymous source used by Woodward and Bernstein, was a real person.

Bernstein smiled and broke into an impression of Nixon, grumbling to an assistant and wondering himself about Deep Throat's identity.

"It is one person," Bernstein said, finally. "We did not make it up."

And when Deep Throat dies, he said, "We will reveal him."




I wonder if he is telling the truth.

[soleft]

7. Glad to hear at least one of them didn't go to the dark side

[Mari333]

8. any pounding criticism of the media in the USA

wont be covered much by the news media in the USA.

[Cooley Hurd]

10. That's why we have you...

Congratulations on all the media exposure, Mari! :thumbsup: :hi:

[Mari333]

12. KIRO will broadcast the interview on Sat March 20th

I had never heard of KIRO but oh well..I called Bush a traitor and called his whole administration traitors on the interview and said they should all get on their hands and knees and beg the world for forgiveness, beg every military family for forgiveness, and beg the UN to take over Iraq ...and then he should resign in shame..
Gads the interview was 45 minutes long.
Pisses me off to no end this whole damned thing. Everyday. and the administration keeps on lying, so I also called them arrogant bastards. (also mentioned Office of Special Plans and PNAC)..told other military families to do their homework on this "war".

[PATRICK]

13. If Jimmy Carter can be blamed

for "The Dukes of Hazard" just imagine how low one can sink under *.

Wait, we don't have to imagine it.

[Barrett808]

14. Not "radical" - "reactionary"

Just to keep the political jargon straight.

[JohnOneillsMemory]

15. A long-term ANTI-TELEVISION front in the culture war needs to open up.

TV and automobile cultures are the most lobotomizing influences on our country.

I know this sounds like cliched 60s Marshall Macluhan truisms but the consequences of people sitting around having shit shovelled into their brains for hours a day is killing the planet.

Outright scorn for TV watching and programming would help begin to break the propaganda loops that are marching the lemmings off the cliff.

Imagine people not watching TV and its nonstop lies. Amazing...

Fuck Republican corporateers. WIN THE WAR AGAINST TV.

[TinaTyson]

16. And it isn't that hard.

Turning off my set 10 years ago was the best thing I ever did.

It is amazing how you look at television, when you see it somewhere, after not watching for years. Modern TV and the news that is on it is simply laughable in terms of redeeming social value and quality , balanced information.

But it is a tough sell. A lot of people are quite addicted to it. Many are convinced that the TV and the people that run it are their friends.

I usually just remind them that TV networks are huge corporations, with many interest that are heavily influenced by domestic and foreign policy. Their job is not to inform you. It is not even to give good programming. Their job is simply to provide their product (people , audiences) to other huge corporations. If there is ever a conflict between the truth or the interests of average people and their interests or the interests of the people that pay the bills (other corporations), the interests of the people will take a back seat every time, and has more times than can be counted.

[trogdor]

18. How about anti-BAD-television?

I like TV. A lot. It used to be a lot better 20-30-40 years ago. Heck, even the worst episode of Seinfeld is better than at least 90% of the crap they put on the air today.

I'm not about to give up on TV just yet, as long as I can still afford HBO. The rest of premium cable can kiss my ass, but HBO is worth the extra money, IMO. In addition, I watch a lot of stuff on Turner Classic Movies and TV Land (those were the days).

Most of SpikeTV is pretty stupid, but as long as they continue to show Star Trek TNG, I'll continue to watch.

After scanning CNN Headline News most mornings, I'll switch to CSPAN's Washington Journal, which usually promotes brain-cell growth. I especially appreciate the fact that the host often calls freepers on their obvious bullshit. It's almost as much fun watching freepers getting hosed on Washington Journal as getting my weekly fix of Bill Maher.

In short, chucking your TV is throwing the baby out with the bathwater.