Stupid News Is Stupid

[filkertom]

I'm not even gonna bother with the links on this one -- it's just an eye-roller, and it shows the need for our alleged news media to create tension where there is none, even in situations that do not warrant tension.

See, if you go to Yahoo's main page, #1 in "Trending" is Sara Ramirez, who is going to sing on this week's episode of Grey's Anatomy. For some reason I simply cannot fathom -- it isn't in the story or anything -- the lead-in blurb to KABC-TV story from the Trending page ends, "Can she pull it off?"

The story itself notes that she won the frickin' Tony in 2005 for Best Featured Actress in a Musical (as The Lady of the Lake in Spamalot!).

"Can she pull it off?" < /disgusted, insulted snark, exactly the same tone that Bugs Bunny used when he jerked his thumb at Elmer and said, "Magic helmet." >

Why do they do this? Why do they say this? If they need to gin it up, they can say, "Sara hasn't sung much since her Tony-winning turn in 2005...." What asshole copy editor thought it necessary to even contemplate making it a possibility that she wouldn't sound marvelous?

And, yes, I know it's the entertainment news, which is even more shallow in some ways than the political news. But jayzus. It's like with Dan Radcliffe. He's doing How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying on Broadway soon, and all we've got so far is pictures of Harry Potter Singing! Either he's a complete flop as a singer and dancer, or (more likely) they think the surprise that he isn't a complete flop will be I*N*C*R*E*D*I*B*L*E! No matter how good he is, all they're really doing is setting him up for a variation on, "It's not that the bear dances well, it's that it dances at all."

Anyway. Sorry. Just had to go off for a minute. Carry on. How's your day?

Comments

[bald-ruminant.livejournal.com]

I just found out I've got Monday-Wednesday of next week off (paid!), so I'd say it's been pretty good so far!

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

Danny Radcliffe has already succeeded on stage (Equus); no reason to believe he's gonna flop here...

Database went splat at 0530 this morning. It's still not back up. OTOH, the emergency backup box I spent a couple weeks bashing into shape? Is taking up the slack all by its widdle self, 95% idle. ("little" being relative... it's a 12-core Intel box with hyperthreading :) AND I replicated and fixed a problem I had on another site yesterday, since, not being a DBA, I had little to do....

And the boss sprung for barbecue for the team...

So despite the fit hitting the shan? I'm doing pretty darn fine. Which is kinda par for the course...

[sdelmonte]

FYI, How To Succeed...opened to mixed reviews, though I think mainly because everyone is utterly wowed by The Book of Mormon and a revival from the 60s looks like a revival from the 60s.

Glad LJ is sorta back. DDOS attacks stink.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Ah, hadn't heard. And, yeah, Book of Mormon is in its own way another "It's not the bear dances..." thing, even though Parker and Stone proved long ago (between Cannibal: The Musical and the South Park movie) that they definitely know their stuff.

[shsilver.livejournal.com]

How to Succeed has already opened. Susan Shwartz saw it this past weekend and said wonderful things about it.

My favorite comment about it was from a NY DJ who asked: They have a poisonous snake missing from the Bronx Zoo and Daniel Radcliffe is performing on Broadway. Why haven't they brought him in for questioning yet?

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

ROFL!

[annearchy.livejournal.com]

I'm pleased that Daniel Radcliffe is busily working to make sure he's not remembered ONLY as Harry Potter:)

And the Sara Ramirez thing? So ridiculous, but maybe most TV critics and Grey's fans don't pay attention to the Tony Awards?

[kilbia.livejournal.com]

Much more functional today after taking off yesterday to hibernate.

Been spending waaaaay too much time listening to Tim Minchin, with the occasional chaser of Amanda Palmer's "Map of Tasmania". None of which is easy to classify as safe for the average workspace. I only get away with it because I can wear headphones.

[redaxe.livejournal.com]

On the stupid entertainment is stupid front, I work just this side of Broadway, one block from Times Square. I often eat a couple of blocks away, and walk to the office up one of the several blocks filled with Broadway theaters, one of which is the theater in which Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark is previewing. As you know, Bob, that show is working hard to be the most expensive flop ever (and hooccouldanode, with one-note music by Bono?) and a world record holder for most actors and actresses hurt in the line of duty.

On the other hand, there's almost always a "Spider-Man" in Times Square itself, apparently promoting the show, being photographed with people, etc.

So far, I've been good and NOT asked "Spidey" whether he's Peter Parker or Ben Reilly; whether he knew where in Times Square his buddy Electro was hiding because SOMEONE had to be powering all those lights; if he'd still save Mary Jane Watson now that the Queensboro Bridge has been renamed for former Mayor Ed Koch (I'm shocked that I still haven't heard a traffic reporter asked "how's it doing" yet), etc.

Soon, though. Self-control only lasts so long :-)

[caraig.livejournal.com]

and a world record holder for most actors and actresses hurt in the line of duty.

Really? More than Macbeth? I mean, more than an average production of Macbeth?

[redaxe.livejournal.com]

More than any single production, though possibly not in cumulative history. Have you been watching the body count?

[caraig.livejournal.com]

I'm afraid I haven't. Last I heard, though, there were four of them as of December. That's quite a lot! O_O

[inamac.livejournal.com]

The body count on 'Starlight Express' (or at least the London run) was impressively high.

Well, not many actors can act and rollerskate.

[jannyblue.livejournal.com]

I got to do some hands-on experiments in fluid dynamics at work today.

Translation: I got ambitious with my turn to clean the office fridge, and decided to de-frost the 3 INCHES of solid ice that had accumulated on the freezer compartment.

Eye-rolling News

[hvideo.livejournal.com]

"...it's just an eye-roller, and it shows the need for our alleged news media to create tension where there is none, even in situations that do not warrant tension."

It's not just Entertainment Hype. A few days ago the NBC Nightly News started off with their anchor saying "If you can believe it, radiation from the Fukushima plants has been detected in America."

Anyone who knew ANYTHING about this would have known this was inevitable, it was at the expected time and amounts, and that those tiny amounts were totally harmless. Yet they made it their lead story and introduced it with "If you can believe it".

Re: Eye-rolling News

[annearchy.livejournal.com]

Apparently some people do not know that Air Travels. < /science lesson>

[caraig.livejournal.com]

Dan Radcliffe sang Tom Leher's The Elements. From memory. At the original tempo, I think. I'm pretty sure he can pull off Broadway. =)

[laurel-potter.livejournal.com]

I have a couple of friends who have seen it and says he does really well.