STOP Talking Heads
There was a time when I couldn't get enough Meet The Press, Morning Joe, Wolf Blitzer,talk radio, etc. That time ended today when I became acutely aware that nothing being discussed or debated was beneficial to anyone. No one seems interested in actual problem solving or using actual facts to spirit a proper debate. In addition, participants on these shows are typically very abusive, rude, acidic, extreme, and lacking of intelligence. Maybe I am recognizing the talking heads for what they really are and that is to be entertaining, not informative. I have been a constant, almost habitual viewer while thinking how uninformed were those who failed to watch these programs. Truth is, its the same talking heads, the same guests with the same ideas, going over and over the same topics until they have beaten the subject to death. How many times can David Gregory ask the EPA Rep what is being done about the oil spill (which is not a spill by the way)? How many times will he interrupt the answer to ask the same question so he can prove how smart he is? How addicted am I? I must be an idiot to listen to these idiots. I guess it really does take one to know one.
Today's epiphany was my wake-up call recognizing an addiction to absolutely nothing of value. I feel like saying " Hi, my name is joe and I can't think for myself, I'm a talkingheadaholic." I cannot believe that all these years I have been so blind and ignorant as to enjoy watching an interview with "important" people who talk and talk yet manage to say nothing. Perhaps this was the prelude to currently popular reality programming. I only know that now that I have had a self-intervention, I will endeavour to avoid these topical shows and do my own thinking. It won't be easy but I refuse to be a mindless, brainless, trained monkey to my media obsession.
How can we ,as a society, work together to resolve common problems yet be free to "do our own thing" without being influenced by talking heads, their political guests, and the rest of media? The mechanism is out there, somewhere. A free-thinking society sans political, religious, or organized pressures would be nirvana but I doubt that its a realistic goal. I would like to propose an idea as a start to being more resolution-driven and less confrontational.
Lets form a new political party who's mission is to forgo politics by creating coalitions of problem solvers to address major issues which confront our country. Much like the way the scientific community will research and share results, these groups would singularly look for the best solutions. The government could continue to be the government but the new party would act as "friend of the people" to offer it's considerations of major issues of the day. This is not a pie-in-the-sky proposal. Look at the Tea-Party and its influence despite its ad hoc formation as well as having no common leadership. You may not agree with the extreme of their cause but it does have an effect. AND the talking heads would have nothing to say.
So, I do hereby resolve to make better use of my time and mindpower. I will no longer watch talking heads and be subliminaly influenced by their parlay. I will think for myself and try not to be stupid. Join me in the "We Party"!
