Mainstream media focuces on censorship not reality
Jay Story
Issue date: 3/4/10 Section: OP/ED
There has been a growing disparity between reality and the broadcasted representation of reality. We are living one life among our friends, families and co-workers, but what is reflected back to us from television is supposedly a mirrored image, making us seem puritanical and immature. How did it get to this point without us noticing or caring? By the media treating us like children by sheltering us from the profane or obscene, we appear dumb and without the ability to self-censor or think independently.
The most recent example that has highlighted this deft handedness is the Winter 2010 Olympics. Firstly, there is the Canadian women's hockey team. After their victory, hours after people had left the stadium, they were photographed celebrating by smoking cigars and drinking beer, claiming they wanted a picture taken by their emblem. These pictures get out and now an investigation must be launched and apologies submitted. Apparently, they took it a step too far by enjoying themselves in public.
There's also the American snowboarding team. First there was an apology from NBC after they broadcasted a conversation between Shaun White and his coach before a victory run that contained a few "explicative" words.
Then American snowboarder, Scotty Lago, was sent home after pictures taken at a victory party surfaced on the internet. It seems to be if these guys could just keep themselves out of the media everything would be fine, right? That was Tiger Woods' problem. He was caught. His refined image portrayed by the publicists and the soporific golf coverage met face to face with his explicit reality. For an instant the veil was broken and the difference between our two worlds was brought to light.
Everyone was fascinated by something so juxtaposed to the sanitized version of the truth we are used to, we were starved for a taste of this unfiltered reality. Tiger, easing the moral outrage, made some interesting decisions next. Sex Rehab, then a childish press conference where he shared with us the lessons he learned and insight gained through sex rehabilitation and Buddhism. As rife with irrelevancy as the show was, I was still surprised when every single media outlet covered it like President Obama himself was addressing the nation.
The most recent example that has highlighted this deft handedness is the Winter 2010 Olympics. Firstly, there is the Canadian women's hockey team. After their victory, hours after people had left the stadium, they were photographed celebrating by smoking cigars and drinking beer, claiming they wanted a picture taken by their emblem. These pictures get out and now an investigation must be launched and apologies submitted. Apparently, they took it a step too far by enjoying themselves in public.
There's also the American snowboarding team. First there was an apology from NBC after they broadcasted a conversation between Shaun White and his coach before a victory run that contained a few "explicative" words.
Then American snowboarder, Scotty Lago, was sent home after pictures taken at a victory party surfaced on the internet. It seems to be if these guys could just keep themselves out of the media everything would be fine, right? That was Tiger Woods' problem. He was caught. His refined image portrayed by the publicists and the soporific golf coverage met face to face with his explicit reality. For an instant the veil was broken and the difference between our two worlds was brought to light.
Everyone was fascinated by something so juxtaposed to the sanitized version of the truth we are used to, we were starved for a taste of this unfiltered reality. Tiger, easing the moral outrage, made some interesting decisions next. Sex Rehab, then a childish press conference where he shared with us the lessons he learned and insight gained through sex rehabilitation and Buddhism. As rife with irrelevancy as the show was, I was still surprised when every single media outlet covered it like President Obama himself was addressing the nation.
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