Satire
Spinning: Ted Kennedy’s Alternative Energy Program for Nantucket
May 31, 2006 | 
Author 
Massachusetts Senator Edward Kennedy today proposed an alternative to the massive Cape Wind renewable energy project slated for Nantucket Sound. Kennedy has been a vocal opponent of the wind farm, although it could generate up to 475 megawatts of clean energy. To keep the wind turbines from cluttering their view of the Sound, the entire Kennedy clan, along with other elite Vineyarders plan to build and operate a 24×7 spinning farm using high performance stationary bikes. Any excess power generated would be fed back into the national grid.
At a hastily convened press conference, Kennedy explained that despite being out of shape, he was ready and willing to do his part to help meet the state’s electricity needs. When a reporter queried whether the portly senator was hiding Jimmy Hoffa inside his person, Kennedy merely smiled and said that he was eagerly looking forward to “dropping a few pounds”.
Meanwhile, opponents of the Cape Wind plan danced with glee, poured gasoline on the ground and started several celebratory wildfires after learning the FAA has been issuing stop-work orders to various wind farm developers around the U.S. It seems the U.S. air force has suddenly decided that large spinning blades could allow small aircraft to elude military radar. To illustrate the problem, a Defense Department spokeswoman rapidly waved her hands back and forth in front of her face shouting “Can you see me? Can you see me? I don’t think so!” However, by this time, reporters had turned around to watch Senator Kennedy swaying and grunting atop a stationary bicycle. As he pedaled, a small red bulb began to flicker. Faster and faster he pedaled. Until sweat glistened and streamed in the folds of his face. And then the elder statesman, himself, began to glow. Like a large fiery chunk of dirty coal, he vowed to keep the lights burning in the Vineyard.
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Poll: The Daily Show Effect: Is Jon Stewart Destroying America?
The May issue of American Politics Research features a study of Jon Stewart and the Daily Show’s impact on the politcal attitudes of 18-24 year-olds. These ever-so-clever researchers got college students to sit down and watch 8 minutes of Daily Show clips and 8 minutes of CBS evening news. They tried to select clips with similar content — it was coverage leading up to the 2004 election. They rated the respondants on questions such as “I often don’t trust what news organizations are saying” (1 = strongly disagree, 2 = disagree, 3 = agree, 4 = strongly agree).” It’s an interesting study and for now you can download the PDF here.
You can read on for my own weird take on this study, but if you care about this issue at all, I hope you will voice your opinion at PenOpticon.Com by answering the poll question: Is Jon Stewart destroying America and making you more cynical?
I would not fault — and am not qualified to fault — their method or their math, but I think the authors have their own agenda — they fear honest critique of the current political system. They seem to expect all of us to have unassailable faith in the American “hard news” media and the current two-party system. Here are a few choice quotes from the East Carolina University study:
We contend that the result for young viewers is a more cynical perspective of the news media’s ability to fairly and accurately cover politics.
Yes exactly! When Stewart exposes the fact that TV media sometimes runs news segments that are paid for and produced by the U.S. government, or how one party can insinuate a phrase or talking point as fact so that it is replicated and reported by every network, then we do become a tad cynical.
Our findings suggest that exposure to The Daily Show’s brand of political humor influenced young Americans by lowering support for both presidential candidates and increasing cynicism.
Stewart is on record as saying he is not against Republicans or Democrats but that he is “against bullshit”. He calls ‘em the way they present themselves and does it in a way that “hard news” sources can’t seem to do.
Stewart’s style of humor paints the complexities of politics as a function of the absurdity and incompetence of political elites, thus leading viewers to blame any lack of understanding not on themselves but on those who run the system. In presenting politics as the theater of the absurd, Stewart seemingly simplifies it.
On the contrary, Stewart often bemoans the simplicity and lack of nuanced argument that is put forth by the Administration.
Anyhow, for me the BIG question about satire in general — and TV satire in particular — is whether it creates snarky, politically passive individuals who feel as if they have done something by consuming satire. Maybe that will be subject for a future poll. In the meantime, I hope you will cast your vote in this fun little poll: [poll=2]
Help make a difference and Save the SUVs
We had a lively conversation at work today about cars and SUVs. Several of my co-workers have bought gas-guzzling cars and SUVs in recent years and now they gripe about the high cost of driving, parking and repairs. Let’s not even talk about the post-petroleum stone age. It made me think of one of those Save the Children ads — but for SUV owners. So, here’s the ad.
Truthiness and Fairlessness
Since Stephen Colbert inspired us to think about the meaning of “truthiness”, I wanted to be the first to introduce the word “fairlessness”. You never know when a word like this may come in handy, but what does it mean? In order to be fairless, one must be fearless about being less than fair. In other words, if you would be fairless, you must blatantly call for, or enact, unfair laws, principles and polices in the name of fairness. Fairlessness abounds in our world, and when ever someone begins a sentence with “We all have to make sacifices…” or “In order to create a level playing field…”, you know that you will soon be up to your knees in fairlessness. At least now you have a name for it.
Fairless, adj: describing the quality of being fearless about being less than fair.
Is there a little Dowie in W?
Mar 25, 2006, PenOpticon News - The White House refused to confirm or deny rumors that President George W. Bush is descended from John Alexander Dowie, the controversial evangelist who stormed America with Biblical force in the latter years of the 19th century. According to Dr. Russell Newcome, Dowie was the great uncle of George Herbert Walker Bush. “Dowie founded the town of Zion, Illinois in 1901 and employed Biblical principles to perform thousands of miracles in Chicago”, Newcome told the PenOpticon. “He set up numerous Healing Homes in that city during the 1893 World’s Fair and is said to have even cured Buffalo Bill Cody’s niece. By the end of the Fair, there were sightings of Angels flying over Chicago and Dowie began to appear in public as the prophet Elijah.” Though Dowie’s ideas were radical, they may have paved the way for Bush’s faith-based agenda. [Full story at www.penopticon.com]