7:30 A.M. After dragging my tired butt out of bed and staring at my feet for 30 minutes in an effort to find the energy to put socks then shoes on, while nursing a cup of hot java, I finally stumble through the door at work where once again my coworkers hear my first attempt at communication. “Aaarrgg” to which I usually receive a reply of “what’s new” or even occasionally some even more perceptive communication. Struggling to “boot-up” I slowly begin to process some level of thought. I rewind through the previous evening in an attempt to recall something of relevance usually finding myself drawing from the most common ground, television. Whether I begin with the giant pigs on Monster Quest or the huge storm on Ax Men it seems like I can count on eventually the topic coming down to the latest “Happy Cow” commercial.
Why Happy Cows and not the DNC commercial “10”, well, on the one hand, I have seen it and so have about everyone else, it is humorous and yet doesn’t manage to offend my sensibility. On the other hand, I would never have seen the “10” commercial if it wasn’t employed in the Political Science class.
Why can’t campaign commercials be more like Real California Cheese commercials? Is it a lack of funds, a lack of issues, or even a lack of creativity? None of these, but a lack of integrity, lack of respect for the citizenry and a lack of oversight and governance of law. As to oversight, who do we have that can bring these characteristics into the media? We can’t call upon the FCC to regulate the commercials because even as an arm of the government and empowered by Congress in the Communications Act of 1934 to oversee the interstate and international communications of radio, TV, satellite and cable. (About the Federal Communications Commission) It is my belief that the special interest of the huge corporations which own the broadcast industry are in an unholy alliance with the two party political system and that they find it in both of their best interest to exclude the voice of opposition from finding its way to the ears of the masses. These masses, which are as previously stated condescended upon and disrespected by the media and the politicians, are excluded from opinions which are not blessed by the eminent and infallible dogma of the this media alliance.
This lack of respect may prove to be the Achilles’ heel of both the media’s exclusive grip on campaigns and the two party government’s lack of representation of the diverse public opinion. I am not alone in making a break from the onslaught of the media campaign blitz. I can say that it has been maybe 16 or 20 years since a campaign ad has gained the advantage of being discussed over a cup of coffee at my work. I think they have become almost entirely irrelevant and of non-effect. Completely without the advantages that Happy Cows have captured lock, stock, and barrel. The politicians and the media are in the dark and have not even taken into account the possibility that we are not vegetables which require there constant spoon feeding of Pablum in order to vote for either of the candidates afforded us by our gracious two party system. I anticipate the day when all of the politicians will pull what may become known as the “Hillary”, where they dump millions of dollars into campaigning with the confidence that they are blessed by the powers that elect, (welcome to the dark side) only to lose to a contender who has capitalized on the internet and captured the American dream without the help of the Dark Lord of corporate media.
I think that the corporate media in their infinite wisdom is misinterpreting this countries distraction with sensationalism with its ability to separate fact from fiction. They bring us Celebrity Rehab and then turn out political sensationalism and think that the American public will all just pile into bed with them. What the media and the politicians lack in integrity may become totally countered by a grass roots trend to follow open source information available through other venues. I think that there is room for truth in the public forum and that with truth comes freedom. Freedom with information will enable us to vote with confidence. As a wise man once said “the truth shall set you free”.
Works Cited
"About the Federal Communications Commission." Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Home Page. 28 April 2008. Federal Communications Commission. 6 Jul 2008
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