John 8:32: “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” This was going to be my next GQ AnarchyDiaries Blog, but I decided that it be best if I didn’t run it through theirsite and kept it free of the show.
I love what I do and I work very hard todeliver a good product. I get tremendoussatisfaction every time I complete an episode. But beyond the creative and financial reward, I also look at my job asservice. SOA employs hundred of peopleand we entertain millions. That’s thereal payday for me. In it’s that vein ofservice that I deliver this blog. Whatfollows is a controlled diatribe about an issue that’s been chewing away at mefor years now. And I know my half-brightassertions will hardly have an impact, but it’s something Ineed to unload.
Just a warning, if you're a grizzly mom who loves Sons of Anarchy, you may wanna have a cocktail before you read on.
My angst was triggered recently when I heard an NPR show discussing the dangers of spinand fact fabrication. They quoted a recentsurvey that showed over 60% of Republicans still believe Barack Obama isn’t aUS citizen and that some 40% think Bill Clinton was responsible for 911. I listened as both left and rightcommentators discussed the fallout of our current state of misinformation. I dwelled on this for the remainder of mytraffic-snarled, 405 clusterfuck commute. It really struck a personal chord in me.
Asyou all know, I’m constantly berating cuntbloggers for wrapping a story in manipulated,singular stands of truth. It’s all aboutthe headline and the site hits. Journalismand truth are no longer goals or guidelines. For me, the impact is a biased reputation: I’m perceived as an arrogant,defiant, hotheaded, foul-mouthed hater. Now, I’m not saying that I don’t possess those qualities, surely Ido. But if the lazy cunts perpetuatingthat image actually read the lion-share of my social media -- tweets, blogs,vids, interviews, etc. -- they’d see that I’m actually a few shades lighter anddare I say, maybe a bit more complex.
NowI know my little social media freakshow is minutia compared to the bigger issuethat my title suggests. But I lead withit as context. Because a much larger,more dangerous version of this is happening in this country. We have a major political party that is slowlyretarding because of the onslaught of misinformation. The stutter-step has nothing to do with intelligence;surveys suggest conservatives are better educated and have a higher IQ thanliberals. Republicans are falling behindbecause they are starving for truth. Wisdomfeeds on empirical data; facts propel us into the next right action. But regrettably, the most prominent source ofnews for Republicans no longer recognizes truth. Whatsoever.
Irespect journalists tremendously and I know Fox News probably employs somebrilliant men and women. But not unlikethe cuntbloggers that beleaguer me, Fox New’s agenda has clearly become moreimportant than the truth. Opinions are good-- right, left, center, we all have them and passionate points of view fueldiscussion that moves issues forward. But that discussion only works if opinions are based on truth. There can be nothing subjective about empiricaldata. Truth is truth.
Overtime, Fox New has adopted a philosophy that only uses empirical data when itsupports their agenda. If it doesn’t, thetruth is either manipulated, ignored, or blatantly turned inside out to representsomething it’s not. And yet the resultof this shell game continues to bring viewers to the channel. Why? The same reason the choir fills up to hear their favorite preacher. It gives them comfort to think that what theybelieve is always right. It’s easier, it’s highly consumable and at theend of a hard day’s work, it doesn’t require the energy of examination.
Unfortunately,I believe this fast-food unformation is already backfiring on the RepublicanParty. The adage “the truth will set youfree” is not only a biblical lesson; it’s the core need of our human nature. We need truth to evolve. It’s the basic building block in all ourrelationships -- with God, spouses, children, friends, employers, everyone. Without honesty we die inside. We can exist in nontruth, but we cannot grow. Now that might sound like ethereal, psychobabblebullshit, but it’s not. It’s prettyfucking simple. Lies kill us.
FYI: That’s what Sons of Anarchy is all about.
FoxNews is not only preaching to the lowest common denominator, they are in fact, creatingit. And the peers of itsviewers, who chose to get their news from other sources, are passing them by asthey slide backwards in comforting ignorance.
NowI know every news source has an agenda. MSNBC and CNN are seen as liberal media. And I guess that’s true, they do lean left. But there is nothing wrong with a slant --liberal or conservative -- as long as you’re leaning on fact. MSNBC and CNN don’t twist empirical data theway Fox News does. They, at leastpresently, still lead with truth before they lay their sway.
I’mpretty certain that Republicans didn’t ask for Fox News. But they have obviously embraced andsupported it’s point-of-view. So now, thetwo are intrinsically tied. Hannity, O’Reillyand their ilk are seen as the media extensions of the RNC. And although we are now seeing a portion ofthe conservative base try to distance themselves from this nearly-absurd bias,the damage is already done. And getting therising tide of the rhetorical buzzfest to recede will be a hard-pressedtask. Obama’s re-election in 2012 willbegin to paint a very clear picture of this. The president will win significantly because any potential voters who are on the fence -- the ones that determine victories -- will fall into his camp. Why? Because no one believes the Republican message.
Irealize this is potentially a damaging blog post for me. I work for Fox and I know a large percentageof my SOA audience are middle-America conservatives who watch Fox News. They get very upset when “tattooed TV boy”goes political. But I take the risk becauseI’m truly worried for these people, who do indeed represent the core of ourcountry. I respect their opinions andtheir philosophical beliefs. I just wantthem to be treated fairly. I’m tired ofthem being lied to night after night, issue after issue. The breaking point is near and it's gonna be fucking messy.
Yes,you can dismiss me as a rich, manipulative, loud-mouthed Hollywood elitist. But the truth is, there’s a much louder, muchricher, much more manipulative Hollywood elitist you should be dismissing. And you’re watching the “fair & balanced”broadcast at five and eleven every night.
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