Laugh tracks

Two items caught my eye this morning, both evoking the same basic reaction: No, that's not the way it happened.

First is Susie:

Why are the people who encouraged or committed war crimes more trustworthy sources for the media than the people who opposed them?

The second was TBTM Julie's diary on GOS, discussing Bible Spice's appearance earlier this week on The Tonight Show. Both struck me as excellent examples of the subtle revisionism going on in the MSM.

WRT to Susie and the war-crime cheerleaders, it's rather simple. First, these generally are the same people who cheered on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. They long ago bought the ticket and took the ride, urging military intervention, nation-building, finding the weapons of mass destruction and "an eye for an eye." The MSM, of course, bought into all this because war coverage sells stuff (and if there's anything the MSM is about, it's selling stuff).

So, even though most of the reasons for invading Iraq (at least, if not Afghanistan) have been proven, at best, "misleading," and since the MSM is never wrong, the same people who got us into this mess are the same people doubling down and cheerleading war crimes. In for a penny, and all that. And, of course, since more stuff needs to be sold, the same people who brought us Iraq and torture keep getting invited back to justify their advocacy. Yes, it's a self-replicating dynamic. Get used to it.

The dynamic at work with Bible Spice is a bit different, I think, but similar. First, I didn't watch her appearance, but I did listen to it as I went to sleep. I believe either Countdown or TRMS ran the tape while I drifted off. I could hear her schtick, but wasn't watching the video. At the time, the laughter struck me as a) ill-timed (it seemed to erupt before she finished her "jokes"), b) seemed consistent (i.e., the same amount of laughter, same timing, same duration, regardless of the "joke") and c) seemed a bit much for a normal Tonight Show audience, which in my experience haven't been the sort to enjoy Bible Spice. Now, with TBTM Julie's diary, I realize what happened.

See, the MSM needs its horse-race. Bible Spice, if nothing else, evokes strong emotions in everyone. Which is tailor-made for the MSM. They'd love it if she was the Rethuglican nominee in '12, since the public's visceral reaction to her would have people riveted.

These days, you can't even believe a laugh track.

DCr