As Campaign Mounts To "Turn Off Fox," I Begin To Miss Eating Pizza with Megyn Kelly on my Lunch Break
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As I swallowed my daily afternoon Fox News broadcast along with two slices from my go-to
pizza joint, I got to thinking about the Color of Change-sponsored
Turn Off Fox campaign, which is rallying liberals (and other thinking folks
who oppose hack journalism) to help “reduce Fox's ability to poison
our political conversations and divide our country.” Their tactic:
ask small business owners to change the station.
Don't get your latte in a
bubble over freedom-of-expression issues. Nobody's demanding that
restaurants turn off Hannity; they're just organizing to approach and
punish businesses for being unenlightened. With that said – I'm a
bit concerned for activists in less-than-blue states. Somehow I don't
think this pitch (found here under “instructions”) stands a
chance at many truck stops, or at the Tank-n-Tummy off I-95 in South
Carolina:
Ask to speak with the
manager or the person who seems to have authority over the TV (or
TVs).
Introduce yourself and
explain your purpose: Hi, I’m [your name]. I’ve noticed that Fox
News Channel is often playing on the television(s) you have. We
believe that network is doing a disservice to the public because its
anchors and guests consistently distort the truth, incite distrust
around race and divide our country. We’re asking businesses in this
area that have TVs to not play Fox. What do you think? Are you
willing to turn off Fox?
If the person says
‘no’ or that they’re unsure, ask whether they would be
compelled if you and others organized lots of people in the community
to patronize their business if they turned off Fox News.
While I have tremendous
respect for Color of Change – and completely understand why they
smack Fox as much as possible – I question the prudence of sending
people on these suicide missions. For what? If someone is numb enough
to be persuaded by a Fox News report – whether they know what
they're watching, or not – then they either don't vote, or they
vote Republican/Tea Party anyway. Plus – it's hard to deny that
this offensive gives conservative babies more reasons to cry.
Maybe I'm just an anomalous semi-conscious hornball who on one hand enjoys the diligent
vetting done by Media Matters, and on the other likes to ogle Megyn
Kelly on my lunch break. (It's not just that she's an incredibly hot
bimbo; it's the way she smirks when she says, “Bad news for
President Obama...”) Also; without my daily shot of Fox, how
would I know that the government wants the password to my BlackBerry,
and that the UN either is (or isn't) communicating with extraterrestrials?
Of course I find Fox
reprehensible. But I also find it entertaining. What with their
fabricated stories, porn star reporters, and hyper-religious
deference, it's kind of like CMT, the Spice Network, and Comedy
Central wrapped up in a urine-soaked copy of the Weekly World News. And
I can't live without it! Still, if you want to make a difference, and
risk your life in the process, then by all means blackmail your local
small business owner into pulling the plug. Just leave my pizzeria
out of it.