"I think I was trying to suggest something about the duality of man, sir ... the Jungian thing, sir."
Private Joker, Full Metal Jacket
Saturday, May 05, 2007
Now you see it, now you don't
I've got to hand it to Jerrel Jones. He found a way to appear to act responsibly while telling the rest of us to go screw ourselves in one fell swoop. It's as if CBS replaced Imus with Michael Richards. You've got to admire the work.
Seriously, why is there a sense that mass media should be exempt from market forces. Shouldn't the response to debased, profane, offensive, or insulting content be consumer reaction?
Don't get me wrong, this leads to totally unsatisfying results because, frankly, sensational, debased, raunchy, offensive content has a huge market. But isn't the only meaningful response would be attempts to develop competing content and/or attempting to persuade the marketplace that the crap it usually buys isn't all its cracked up to be?
With respect to McGee's sick comments, isn't the real question why there appears to be a serious market for what he spews? Jerrel Jones is a businessman, a clever one at that. if his audience did not want to hear the McGee's, Jones would offer something else.
But the fact is that the McGees have a substantial audience. And, Jones knows full well that it (and his stations' audience) does not live in Brookfield or Mequon or the East Side.
And, of course this whole response to McGee's comments will, especially when Jr. takes over, make the show and the McGees more popular with the folks they are interested in reaching.
It seems that the interesting question is why this is.
Its the beauty of the free market, baby.
ReplyDeleteFor once, I actually agree with Anon. Now if that sentiment extended to taxes or freedom of choice, we'd be making progress.
ReplyDeleteHell - if the idea of free markets were allowed to apply to free markets these days, we'd all be happy.
ReplyDeleteListen to the Jackson Two as much as you want.
The only way this has anything to do with free markets is if WNOV thought Jr. would get better ratings than Sr.
ReplyDeleteWhen does Sr. start his NPR show?
Seriously, why is there a sense that mass media should be exempt from market forces. Shouldn't the response to debased, profane, offensive, or insulting content be consumer reaction?
ReplyDeleteDon't get me wrong, this leads to totally unsatisfying results because, frankly, sensational, debased, raunchy, offensive content has a huge market. But isn't the only meaningful response would be attempts to develop competing content and/or attempting to persuade the marketplace that the crap it usually buys isn't all its cracked up to be?
With respect to McGee's sick comments, isn't the real question why there appears to be a serious market for what he spews? Jerrel Jones is a businessman, a clever one at that. if his audience did not want to hear the McGee's, Jones would offer something else.
But the fact is that the McGees have a substantial audience. And, Jones knows full well that it (and his stations' audience) does not live in Brookfield or Mequon or the East Side.
And, of course this whole response to McGee's comments will, especially when Jr. takes over, make the show and the McGees more popular with the folks they are interested in reaching.
It seems that the interesting question is why this is.
I think we all know the reason.
ReplyDelete