Come on, country. Being shocked at dalliances of the rich and powerful is like being shocked anew every time it’s revealed that fast food ain’t all that healthy. A rich, powerful, good-looking celebrity who has never cheated—that would be news.
What’s more, the outraged public is largely hypocritical. If you don’t believe me, check the infidelity statistics of non-public figures. Or, for that matter, check how many decriers of fast food actually live on the stuff.
I don’t blame the media for escalating the Woods story, despite the war, the recession, human rights and other issues. To survive, the media must market themselves like any other profit-making enterprise. Marketing consists of delivering what the public wants. It’s not the media’s job to make us eat our vegetables.
People who express disgust at what the media purvey misplace their disgust. If the public didn’t willingly consume sensationalistic tripe, overnight the media would cease delivering it.
Steve Cuno