I usually watch the Today show while I get ready for work. I don’t care too much for any of the morning news shows, but I want to know if there are any traffic or weather issues, and of course if there are any important headlines that have cropped up overnight.
On Thursday, there was a lot of talk about the tiger that escaped from its enclosure in the San Francisco zoo, killing one young man and mauling two others. And as usual, the fact that it had only just happened did not stop the newscasters from probing for information that did not yet exist, in order to draw dramatic conclusions that make no sense.
An interview with a zoo official:
How did the tiger escape?
We don’t know yet.
Did someone let it out on purpose?
We don’t know yet.
Were the boys taunting the tiger?
Could be. When they wake up we’ll ask them.
How is the family of the dead boy?
They’re upset.
Is it safe to go to the zoo?
Sure. Or no. Is it safe to get out of bed in the morning?
(OK, that last is just my answer to the perennial stupid question of “is it safe to…”.)
Finally, this enlightening interview is ended, and we switch back to one of the other anchor people who says, “In other news, Benazir Bhutto has been assassinated at a political rally in Pakistan.”
Me: What!? When?! That is a disturbing development! Tell me more!
Anchorperson: And now, back to Ann with an interview from some zoo inspector who also doesn’t know anything yet about the tiger escape, except that millions of people go to the zoo every year and are not mauled by tigers.
It’s the last straw. I’m not watching the Today show anymore. I take a toll road to work — there’s no traffic. I live in Southern California — the weather almost never actually impinges on my plans for the day. And I just don’t need the aggravation.
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A few words about the lady.
I first saw Benazir Bhutto on TV, probably 20 years ago or so. The interview caught my attention mostly because she was such an extraordinarily beautiful woman. It’s just something you don’t see that often among politicians of world-wide stature. She was passionate, but still soft-spoken and clear-headed. I didn’t know much about her, or about Pakistan, but she really impressed me.
She was, by all accounts, an ineffective and disappointing prime minister. She may have been corrupt, although I suspect the standards of corruption are not the same in Pakistan as they are here. But she was still a remarkable person. Despite having been drummed out of office and the country, more than once, she remained a force to be reckoned with. She inspired people to hope and to work for democracy. She was the first (if not the only) woman to lead a Muslim nation. She clearly cared more for the things she believed in than she cared for her own safety. I’m still impressed by her, and I’m sad that the world, and Pakistan in particular, has lost her inspirational presence.
It’s a volatile country, where the majority of people are desperately poor, where governments are changed by force more often than voting, where being prime minister seems to be a job with a death sentence. Radical Muslims are increasing in influence, and the country has nuclear weapons. More people have died there just this week in riots than have probably ever died in zoos in all the history of zoodom. When you pray or meditate or cross your fingers or whatever you do — let’s keep Pakistan on the list. Its future will likely affect us all.
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December 30, 2007 at 6:02 am
Tom Twaiten
Julie: I agree with your reaction to the tiger story. Even worse, from my point of view, is the coverage given to car chases. Unfortunately, news has evolved from a source of information to a source of entertainment. At least on television.
You’re right about Bhutto. She was a remarkable person. It seems crass to talk about the political impact of her death so soon, but with a country like Pakistan, it’s unavoidable. When you think about it, it’s scary.
So let’s not think about it. What’s the latest on that tiger?
December 31, 2007 at 9:51 pm
Shane
I refuse to watch any news on Television, this includes both CNN and FNS on cable… I don’t really pay attention to the weather unless someone says it’s going to rain coming soon and I’ll watch that with anticipation because I love the rain… but it sure isn’t going to stop me from doing whatever I was doing that day… unless I was going to get a tan or something. Which never happens.
I don’t really know much about Bhutto… I try not to know much about politicians any more, I just get depressed even if they’re “on my side”. But I applauded her courage to stick it to the matriarcal society over there. Sadly, this assassination came as no surprise to me. We’re barely ready for it, I’d say they have a few more years to go….
January 1, 2008 at 1:58 am
celera
I don’t know, Tom, there is a dead tiger and a dead teenager, I don’t want to think about that either. What’s the news on Britney Spears? I hear she’s been accused of feeding her kids coffee and cigarettes for breakfast!
Shane, you are probably right. Naturally, I think of Fox News as the evil channel, CNN is only barely useful. I think I’m just sort of used to having some background noise to focus on while I’m getting ready for work. Besides, a little outrage is almost as good as a cup of coffee!
Her death is not a surprise, sadly. Even less so if you peruse the recent history of Pakistan. I hope they soon learn to just make jackasses of themselves instead of shooting each other, like we do here.