Prometheus 6

Do not make the mistake of thinking that because my conclusion is the same as another person's that my reasoning is the same

A Good Cause or Two

Click for more info

The Best of P6

The Racism Series The Reparations Series Installing a negro in your head Identity Blogging Where We Stand The LimbaughDiscussion That has Nothing To Do With Limbaugh

Updated when I write something really cool

Local Links

The Attack on Civil Rights Corporate Influence on Government The Development of Race Basic Laws of Human Stupidity Blogger Archives

EMAIL ME AT

Archives

May 23, 2004 - May 29, 2004 May 16, 2004 - May 22, 2004 May 09, 2004 - May 15, 2004 May 02, 2004 - May 08, 2004 April 25, 2004 - May 01, 2004 April 18, 2004 - April 24, 2004 April 11, 2004 - April 17, 2004 April 04, 2004 - April 10, 2004 March 28, 2004 - April 03, 2004 March 21, 2004 - March 27, 2004 March 14, 2004 - March 20, 2004 March 07, 2004 - March 13, 2004 February 29, 2004 - March 06, 2004 February 22, 2004 - February 28, 2004 February 15, 2004 - February 21, 2004 February 08, 2004 - February 14, 2004 February 01, 2004 - February 07, 2004 January 25, 2004 - January 31, 2004 January 18, 2004 - January 24, 2004 January 11, 2004 - January 17, 2004 January 11, 2004 - January 17, 2004 January 04, 2004 - January 10, 2004 December 28, 2003 - January 03, 2004 December 21, 2003 - December 27, 2003 December 14, 2003 - December 20, 2003 December 07, 2003 - December 13, 2003 November 30, 2003 - December 06, 2003 November 23, 2003 - November 29, 2003 November 16, 2003 - November 22, 2003 November 09, 2003 - November 15, 2003 November 02, 2003 - November 08, 2003 October 26, 2003 - November 01, 2003 October 19, 2003 - October 25, 2003 October 12, 2003 - October 18, 2003 October 05, 2003 - October 11, 2003 September 28, 2003 - October 04, 2003 September 21, 2003 - September 27, 2003 September 14, 2003 - September 20, 2003 September 07, 2003 - September 13, 2003 August 31, 2003 - September 06, 2003 August 24, 2003 - August 30, 2003 August 17, 2003 - August 23, 2003 August 10, 2003 - August 16, 2003 August 03, 2003 - August 09, 2003 July 27, 2003 - August 02, 2003 July 20, 2003 - July 26, 2003 July 13, 2003 - July 19, 2003 July 06, 2003 - July 12, 2003 June 29, 2003 - July 05, 2003 June 22, 2003 - June 28, 2003 June 15, 2003 - June 21, 2003 June 08, 2003 - June 14, 2003 June 01, 2003 - June 07, 2003 May 25, 2003 - May 31, 2003 May 18, 2003 - May 24, 2003 May 11, 2003 - May 17, 2003 May 04, 2003 - May 10, 2003 April 27, 2003 - May 03, 2003 April 20, 2003 - April 26, 2003 April 13, 2003 - April 19, 2003 April 06, 2003 - April 12, 2003

« Slow day | Main | Random thoughts on a quiet weekend »

May 22, 2004

This is news?

This is what I get for reading dead tree newspapers.

Check this, from the NY Daily News

Slay at Shaq's He's out of town, cleaning woman's killed
By CORKY SIEMASZKO
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

A housekeeper cleaning Shaquille O'Neal's palatial Houston-area home was fatally stabbed yesterday and police arrested the worker's teenage son.

The Los Angeles Lakers star was in Minnesota preparing for a playoff game against the Timberwolves when Tristan Williams, 18, allegedly plunged a steak knife into his mother.

Shaq does not live in the sprawling Sugar Land, Tex., house. His former flame, Arnetta Yardbourgh, lives there with his oldest daughter. The mom witnessed the killing.

Why is this national news? Why is it being connected to Shaq?

Shaq, 32, who was born in Newark but spent his teenage years in San Antonio, Tex., is listed in property records as the owner of the home. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Shaunie, and their three kids.
The Texas house features a semi-circular driveway, soaring ceilings, extra-large rooms, and custom bathrooms to accommodate the hulking NBA star, a neighbor said.

O'Neal, who has led the Lakers to three titles, married Shaunie last summer. Shaq and Arnetta, his high school sweetheart, were an item until 2000 but didn't live together.

Shaq's teammate, Kobe Bryant, has been battling rape charges as the Lakers make another title drive.

And what does ANY of THAT have to do with the story?

You know, when I was a kid I used to wonder how exactly the right amount of things happened to fill an even number of newsprint pages every day. Then I found out they'd pick and choose stories. Later I discovered they reran some as filler, and occasionally duplicated the filler stories in a single issue. Now I've concluded that they simply surround all the ads they sell with text. This is the biggest advantage of online news delivery. Eventually they'll figure out the filler isn't necessary anymore…at least the kind of filler in that last quote.

Posted by P6 at May 22, 2004 04:05 PM
Trackback URL: http://www.niggerati.net/mt/mt-tb.cgi/1969
Comments

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

It's about voyeurism. The media knows that nothing gets eyeballs
like reading something about the rich and famous, *anything*, no
matter how tangential it may be to the substance of the story.
Had this happened to some rich guy without Shaq's name
recognition, none but the local press would give the story the
time of day.

The sad thing about this common media trick is that it always
works, no matter how often it's played. Heck, it's working at
this very moment, or we wouldn't be aware of this story to begin
with.
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.2.4 (MingW32) - GPGshell v3.10
Comment: My Public Key is at the following URL:
Comment: http://www.alapite.net/pgp/AbiolaLapite.txt

iD8DBQFAsJGbOgWD1ZKzuwkRApc7AJ4ijzJSw2fHVIWSmBKYZdeCQY+GkQCgh+FE
PvxvOt82dwTLcsmAu49gE/o=
=Dsur
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

Posted by Abiola Lapite at May 23, 2004 07:57 AM

It's worse than voyeurism. It's vicarious…ism?

I believe people are using this crap as an replacement for real content in their own lives.

Posted by P6 at May 23, 2004 09:45 PM