Brian, Jon And Journalism Today (February 16, 2015)

. . .

J1          “If you want to educate, you must entertain first.”

J2          “One of my most inspired, inspiring and insightful professors was a stand-up comedian who transitioned to entertaining and educating students.  Everyone wanted to come to class.”

. . .

J1          “If a person who styles himself an entertainer provides 27.4 seconds of insight and another person who lists ‘evening broadcast anchor’ on his (or perhaps her) tax return provides 8.3 seconds of insight, who provides more seconds of insight?”

J2          “The grand irony is that the ‘serious broadcasters’ are the comedians and the comedians are the serious commentators.”

. . .

J2          “So he later embellished his earlier exploits while embedded/‘inbedded’ with the troops who were embroiled in the actual belli. A misdemeanor.  He acted without the proper demeanor.  Not good form.”

J1          “Superficiality is the essence of integrity today.  The corporate broadcasters punish him for boasting but not for failing to provide 27.4 seconds of insight.  Image and perception are reality.”

J2          “That is the crime, the felony, grand theft ideas.”

. . .

J2          “Poetry, in addition to humor, must be injected into the discourse.  People love the unconscious symmetry, insight and joy of poetry, yet they will recoil and run if they see it coming.”

J1          “Humorous haiku.  That would allow a commentator to transmit 27.4 seconds of insight quickly.  But poets are only in it for the money.  Journalists are in it for the pursuit of truth.”

J2          “And the discernment of beauty.”

. . .

Bumper stickers of the week:

“Believe nothing you hear, and only one half that you see.”  Edgar A. Poe.  “and listen for what you don’t hear and look for what you don’t see.”

“The illusion of freedom [in America] will continue as long as it’s profitable to continue the illusion.  At the point where the illusion becomes too expensive to maintain, they will just take down the scenery, they will pull back the curtains, they will move the tables and chairs out of the way and you will see the brick wall at the back of the theater.”  Frank Zappa

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