Everybody Enjoys A Good Party, Right?

They call it "the country's backyard." Since when has tailgating become such an event? When does a pregame party become too much? The following stories about the technique of tailgating were listed as the top story on CNN.com.  It must be news then if there are reporters writing on it, for one, and it must be entertaining or interesting if it is termed as a top story, for another.  But really, is this news or just "infotainment?"  What do you think?  They are pretty interesting.  I never realized how much went into tailgating these days.  Anywhere from formals to just a plain grill and a hot dog.  Really interesting how involved they have gotten in the past years.  Also, note how dedicated some of the people featured in the stories are to tailgating and pregame parties.  I'd sure like to be an invitee.

• "'Commissioner of Tailgating' offers pregame tips"
• "Tailgating as good as the game"
  

News For All The Wrong Reasons!

Often times in the news today we will see people who get the most publicity when they do something that is horrible and uncalled for. Why do you think that is so? Why not cover stories on people who are doing amazing things for the world and are very accomplished? That is where the live between "infotainment" and news is very hazy. Here is a good example in college sports. This past week BYU played New Mexico in woman's soccer. A certain girl on the New Mexico team portrayed many instances of unsportsmanlike conduct against girls on the BYU team. In your opinion is this really credible news and do we really care? Why is it so popular?

MSNBC

YouTube

Rampage at Fort Hood

12 dead and 31 wounded from the shooting rampage of Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan. Erroneously reported to have been killed, Maj. Hasan is in custody and in stable condition. To get the info on stories of this magnitude and seriousness, mainstream news is the place to go seeing how the material is obviously too sensitive to be used simply for entertainment. ABCNews reports the story as well as MSNBC.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Sesame Street: Growing Up

Talk about a generation gap!

Sesame Street's 40th Anniversary is on November 10.  I remember watching all of my favorite Sesame Street characters dance and sing the ABC's and teach me to count.  Then what?  I asked my nieces and nephews if they watched Sesame Street...resounding no! What? How can this be? After 40 years of wonderful learning and kids today don't get to experience it.

After reading the article on CNN's website, it was shocking to realize how much has changed.  Note the sections that talk about Cookie Monster hallucinating, or even the dingy turning to "power washing."  Growing up, I never realized all the things that weren't exactly "P.C." on the show. I'm equally as stunned as the author of the article with the release of the DVD with a warning that says 
"These early 'Sesame Street' episodes are intended for grown-ups, and may not suit the needs of today's preschool child."  WHOA! These certainly are changing times.

I've been searching for other recent stories on Sesame Street, but I had to dig and find some that aren't so recent.  Not only that, I found an add for adult t-shirts sporting Sesame Street characters. Where's the kids' stuff?

Example of a t-shirt for sale

Well, from my point of view, I'm feeling a bit outdated. Case and point for this blog: "old" news vs. "new" news.  I guess I'm part of the "old" kids shows and not so hip on the new generation's entertainment.

What do you think about the changing times and shows for today's generation of kids and the learning shows?  Are they outdated? Do we still need The Count to help kids count? Or what about Big Bird, Ernie, Grover, and the other fun, lovable characters? Check out "Jimmy Kimmel Live" tonight and "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" on November 9 to see some of the characters stop by for interviews.

• jconline.com
  
• CNN.com
• The Baltimore Sun

Check out these videos. Connan O'Brian did a parody on the actual Sesame Street clip with First Lady Obama.

Here's the original:


Here's the parody (on the Bill O'Reilly show, no less):

Gubernatorial Elections of 2009

Well folks, the results are in and it seems like the Republicans have taken Virginia! The governor elections for both Virginia and New Jersey were today and the clear-cut winner in Virginia was McDonnell, a Republican (the New Jersey election is too close to call). What does this election have to do with Obama's Presidency? Well Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele believes that the victory is a "blow to President Obama and the Democrat Party. It sends a clear signal that voters have had enough of the president's liberal agenda." (see stories below) I'll let you decide for yourself what this all means, but one thing is clear: This is the kind of news that would be prominent in Cronkite's day. Sorry "infotainment" stories. You're going to have to take a back seat to the hard-hitting news for tonight.


Watch CBS News Videos Online

• Fox News


• MSNBC


• CNN
  

Speidi Wrote a Book?!

Spencer and Heidi Montag, infamous for their rolls on MTV's The Hills, have written a book providing advice on how to become famous. The title alone, “How to Be Famous: Our Guide to Looking the Part, Playing the Press and Becoming a Tabloid Fixture” tells what kind of people they are. Making millions, "looking good" and creating drama on one of the most popular television shows. Not many people have nice things to say about these two, their lives have become so fixated upon their image and their social status. Check out what MSNBC and MTV has to say about this duo! What do you think? Was it a good idea to write a book? Who even cares about Speidi?

Speaking of Ryan Seacrest.......

This week our own blog inspired celebrity hit relatively top story news. A stranger to Seacrest has been stalking him and insisting he has had business with him. He once pulled a knife on Seacrest's body guard and again attempted to talk to him with another knife. Seacrest has never seen this man before and has been severely frightened by him. Even though the story is not the most interesting or important, I would like to point out the different ways the news media portray this story. E! news of course displays the story with grave emphasis on the peril of Seacrest and what he is going through. But the interesting part is how the so-called "serious news" stations such as MSNBC reported the same story. There was little distinction between the entertainment news story and the regular news story. To me, this shows that the distinct line between "infotainment" and news is fading. What do you think? Do you think it is a problem in our world today? Maybe a slight foreshadow?