Reminds me of Snow White. Imagine some very obnoxious politico with a nasty tart tongue, and a bully girl demeanor, staring at herself in the mirror proclaiming, “How beautiful I art.” Only ugly is actual the goal.
     But for those to whom FOX appeals, the REAL believers, FOX has been staring in that mirror for a long time. In a way they are like Buffalo Wings. Invented at The Anchor Bar in Buffalo, but not even close to primo now, in comparison. IF… you consider that type of programming tasty, or even good for anyone. Generally I don’t, no matter what side it comes from. But I’m an old school Communications grad who prefers objective journalism. Argue as much as I do the model we have now won’t go away. So my columns often reflect that.
    Problem is FOX still asks the mirror if it’s still the ugliest. FOX is so full of itself they can’t hear the answer. The media model we have now favors even more aggressive, partisan, broadcasting of that type. Newsmax and OAN have that covered and more. RT too… before Putin’s Propaganda Network vanished. Now our outrage must be, at least marginally, American made.
    The model I refer to we have now is based on outrage, hate, fear and throwing rocks at those who dare disagree or won’t comply. Not a mere one sided endeavor, though when it comes to pure outrage the more rightward sources have better castles and more rocks. The quality of the rocks matters little to their base. It’s all for show. “Owning” those you disagree with their point, even when they are really just owning themselves. When that becomes too obvious they just switch topics with an obvious, yet unsaid, “look over there instead!” One most current edition is claiming Biden is putting trackable software into our money. Another, because after all, isn’t whether those murdered are immigrants more important than brutal murders because someone asked the perp to stop shooting so not to wake a baby?
    In a time where loyalty is treasured more than truth, fairness, being balanced, not inciting violence, or almost a billon dollars lost to those who sue, this current FOX shuffling of the carney cups solves and means nothing. Talking heads may not come cheap, but they will spend whatever. Does it hurt their brand? Yup, firing yet another host is not appreciated. I am sure they are counting on public forgetfulness once the next outraged is presented. They may be right.
    However, they still seem to consider themselves to be the most beautiful nasty girl in a one sided media beauty pageant.
    FOX was the first contestant of our era, but now they are a dinosaur stuck in a tar pit of their own making. If I could have some pity I would, but I don’t. I am no fan of this style of broadcasting that is “news” in the same sense the gas chambers in Germany were “showers.” OAN and Newsmax just gaslight us better.
    Maybe management FOX thinks it has the image in the general public’s mind of having a few thin roots dug into respectability’s soil? Carlson knows better. If you heard about Carlson’s pleas to management it’s obvious Carlson wants to pull those roots out. Continue making more and more profit off a horrific trend.
    This is not just a commentary on Murdoch’s Empire massive contribution to a lot of the waste in TV wasteland. While I find some SERIOUS journalism is going on at MSNBC, like Maddow providing great historical context, it’s still a more intellectual castle from which to throw rocks at the other side. The Daily Show and The Late Show more the Python comedy version of a castle. I would list SNL, but they are going the way of The Smothers Brothers.
     Dear God I miss The Smother’s Brothers. Everything goes away in time, like Tucker, Beck and O’Reilly. Tucker’s just the latest casualty,
    I do wonder how much Nielsen they will lose for yet another rendition of the old carnie trick: shuffle the shells as the Carlson ball drop through the hole. Today target audience is far, far more loyalty-based than when Murdoch introduced us to UNfair and VERY UNbalanced. If FOX falls, that will be why. I would type a “good” thing, except I am reminded of the gaslighting and the chambers. And I doubt it: their core base is so easy to distract with conspiracies, lies and propaganda.
    Did I just repeat myself?

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    “Inspection” is a column that has been written by Ken Carman for over 50 years. Inspection is dedicated to looking at odd angles, under all the rocks and into the unseen cracks and crevasses that constitute the issues and philosophical constructs of our day: places few think, or even dare, to venture.
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Ken Carman and Cartenual Productions.
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