Should the mainstream media stop getting worked up over the antics of people like Kanye and Trump?

They BOTH are idiots who need a LOT of attention. IF I had my way, we’d NEVER hear either of their names again!!!

That means that the media would actually have to do real work, as journalists and not entertainers. I am all for it. If media becomes more journalistic and less entertainment centered, I might un-cancel my cable subscription.

^^ They don’t know how; so, they’d have to go back to school!!!

@RedDeerGuy1 just wondering…why cancel your cable and miss out on shows you might enjoy just because of the news?? Just don’t watch it! or are there other reasons?

As for the question asked, ha! hell yeah! as well as celebrities in general, and that includes sports figures and royalty!

Just send them to jail to cool off !

I don’t really care what the mainstream media does, but as a people, a nation, a culture…. we need to stand up to bigotry, injustice and abuse. Literal lives are on the line here.

Frankly, I don’t think that what Kanye is doing is so obvious. He partnered with Candace Owens, a person who has publicly humiliated Kanye’s ex-wife and her family and has attacked Black Americans and Black culture (the very thing that gave Kanye his platform). In my opinion, it is (at least partly) an abuse tactic to feed the narrative against his ex and her family.

@smudges I owe too much right now. Maybe after I pay my credit card I will sign up for cable again. Also it’s hard to get emotionally involved with a tv show anymore. Kiefer Sutherland’s past shows let me down. Designated Survivor and Touch ended without closure.

I will watch Quantum Leap for free and Star Trek Lower Decks on YouTube.

Awake was a big F.U. when It turned out that it was just as dream.

I never got into survival shows.

I usually just listen to the radio and television news when something is worth watching.

If there are people out there who are watching Kanye and Trump and making decisions about actions they are going to take that will impact the larger community, it’s news and needs to be reported.

By this point, we know enough about the people who buy into lies that people like Kanye and Trump preach. We know that they do not respond to logical appeals. They only respond to emotion. Remedies to counteract the lies they are ingesting from Kanye and Trump need to be formulated. We can only do that by knowing from reporting what the lies are.

Don’t forget…Kanye had planned to run for President until the FPOS came along & I think he was convinced that he would screw up the election IF he ran!!! He NEVER figured out that he was ONLY allowed in the White House because the perve wanted to look at his wife’s body!!!

@Demosthenes: “Should the mainstream media stop getting worked up over the antics of people like Kanye and Trump?”

This is what corporate media does. It’s a sexy news story that is not a real threat to power, so it needs to report it.

And yes – people (correctly) pushing back on Kanye for being mentally ill, anti-Semitic, and reactionary is going to give the impression to some portion of the population that Kanye is pushing the correct buttons.

People are struggling, and suspect that something is wrong. Only reactionary right-wing maniacs are admitting this (in public media) because the left is systematically excluded from the conversation from the right-wing corporate media (MSNBC, CNN, Washington Post, New York Times, etc). Only Fox News and some radical right-wing maniacs, like Trump and Kanye are willing to admit that something is wrong. This has consistently and predictably pulled the population to the right.

Something is wrong. But since we only allow fascist, right-wing voices to express the frustration and provide an explanation, this is exactly what we get. Things will continue this way. If we had a left-wing party, rather than two right-wing corporate parties, we’d have an option for people.

Financially-comfortable liberals consistently scold victims of the system for being sucked into the racist/xenophobic propaganda of the right. Yet, this is exactly what we should expect, as it’s what happens at every point in history and every country on earth.

That said, the “should” in your question is a bit confusing. Are you suggesting that there is anything else they could do?

If anyone is interested, here is a link to the parts of the Kanye interview that even Carlson didn’t want to air.

Financially-comfortable liberals consistently scold victims of the system for being sucked into the racist/xenophobic propaganda of the right. Yet, this is exactly what we should expect, as it’s what happens at every point in history and every country on earth.

This, I think, is an important point. It does happen all the time and has happened throughout history in various parts of the world. People see two options: the status quo and the reactionary right that wants to return to some past golden age. If the status quo isn’t working for you, why wouldn’t you latch onto the reactionaries that blame wokeness/Jews/immigrants/whatever for why your life sucks and your country’s ideals and promises aren’t working out the way they are supposed to?

Yes.

Yes, but I think the media is in on all this “drama” too. They make money on this stupid sh*t! Sorry for my language.

No. (Because they never will.) People LOVE to be entertained!

I mean, to some extent I would agree with that. Trump is a narcissist who CRAVES attention, and I suspect Kanye is as well. And he doesn’t care whether it’s positive or negative attention. So by covering it, you’re encouraging the behavior.

BTW, more seriously, there are now multiple studies out claiming a link between media coverage and spree killings. The notoriety and instant fame that comes with doing these things is a part of what motivates it. The media really needs to ask itself some tough questions about journalistic ethics.

But they won’t. Because this stuff sells papers and drives clicks (which drives ad impressions and therefore revenues). So as long as WE (the collective we) keep paying attention, the media will keep giving us what we want. Stop clicking on those articles. That’s how you stop it.

Now, with Trump, it’s extra-hard because the guy is now a former Prez AND possible future nominee still. Everything he says is inherently newsworthy. So, it’s hard to really criticize the media for paying attention.