Todd's Cavalcade of Whimsy

If there's one thing we can all agree on, it's that there is a vast right-wing conspiracy foisted on us by the liberal media elite.

Let's all take a moment to breathe in the stupidity of that statement.
(breathe in...breathe out)

...And we're back. The sentence in question is, obviously, stupid. But that doesn't stop every blowhard with a national talk show from bleating on about it. Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, Lars Larson, et al. would have us believe that the media is controlled by a group of leftist socialists who spin the news without being, ahem, "Fair and Balanced." (Please, Mr. O'Reilly, don't sue me for using that phrase.) But then we have Al Franken, Janeane Garafalo, Dan Rather, etc., complaining about how the vast right-wing conspiracy is controlling free speech on cable news channels and talk radio.

If I keep hearing people with a nationally syndicated talk show (or frequent guest of one) complain that their side's voice isn't being heard, I'm going to slice off my ears with a rusty fish scaler.

The truth of the situation is simple: People love being affirmed in what they think. That's why I would bet a very, very small percentage of people in any given political party actually listen to or read things that are contrary to what they already "know." Few conservatives read or watch anything they consider to be part of the "liberal bias," and just as few liberals read or watch anything they think is part of the "vast right-wing conspiracy." The exceptions are to find more "ammo" to reinforce their argument. They get their information about the "other guys" from their own news sources, lapping up the affirmation their side gives them in each opinion column and editorial.

This is an important thing to keep in mind. The next time you hear Michael Moore complaining that his side's voice is constantly being silenced, remember that when you see him on the next 12 political talk shows. When you hear Ann Coulter complain about the liberal media Slander and Treason, take special care to note how many weeks her books go to #1 on the New York Times best-seller list.

Americans love to whine. That's not going away. And they'll gather with other people that love whining about the same things. That's human nature. Opposites don't attract; birds of a feather flock together exponentially more. Think about it: how many people who hold ideals, morals, and standards the exact opposite of yours do you hang out with? Maybe a few, if at all. And that's ok. It just needs to be acknowledged, that's all. As much as well all like to celebrate diversity, the truth is we like to hang around people that are similar to us. Which is, again, ok, because it makes sense.

So let's remind everyone to calm down, take a breath, and realize we're all on a pretty equal media playing field. There are more important things we should be complaining about.