The Glorification of Anti-Heroes

Years ago, I was talking to a friend of mine, a freelance videographer. We'd worked many, many gigs together - everything from corporate stuff to live sports. He's an excellent shooter who learned all his shortcuts from years as a news videographer.

I once asked him if he missed shooting the news.

He was quite intense in his response: "No, Kelly. I'm not missing the news. I'll be damned if I'm going to stand for hours out in the rain, waiting for a chance to videotape some murderer's perp walk. I just can't glorify that kind of person anymore."

Amen, I say!

I know news by nature is a certain percentage of perp walks, reporting on criminals, and sensationalizing the horrors of life - but I think my friend is right... that certain behavior is simply not deserving of my precious time...

And yet, some TV exec and some publishing house have done two things that make me crazy: One - Someone thought it was a good idea to publish books with titles like If I Did it, and then - some degenerate ratings hungry tv exec. thought it would be a good idea to put half convicted/yet free men on television to explain how he WOULD have murdered if he indeed HAD murdered. (Don't ask. Even saying that two-lettered name is offensive to me right now. Don't get me started on the ego it took for that two-lettered has-been to agree to participate in these activities.)

Please, News Corp. Even though the book has been canned and the interview cancelled, you have now officially proven to me just how little you care about broadcast excellence. I used to think that it was impossible to fall off of the floor - but you, Mr. Murdoch, have shown me if someone leaves the trap door open, one just might sink to new lows. SHAME ON YOU.

I'm just mortified.