Has America gone "Generic"?

Intended for constructive conversations. Exhibits of polarizing tribalism will be deleted.
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HSpencer
Posts: 772
Joined: Wed Jul 21, 2010 11:21 pm

Post by HSpencer »

TV news anchors - Make a pro-America statement and your fired.
Internet - (The good news): Anyone can post anything on the net.

(Bad news): Anyone can post anything on the net.
Is it no longer possible for an American to be an American? Has political correctness hushed us to the point that we cannot express ourselves in the true American sense of the word? Are we so imbued with "acceptance" of anything and everything that we are no longer able to identify ourselves? Is the land of the free and the home of the brave now becoming the home of the silent?

Your opinions are welcome. (This post prompted by the NPR firing of Williams, and CNN firing of Sanchez.


Maus
Posts: 505
Joined: Thu Jul 22, 2010 10:43 pm

Post by Maus »

You can never lose sight of the fact that TV, radio, and newspapers are about the advertising and not the informational or entertainment content. If a content provider offends the advertisers, they are a liability. Unless the controversy can be exploited profitably, the provider will be fired.
That's why the internet is great. Because you can advance any opinion you care to advance. Some will have an audience of 10 and some 10,000. But you don't have to sell your soul to keep an advertiser happy.


JohnnyH
Posts: 2005
Joined: Thu Jul 22, 2010 6:00 pm
Location: Rockies

Post by JohnnyH »

If you don't rely on others, say whatever the hell you want! :)
When I needed my employment, I was a good, quiet PC drone... Now I pretty much call it like I see it. LOL, like any retired person.
Looking up what happened on those two TV anchors; what a disgraceful circus mainstream media is. Independent, internet media FTW... At least until it is outlawed!


csdx
Posts: 46
Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2010 5:56 pm

Post by csdx »

If your first paragraph was in response to the recent firings, I find I generally disagree. What exactly made what either of those people said (and got fired for) "American"? I guess jingoism and xenophobia are parts of our culture, though nothing I'd be overly proud of.
In a broader sense I think there a couple of reflections to be made.
We very much value jobs as a person's identity, perhaps even seeing it as near 'right'. Media talking heads aren't there necessarily for our public benefit (though I guess arguably NPR is), they're still employees and unless under contract, can be let go for just about any reason. I think the fact that we care that someone is fired over what we think is a 'wrong' reason really speaks to how much as a society we think that people must be working. The idea of 'having a job' is so ingrained in us that when someone is fired without (what we perceive as) just cause it's like a violation of their 'right' to be trapped in a job. Relating back to the incident, if you're going to speak out on somebody else's dime, and they don't like it, be prepared to accept what will come.
Also I think the idea of free speech is often interpreted in free as in beer rather than freedom. We can still express ourselves however we want, but it's not a blanket right that is meant to free us from any consequences of it, or free us from responsibility. We have both a right to say what we want, and with that come responsibilities. You wouldn't expect to be able to swear someone out, then hide from consequences just because it was 'your right to say whatever you want'.
I think your impression that we're 'too accepting' is distorted by these media events. If you looked around at the general population you'd seem many people holding rallies, and even participating in politics. Most people aren't interested in making friends with everyone, so will express their opinions, as noble or vile as they may be. But corporations are looking to be friends with as many people as possible (to sell you stuff), so they'll tend toward the most PC approach (assuming being PC alienates less people than otherwise).


CestLaVie
Posts: 54
Joined: Fri Jul 23, 2010 4:24 am

Post by CestLaVie »

I thought Sanchez was fired for insulting the people who wrote his paychecks. I didn't realize he made a "pro-America" statement and was fired for it.
Anyways, listening to Rick Sanchez was like giving myself a lobotomy with a mellon baller. I find silence so much more enjoyable than senseless blatering.


Mo
Posts: 443
Joined: Wed Jul 28, 2010 1:35 pm

Post by Mo »

Doesn't this situation depend on perspective?
If I own a television station and employ someone to host a show, am I not exercising some good 'ol fashioned American liberty by firing the host if he says something that I think is out of line?
Political correctness has not hushed CNN's administration from expressing their strong views toward Mr. Sanchez, nor has CNN shown itself to be imbued with acceptance of "anything"-- clearly what Sanchez did was not acceptable to them, and the response was brisk.
To me, these firings show a lack of tolerance, rather than an excess.


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