I have noticed something about myself and I am concerned.
I think it is possible I am a Fox News junkie. Now, in public I constantly complain about Fox News. How can this organization seriously use the phrase “the no spin zone” as a self reference. I can’t help bringing up Fox News, even though I am to remain neutral and not bring my political views into my instruction, when I talk about the importance of developing better critical thinking skills so young people are prepared to deal with the information sources they now encounter.
Yet, when I am one particular setting, even with options available, I am strongly drawn to the Fox pundits. This contradiction in my behavior is scary.
The aerobic machines at “the club” are lined up with a view of multiple television screens. I don’t know who has the remote controls, but the options when I show up in the late afternoon are Fox News, Dr. Phil, and the cooking channel. One might think with my psychologist background I would focus on Dr. Phil. For some reason, this show reminds me of Jerry Springer. An unfair comparison perhaps. I guess the audience is not encouraged to break into the chant – Phil, Phil, Phil – so perhaps I should be less critical. I just don’t understand the purpose of doing therapy in public.
I do watch cooking shows at home. I am not sure why. I don’t cook much and when I do I am limited to things that come in a can, things I can cut up, put in a bowl and dowse with dressing, or pizza. Anyway, thinking about food while exercising seems like a form of self torment.
I guess that does leave Fox News.
I derive a certain energy from watching Fox. I become invigorated and I peddle faster or crank up the elevation on the stair master. Yesterday, the Fox guys were talking about the teacher strike in Chicago. The talking point seemed to be – How could anyone making that much money object to being evaluated on the performance of their students? Just to drive home their point, the Fox guys indicated that even they had to be evaluated. Why, if their ratings should fall, they would be gone in quick order. I started thinking about Fox news guys as educators of the general public having to be evaluated on the quality of the knowledge developed in their viewers. I immediately began to imagine a test we might give to viewers of Fox News. I couldn’t come up the second item. Anyway, I haven’t been able to hit “6” on the elliptical for ten years. Fox News has made me young again.
Maybe I should turn up the volume on my iPod and throw a towel over my head. I don’t know. This woman beside me does that and periodically she breaks into song. Usually, the hook from 60s rock songs.
silence, then mumble, mumble, mumble, you can’t always get what you want!
I generally agree, but these random utterances still unnerve me. Better to focus on “News at the speed of live”. Now what – the President is encouraging terrorists. Who would have guessed?