Trevor Trevor wrote:
> Author meets craving for information by making it up
>
> http://www.cbc.ca/arts/books/story/2008/10/27/john-hodgson.html
Something that likely won't run in my print column thanks to political
ad space taking priority:
Voting is super, man.
It's been said that you can tell someone is among those in Generation X
(those born between 1965–1981) by asking them to say the Preamble to
the U.S. Constitution. Not only can they repeat it back to you at
lightning speed but, chances are, you might get it sung to you thanks to
"Schoolhouse Rock!" cartoons. Similarly former Nightline anchor Ted
Koppel has bemoaned the idea that, "A lot of television viewers -- more,
quite frankly, than I'm comfortable with -- get their news from a
program called 'The Daily Show.'"
"Homer Simpson Goes to Washington: American Politics through Popular
Culture" edited by Joseph J. Foy ($32.50, University Press of Kentucky)
accentuates the positives of what used to be called "low-culture." Want
to better understand TIFs and bond measures? Bring in a monorail or
threaten to "Fast-Food Boulevard." Want to know how a bill really
becomes a law? Send Lisa Simpson to visit congress or elect Krusty the
Clown.
But it's more than just the town of Springfield's frequent dissections
of democracy under Foy's microscope. Lobbyists ("Thank You For
Smoking"), high school politics ("Election"), the war on terror ("V For
Vendetta), manufactured scandal ("Wag the Dog"), image consultants
("Bulworth" and "Man of the Year") all provide ample discussion for
movie buffs. "24" also offers an unapologetic look at the tough choices
made in modern warfare while Dennis Haysbert, the actor who played its
black president, has taken credit for the success of Barack Obama.
"Homer" argues that while protest folk songs and the Utopian "West Wing"
more often than not preach to the choir, shows like "The Simpsons and
"South Park" don't dumb down discussions but elevate them. "Daily Show"
host Jon Stewart dismisses claims that anyone would solely rely on his
show for their news fix, since you have to know what's being satirized
to get the show's punchlines.
===
Among the "The Daily Show's" newest stars is John Hodgman. The
bespectacled Hodgman would very much like to remind you that you have
seen him in television commercials (he's the rumpled PC in Apple's Get a
Mac ads); heard him on "This American Life" or perhaps witnessed him on
"Battlestar Galactica"; and that you should purchase his new book "More
Information Than You Require." He'd especially recommend his 100% fake
trivia book to people in need of conversation about the presidential
statues downtown. Particularly if you think tourists would buy the idea
that Teddy Roosevelt's body is buried inside Mount Rushmore.
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