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----- Subject: A subject as trite as it is profound. From: Brent Bechtel <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Wed, 27 Sep 2006 12:02:21 -0600 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Dear Mr. Olbermann, Ten months ago, when I had TV, I found your show entertaining, but what I enjoyed most was the droll character of your delivery. Absent a TV, yet having a fast Internet connection, I have been able to watch a few of your editorial presentations from MSNBC (Countdown.) Surprised by your heightened intensity (this is more noticeable as a comparison when 10 months of broadcasts have not been viewed,) I used the ubiquitous google search engine to determine reactions to your broadcasts. "Amazing," I thought, "There are entire communities predicated on praising or defaming Olbermann." (This was the cue for an eyebrow-crinkle and some eye-rolling on my part.) "Olbermann is a talented orator -- whether his editorials are impromptu or read from cue-cards, he speaks fluently." Fluent delivery; quick -- and a vocabulary and breadth of reference that may elude many viewers. A flaw, or a strength, depending on the Network's demographic and psychographic goals -- but this is a distraction from my intended topic. Websites also praise and defame Limbaugh, Zhirinovsky, Coulter, Stalin, -- so many persons of varying historical consequence. (And what of Zachary Taylor, a rarely mentioned President? I think we do not, as humans, read history enough; afraid of mirrors, afraid of acceptance of commonality in those categories where failure may reside -- ) Trained in integrated marketing communications, and having explicitly studied the blending of tabloid (a derogatory connotation in the USA, at least) and -- oh, dry, boring, old-fashioned news -- I still hold strongly that FOX's promotional teams know exactly how to exploit[2] human behavior for projected, closely-quantifiable gain. "Amuse us!" we say, ( "Myself included ... I fear ..." my whisper echoes -- ) Apologies. I almost said, "Entertain us!" -- but that would be more mocking of an allusion than I desire. There is no escape from oblivion, as I found in my studies at university -- when all media exhibit, contain, express, and birth a tabloid, amusement-based, intellect-abating, sweet yet bitter herb[3] -- truly, only one who does not seek pleasure would choose otherwise. Sincerely, Brent Bechtel --------------- Endnotes: [1] This topic has likely been explored by others. I simply wished to communicate what are likely common ideas -- myself. [2] Exploit is, of course, used here in its common advertising, communications, and heuristic / statistical / behavior modeling sense. [3] There is usually a bitter or sweet or mixture or these symbols -- in any formulation -- but greed, as a simple summary, is its own power. ----
