From the twisted mind of Ryan Ross, we introduce Modern Tosh, an independent, critical thinking, political and current affairs blog, that aims to create an environment for comment and debate, whilst furthering the agenda for progressive politics.
Frankly, we’ve had enough of the dispassionate 24-hour media churning up the playing field of contemporary politics, turning events coverage into some sort of personality pig-pen battle for the future, where crap is king and the discussion of idea’s and policy is set aside to make room for a self-absorbed newsroom career vigilante, led by Sean Hannity and his right wing, loud mouthed band of loony toons.
With the litany of hype and dazzle that ceaseless LIVE media throws up all over the living room carpet, it’s hard not to become desensitised towards headlines of importance. News has become a reality television show. Where once the reporter followed public figures and celebrity in order to get the top story, they have now endeavoured to become a part of it. Each battling for more and more air time, audibly strangling each other in a bid to push the book sales even higher.
Current affairs are hard to engage with when you have Bill O’Reilly screaming at your set, telling everyone to “shut the f*ck up“ and demanding answers to the questions that nobody asked in the first place. All this with his unique brand of arrogance, sexism and conservative morality.
Keith Olbermann, like a fat tanned walrus having an on-screen abortion whilst screaming about interest rates and parking spaces, ranting and raving about politicians and anchormen of opposing view, all to the soundtrack of a 1950’s horror film (we wish we were joking).
It’s not much better this side of the Atlantic either. Difficult as it already is to take politics seriously when you have the rife stench of public cynicism choking the debate, encouraged and rewarded by a press that adopts the narrative of ‘us and them‘, represented with obligatory clapping sessions during Question Time whenever a member of the audience makes an anti-Blair or Bush remark, or sneers at the operation in Afghanistan, Jeremy Vine still thought he’d add his contribution. Prancing about on election night in cowboy boots, faking a bad American accent and asking for “Cleggy boy” to take another shot at tin-can visuals. I thought I had tuned into a remake of Billy the Kid, not BBC coverage of a major modern political event.
It’s easy, with this, to imagine why people withdraw and become insular to a world of current affairs. To shut off and accept the daily grind as it is, to dismiss public life as nothing more than a perversion of the common good. Especially hard when those who claim to fight the liberal corner, to fight for the people, who talk with passion and rage, can do so only from the scripts of an Autocue.
But all is not lost! We stand here as a beacon of hope to all those seeking an antidote to the loopy world of televised media.
So before your economic inhalation and inevitable demise at the hands of a global pandemic doom, pick up, plug in, and join the debate, here at Modern Tosh!
The press is dead. Long live the press!
