House of Eratosthenes

The first time I saw TDS, I was highly entertained but somewhere in the back of my mind, I noticed this blurring of the line between news and entertainment. Then, when I noticed it was really catching on, through an election cycle or two I came to be aware of the swelling demography of people who formed their understanding of significant events through TDS. Then, I came to find out, people who learned about significant events through TDS, considered their knowledge of those events to be superior to the knowledge other people had acquired through other outlets…other outlets that aren’t quite so much “fun” to consume as TDS, not quite so carefully edited…maybe requiring a little bit longer attention span. The TDS watchers, it seems, bristle at any insinuation that maybe, just maybe, there might be something more to the story — just maybe, it could be a worthy exercise to learn about things through some other avenue.

And now it seems the circle is complete. The TDS watchers, have words of derision, ridicule, derogation and scolding for anybody who does not watch TDS. I realize this is ThinkProgress and these are left-wing bloggers and web-commenters; not exactly a kind-hearted or jolly group, certainly not a “tolerant” one.

But still. TDS is a comedy show. Jon Stewart will be the first one to point that out, the next time he is nailed for one of his segments giving a less-than-accurate impression of true-life events. Fine, so it’s a comedy show. So here we have a reporter being asked — being asked — about what he watches, and it turns out he doesn’t want to watch…this comedy show. And just look at all the bile bubbling to the surface. I mean, just read some of it. Any random sampling.

Amazing.

I can’t stand Hanna-Barbera cartoons. I’ve never liked “I Love Lucy.” Don’t let these guys find out. They might explode.

Update: I’m sure you’ve seen this trope somewhere, since it’s been repeated over and over and over and over again:

A year-long study by the University of Maryland’s Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA)[8] (http://www.pipa.org/OnlineReports/Iraq/Media_10_02_03_Report.pdf) reported that Americans who relied on the Fox News Channel for their coverage of the Iraq war were the most likely to believe misinformation about the war, whatever their political affiliation may be. Those mistaken facts, the study found, increased viewers’ support for the war.

The study found that, in general, people who watched Fox News were, more than for other sources, convinced of several untrue propositions which were actively promoted by the Bush administration and the cheerleading media led by Fox, in rallying support for the invasion of Iraq:

(percentages are of all poll respondents, not just Fox watchers)

* 57% believed the falsity that Iraq gave substantial support to Al-Qaida, or was directly involved in the September 11 attacks. (48% after invasion)
* 69% believed the falsity that Saddam Hussein was personally involved in the September 11 attacks.
* 22% believed the falsity that weapons of mass destruction had been found in Iraq. (21% believed that chem/bio weapons had actually been used against U.S. soldiers in Iraq during 2003)

In the composite analysis of the PIPA study, 80% of Fox news watchers had one of more of these misperceptions; in contrast to 71% for CBS and 27% who tuned to NPR/PBS. [emphasis mine]

And the question I would have, is this: Where is the similar study focused on watchers of The Daily Show?

After all, people may select Fox as their “primary” source of news, but it seems far-fetched to infer a significant chunk of that crowd rely exclusively on Fox for this…whereas, from arguing with TDS watchers, I notice it’s a little bit of a touchy subject to inquire from what other areas they may have gathered their information. There’s also the question about whether we’re seeing a cause, or an effect. People who embrace or tolerate these — ahem — “falsities,” these beliefs anti-war liberals don’t like people to have, would be much more inclined to watch Fox News in the first place. On the other hand, people watch TDS to be entertained.

Come to think of it, there’s yet another “falsity” far-flung and widespread, and carried aloft with gusto, of which I have come to be aware: A lot of people believe the “falsity” that the world is no safer with Saddam Hussein driven from power. Where’s the study probing the percentage of CNN or PBS watchers believing in that falsity? And Daily Show watchers? It would be interesting to see that statistic compared with the equivalent selection of Fox News viewers.

And I can’t wait to see the comments Fox News viewers would have for people who don’t watch Fox News. It probably wouldn’t be nearly as nasty or as personal as what I saw on the ThinkProgress site.

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You Have To Watch It NowTuesday, September 19th, 2006

You Have To Watch It Now
Tuesday, September 19th, 2006