Poll: Bullshit Is Most Important Issue

http://www.theonion.com/content/video/poll_bullshit_is_most_important


I thought this piece was pretty humorous because I really agreed with the message it was trying to convey. This video, taken from the Onion website, satirizes TV news shows and the seriousness with which they cover sometimes utterly trivial and irrelevant topics concerning politics. The basis for the running joke in this clip is that a fake study has been conducted and it reveals that the number one concern facing voters in the next election is “bullshit.” By “bullshit” the Onion is referring to elements to politicians’ campaigns that don’t concern policies, voting records, or experience, but rather seemingly inconsequential things such as previous marriages, clothing, or exercise regimens. The list of “bullshit issues” rattled off in the video were pretty spot on in my opinion, ranging from whether or not the candidates are photogenic to whether or not they used to smoke. By the end of the clip, the exchange between the two reporters has devolved into an apparent contest to see who can utter the word “bullshit” more, in an attempt to generate laughs.

This clip made me think primarily about the “What Makes Us Laugh” piece by Rappoport. In that piece Rappoport discussed the element of incongruity that allows things to come across as humorous. In this case, similar to the Daily Show clip I posted a couple weeks ago, the incongruity lies in the fact that professional-looking newscasters would use vulgar and inappropriate language at such a fast pace and with such carelessness. The sheer absurdity of listening to the word “bullshit” dozens of times is offset by the continued seriousness with which this message is communicated. There is something funny about watching a video that by all appearances could be on CNN, but based on the audio, must be reserved exclusively for the internet. This led me to think also about the segment of the Rappoport piece in which Freud was mentioned. It seemed to me that the whole section about aggressive humor that raises tension amongst the audience applied in this scenario. The article even mentioned explicitly the George Carlin “seven dirty words” incident in which the repeated utterance of vulgar language could get a rise out of an audience. It might be strange, but the presence of men dressed in suits repeatedly saying “bullshit” could be funny regardless of the context.

Anyway, the context for this video made it very relevant to me. As someone who follows politics pretty closely, it is striking how much “bullshit” does in fact bog down the political process. What Barack Obama’s middle name is and whether or not he wore Islamic garb in Kenya has just about zero relevance to whether or not he could be an adequate commander in chief. And yet these seem to be central issues in many voters’ minds. John McCain was recently involved in a scandal with the New York Times in which the Times alleged that he had an affair with a former lobbyist. The issue about McCain’s ties to lobbyists is an important one, but something tells me that in many circumstances, the public cares more about the private lives of these candidates running for office.

The question that I had after viewing this video clip was centered on who is to blame for stuff like this. The Onion appears to be blaming both the public at large and the media. The public is responsible in large part because we care about whether or not we could envision a candidate having a beer with us or whether or not they hunt in their spare time. The media is to blame because, as the one reporter states, “If it wasn’t for the media, there would be a lot less bullshit in these elections.” The media often adds fuel to the fire by focusing too much on petty issues. As the November election approaches, the question of what issues get focused on becomes increasingly important.