Miss Virginia Takes On the Media (in the front seat)

If you missed the Miss America "competition" yesterday, you likely joined millions of others who did the same. But following miserable ratings over the last decade, pageant officials decided to "tart it up" a lot more this year and allowed, if not encouraged, the fab 50 to shake their darling booties as they did the "supermodel stomp" down the runway in their bikinis and pointy heels. "We get to show who we really are," said one contestant. Right you are, I guess. One charming young lady even discussed on camera how the miracle of "butt glue" kept her suit from riding up. No wedgies for these talented ladies!

http://www.queenschoice.com/pageant_butt_glue___firm_grip

Ah, yes...the newly revised image of "real" American women.

The evening gown competition became a combination of "Survivor," general campus hottness, clubby duds, "What Not To Wear" (thanks, Miss Iowa) and "Singled Out." And there's more - unfortunately.

The high point of the evening (well, anyway I thought she was high on something) came when Miss Virginia, having been asked what needed to be done to improve America's image in the world, replied that the problem was the media. Too many "negative messages."

And you thought "shoot the messenger" was just an idiotic cliché. Idiotic yes, but for some apparently a new approach to foreign policy. I wonder where she came up with such a dumb notion. Ahem.

Have You Seen It?

Among my recent favorite films is "Good Night, and Good Luck." The George Clooney gem of a film is faithful to both the mood and the history of the Edward R. Murrow years at CBS and the apex of Murrow's TV career during the McCarthy era. As I was a pre-teen during the 1950's, I saw his broadcasts regularly. As a result of those recollections of the great journalist, I found David Strathairn's Murrow to be fully real and absolutely stunning. Other commendable work is done by the versatile Jeff Daniels as well as a convincing Frank Langella as William S. Paley. The film is black and white and runs 93 minutes; it's from Warner Brothers.

Barrett-Jackson Auctions

Speed Channel has a major hit with the odd and energetic event consisting of people who have way more dollars than sense bidding enormous amounts of cash for vintage collector cars that I wish I could own. If I can't fantasize that I am the new owner of that snazzy '63 Vette, what is the point to living, eh?

The other thing about the annual arrival of the auctions to my living room is that I know when they appear on the tube in the weeks after Christmas, the start of Daytona Speed Weeks cannot be far behind.

I Still Can't Get Over This

Early last summer, the team from the University of Arizona defeated the University of Tennessee for the NCAA Women's Softball World Series Championship. The games were bitterly - but cleanly - contested and the games of the tournament were typically played as closely as the length of a finger nail, and in one case it was literally so. So what's the big deal you ask?

Just this - for the first time in the history of televised sport (so far as I can discern), a women's collegiate sports contest OUTDREW a men's professional championship playoff event (the Stanley Cup) on the tube.

If anyone knows of a prior instance of this sort, I'd like to know of it. Meanwhile, the pitcher for Arizona carried off two ESPY awards, and UA is ranked currently #1 going into the softball preseason drills.

Dickie V

Yes, I know he's sometimes a little bit irritating. And yes, he likes Duke a little more than the average Duke fan, but honestly now, is there anyone who pours himself into the game of college basketball more than Vitale? He is smart about the game and people in the game. And sometimes, he is the only one with the courage to say what really needs to be said. Dick has been ill and off the air this season, and I hope he mends fully and reappears very soon.

An Open Letter to WCIA Channel 3

Where to begin...

1) Someone please tell news anchor Dave Benton that our state is "Illinois," not "Ellinois." Yo Dave! The first syllable rhymes with "Swill" not with "Smell." Benton is generally an effective and telegenic anchor, but this exception is enough to drive one to watch Fox News. Ok, ok, maybe Benton's habitual gaffe isn't quite THAT bad.

2) Jennifer Roscoe (I am going to try to be gentle and diplomatic here, though I suspect I won't quite manage it), I have several suggestions for you: One, you don't need to express a chatty opinion after every handoff or transition. Just read the next news story. And truly, we don't care about your affection for the F'ing Illini. So you got your degree there. Big deal. Lots of people have degrees from the UI. And when it comes right down to fact, more people in your audience have degrees from elsewhere than from the UI. Maybe that, in part, is why your performances are so irritating to me. You seem to think you are more important than your audience.

3) Sports: There are many more sports events in the area than the U of I (do you see a pattern emerging in my critique?). Eastern, Millikin, Parkland, Danville JC, Illinois State, Illinois Weslyan are well represented by their numbers of alumni in your coverage area. So maybe covering those people might help? You bill yourselves as "Your Illini Station." You idiots! By doing this, you are sending hundreds of viewers running to the internet for streaming coverage and you dispatch them to their PC's and online papers like USA Today for stories or scores of their (as opposed to your) favorites. I don't necessarily expect or even want less coverage of the UI (although a three minute feature on some third-string tailback's favorite foods seems a little much), but rather just a little more inclusion of other schools.

As one former channel three anchor asked me, "remember when we at three used to do news?"

Excellence in Sports Play-By-Play

I am not an Illini fan. I suspect you've noticed that? It's an understatement, really. I have two favorite college teams: Illinois State and who ever is playing Illinois. With this is mind, let me dole out major props and kudos to Brian Barnhart, the PBP voice of the Illini. People in CU and around the midwest have the entertainment advantage of listening to the excellent work that he does on his broadcasts. What many do not know is that he is a generous and humble fellow who truly loves his work and the teams he represents. Excellence in broadcasting is increasingly rare these days, but in CU it's right under our noses -- and in our ear buds. Bravo, Brian!

Spicy

While dining at one of CU's finer Chinese restaurants last night, I became aware of the occasional tendency of menu writers to understate the realities a bit...or a lot. I learned, to my displeasure and eventual discomfort that when they say "spicy," it basically means that you can -- if you become less than sober or dutifully apply xylocaine to your throat and stomach -- survive the flames such as those that shot out of my ears, nose, and throat.

"Other than that Mrs. Lincoln, how did you like the play?"

Best Burger

Is there a better hamburger in Champaign-Urbana than at Farren's? I doubt it, but if you have another nomination, I'll eat it. I mean, I'll listen.

The Soooooper Bowl

As the winning field goal dashed the hopes of Packer fans, NY Giants fans went crazy. They weren't alone. In New York and other media hubs, the Fox network execs and NFL bigwigs were delighted that their gigantic investment will most likely be of high interest to the Atlantic Northeast and its huge population base. New England versus New York figures to be a better ratings draw for the NFL and the network than the Packers and Chargers would have been. NE is already a 14+ point favorite to defeat the Giants.

Why Bother?

I suppose I should be a little apprehensive about posting to my new blog for the first time. I can't say that such is really the case. I have been considering a blog for some time, if for no other reason than to offer my somewhat peculiar or contrarian views of current events to further balance those of the mainstream press. I am not a press basher, really. Nor am I some kind of political extremist. In fact, I find myself frequently objecting to the amount of air time and column-inches that are given to discussion of the more radical perspectives. I am that most hated of all political beings, in that I am a centrist. Yes! A centrist (and here you thought we were extinct long ago!). The centrist is called apathetic by the idiots on the left because we won't follow them, and we're assailed with charges of liberalism by the toads on the far right -- people so conservative that they probably still suspect that Nixon was secretly a communist.