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Dialogues@RU is published
annually
by the
Writing Program at
Rutgers, The State
University of New Jersey
Volume Three
Spring 2004
Sly Fox : The Cultural Impact of One Network - Page 5
by Reina Singh
Kent Brockman is a recurring character on The Simpsons who symbolizes the flawed American media. In this example, Bart seeks Kent’s advice when the Simpson siblings collaborate on a news show called “Kidz News.” Bart realizes that he is not as smart as his sister Lisa, but he knows that he has something that she does not have—charisma. Kent teaches Bart some tricks of the trade the will win the viewers over and allow him to triumph over Lisa:
Bart decides to visit Kent Brockman's house for help. Kent answers the door holding a drink and wearing a pink jogging suit.
Bart: Mr. Brockman, I need your help. I've got to become a great anchor so I can show up my sister.
Brockman: Sister, huh? Heh, I've got a sister. Miss Big-Shot CNN-Washington correspondent. Pfft. Well, she's not the boss of me! Come in!
Led through the "Trophy Route" to the den, Bart gets a chance to see Kent's various awards, lining the lengthy hall with gleaming metal. Kent decides to let Bart in on his secret. Kent turns on a tape of an old newscast, in which he stands in front of a carousel. We watch.
Hear that? It's the sound of children's laughter. . . silenced. That's because tomorrow, this old carousel, which has delighted young Americans for lo these past six years, will be torn down, to make way for the future: a store that sells designer mouse pads.
He gets closer to the carousel, and stands next to a blue-colored horse. Kent decides to go for one last ride. The song "Turn, Turn" begins to play, and the carousel comes to life. Kent rides the horse around, coming in and out of view as he bids us farewell. Back in the present, at Brockman's house, Kent smiles at Bart, who understands now what he has to do. (Doyle 19)
What Bart has to do is appeal to his audience’s emotions. It does not matter how inane the story is, or even if the story is newsworthy or not. As long as the people want to watch it, Brockman and Bart will keep giving it to them. The battle in the cartoon world and in the real world is between “fluff” and substance. Although Kent is not a first rate newscaster, he certainly has the awards to prove it. The most ironic element in this transcript is the mention of CNN. Once the benchmark of journalistic integrity, CNN is now involved in a brutal ratings battle with the rest of the networks. As The Simpsons have taken over social commentary and satire, conversely, political talk shows have taken on a more “low brow” character, where Homer-like citizens are able to say or do anything on national television. The zany behavior on shows such as The Simpsons is now being duplicated on Fox News. Ken Auletta claims that, “no one piles up higher ratings than-or outshouts-Bill O’Reilly, who announces that his program is a no-spin zone” (Auletta 8). The O’Reilly Factor is more like a three-ring circus than a conservative talk show. Indeed, a great deal of shouting and arguing occurs between Bill and his guests, but the predominant conservative theme rules the show. O’Reilly never speaks out against the conventions of American politics and society, instead he verbally assaults those that come on his show and try to challenge him. Ailes hails his network, specifically O’Reilly’s show, as being “stimulating” and “entertaining.” Note that he never uses words like “controversial,” “ground-breaking” or “accurate.” Fox News is not competing with social satires like The Simpsons to promulgate culturally and intellectually valuable content; Ailes and his network want high ratings and mass entertainment appeal. Bill O’Reilly and others like him are vital to the network’s success because they are outrageous and amusing. Auletta says that Fox sounds like “urgency-crashing noise” sometimes followed by “interesting debate,” and so long as Fox continues to create a three-ring-circus, they will continue to remain at the top of their game. Bill O’Reilly is a network’s marketing dream because he generates curiosity from his viewers; whether you love the man or hate him, you cannot help but watch his “grown-ups” version of Romper Room. In a recent December issue of the New Jersey Star Ledger, Alan Sepinwall and Matt Seitz surmise that O’Reilly has morphed from a political talk show host into a cartoon character. He has become the Hulk of cable news networks as opposed to the political pundit he should be: “Bill O’Reilly [has turned] into the self-aggrandizing cartoon character his enemies always accused him of being, and [has] repeatedly [allowed] many of those same enemies to get free publicity by provoking him” (Seitz 2). There is no problem in giving O’Reilly a televised soapbox to stand on; the problem occurs when Americans mistakenly use his show to educate themselves on current affairs and the political system. Political talk shows are no longer informative; instead, news reporters have reverted back to the good old days of muckraking.
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