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RSS FeedFirst Lady Michelle Obama's decision to appear on an episode of the reality show "Iron Chef America," to promote healthy living, is a smart way to address the nation's public.
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| Agree | 82% | 23 votes | Total: 28 votes | |
| Disagree | 18% | 5 votes |
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Add to FavoritesAn all too common complaint about society today is how media driven it is and how enamored with television and other entertainment mediums it has become. Criticisms of these media outlets often revolve around how they are detrimental to society and family values and how they are eroding our country from its core out.
The choice to utilize one of these vilified mediums to promote a healthy and constructive message to a particular television show, shows viewers a bold and creative measure which Michelle Obama should be applauded for.
The American public has proven time and again that it is far more receptive to entertainment and reality style programming than more serious news and public service style programming. This fundamental shift in public awareness is painfully obvious when we view our evening newscasts.
So little air time is devoted to actual news, instead, actual factual and poignant news segments have been increasingly replaced by entertainment segments, television and movie reviews, celebrity sightings and so called "people scene" style programming, that caters to the goings on of the plethora of celebrity personalities in the entertainment industry.
As a result of the shift of American from real news to entertain style news preferences using traditional media outlets such as news documentaries, op-ed style news programming and even public service style messaging is simply an ineffective way of getting your message across. The impact such mediums have over the public is minimal at best.
However, when you can ride the curtails of the entertainment segment of the media into the homes of the vast majority of Americans and broadcast your message to the masses through an entertainment or reality show, you have a much greater impact and a much broader audience.
It is sad that the first lady of the United States has to demean both herself and her position within American culture by appealing to the drooling masses of people who find it too inconvenient to dedicate even the minutest amount of time to real news worthy programming.
However, adopting the entertainment medium as an effective way to disseminate useful information to the public is likely to be effective and getting the message out is really the most important part of any communication. Her creativity and cleverness can be used to benefit those of us who would not otherwise give her message a second thought.
If that helps even a few Americans live more healthy, then it is a smart decision and a decision we will likely see repeated in the future with other entertainment outlets as the current and future administrations have new causes to champion.
Learn more about this author, Joseph Whalen.
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Disagree
Wasn't the presidential race decided a year ago November? Did both Sen. John McCain and his Vice President lackie, Sarah Palin campaign already? Didn't Obama and his running mate, Sen. Joe Biden (the other one) win in 2008?
I ask these questions because I voted for Barack Obama. I ask these questions because his face is EVERYWHERE a camera is present. I ask these questions because First Lady Michelle Obama is becoming a little of a camera w* too. And how she's taken to appear on the Food Network's "Iron Chef America" to promote healthy living.
As a registered voter, I'm not up in arms about our nation's choice of diet! As Americans, (as human beings), we have a right to eat what we want to eat. If I want to eat caviar for breakfast, I should be able to as long as I can afford it. Also, if I want to eat from a dumpster, I should be able to as long as I can stomach it contents.
I could care less about a recipe involving mushrooms inside a chicken pot pie!
What I care is for our First Lady to focus on the plights involving our children. Just a month or so ago, a 16 year old, honor student was beaten to death by a mob in broad daylight! At the same time, our president was in Denmark begging the IOC (International Olympic Committee) to award his hometown of Chicago, Illinois the 2016 Summer Games. Where was the concern for Derrion Albert when he boarded that plane?
To those who have kicked this crime under the rug, Derrion Albert was the victim of that beating. He was a mother's son. He was a hope of Fenger Academy. The school and the neighborhood around it suffered from gangs, drugs, death and hopelessness. And now, that hope was extinguished like a flame in space. This year, dozens of Derrion Albert have died with nary a word said about them. They died with nary a word to solve the problem of black on black homicide.
In our city of Des Moines, juvenile crime has spiked! Youth murders and violent crime have increased. We helped to vote Obama into office. We voted him in because he promised change from Washington politics. But, we didn't want a celebrity in the White House. We didn't want someone constantly catering to famous entertainers and athletes. We didn't want someone constantly looking for the camera or a microphone.
We wanted someone to save our young people from themselves. We wanted someone to save us from our angry and abandoned children. We wanted someone to save our children from lives of destruction and devestation upon themselves and their community. We voted for President Obama and First Lady Michelle to do their jobs.
We didn't vote for a First Lady to be a celebrity, food taster.
Learn more about this author, Marcus Brooks.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.
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