The Facts of Life

I have been complaining a lot about the media, and how they handle newsworthiness. Newsworthiness - an actual term used to describe what is news. I guess if the media didn't report what they do air, you might see what viewers got a chance to see on CNN a few days ago. The big craze that week: the syndicated television show, "The Facts of Life" was finally coming out on DVD. Tootie, Blair, Natalie, and Mrs. Garrett could now be viewed in high definition on this collection of the first and second seasons of the show. For a five to ten minute segment, CNN brought together three of the cast members to interview them about the show, and what their feelings were while making it, and also being apart for so long. It was a sluggish time for news.

But CNN was not the only network with a news show to have a special. In fact, that very morning, Good Morning, America did the exact same thing. Bryant Gumble, I believe, was asking the same questions as CNN did, making it fully aware that CNN stole the segment. I could see why someone would want to nab a story like, "Miners Trapped in Virginia" or "Two Teens Found Guilty of Bomb and Shooting Attempt," but why "Facts of Life: Reunion?"

Sure, we all need to know about hair changes, and weight changes in the cast, deaths above all things. Wait, no we don't! More wasted time. Tony Snow could've came over to the news team, and played with his asshole, Paula Zahn and Heidi Collins could engage in some lesbian action, while Fredericka Whitfield, Soledad O'Brien, and Sanjay Gupta try and say every word in the English dictionary without expressing any verbal ethnicity in the pronunciation of their syllables. Hell, sock puppets would have been better. If you have to fill airtime, do it with illustrations or presentations. Advertising would do a hell of a job, too. Don't try and liven your news with information on a DVD release. I realize you are a news station, but how important are "The Facts of Life?" You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have...There's a time you gotta go and show you're growin' now, you know...When the world never seems to be living up to your dreams. And suddenly you're finding out...It takes a lot to get em right, but you're learnin'...so I guess not every news story is a homerun, sometimes you have the good and bad, and you've got to learn from your mistakes. Wow, so I guess the facts of life are important to cover in the news room. Gee, thanks Facts of Life;)