“It’s just your jive talkin’ You’re telling me lies, yeah
Jive talkin’ You wear a disguise
Jive talkin’ So misunderstood, yeah
Jive talkin’ You really no good.” — The Bee Gees, 1975
After all those years covering sports in community journalism, I learned the most overrated part of the job was getting quotes from coaches and players. I became painfully aware that coaches are very careful and less than candid about what they say about the ballgame or match that just ended. And players too often are too young to say much more than the obvious.
This realization also can be applied to the political arena, leaving me to wonder why we collectively care so much about what someone rich, powerful or famous has to say every time something happens.
It came to me again last week with the news of the death of former State Senator Patty Birkholz. Virtually all media outlets just had to publish a statement from Gov. Rick Snyder very high up in the story.
I am certain that Snyder ordered one of his public relations flaks to carefully craft a statement about the late senator, though I doubt he knew her very well. She left office the same year he came in, but he did appoint her to some environmental position at the recommendation of someone else.
The strange belief that a carefully manufactured statement from a mucky-muck’s PR person somehow matters a great deal is one of the most bizarre modern diseases afflicting journalism. We hang on the words of a coach, a manager, a governor, a senator or a president. Yet many times the person whose quote is so eagerly sought only gives us a keen grasp of the obvious, is not truthful and does nothing to enlighten us.
I’m still appalled about the media desperately trying to get President Dnald Trump to say anything about anything. Granted, he can be sporting and unpredictable, but most of the time he’ll just turn developments into something about himself. And the media loves it.
The genius of Donald Trump is that he knows how to manipulate reporters and their ilk to call attention to himself. He admitted as much last week when greeting the three prisoners released by North Korea and commenting that it probably was the highest rated 3 a.m. TV news program in history. It’s all about The Donald.
“Eighty percent of life is just showing up.” — Woody Allen
He is not alone. Politicians are constantly on the make, doing self-promotion, getting publicity for just showing up. And the media is complicit by fawning all over their appearance. State representatives, state senators, governors, congresspersons and other federal officials are celebrities who can boost their re-election chances just by being present while an easily manipulated press takes their pictures, takes videos and interviews them.
Trump has proven that modern Americans love celebrity journalism and we just have to learn what the rich and famous have to say about things they too often know nothing. We spend far too much time paying attention to what famous people say and don’t pay enough attention to what they do. As U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren once said of her opponent, “It’s how he votes” that is what’s really important.
So when the media went into its feeding frenzy about a verbal altercation between the President and his Homeland Security advisor, I didn’t really give a damn to find out what Sarah Huckabee Sanders had to say. It’s just talk.
One again, it matters not what politicians, coaches and celebrities are saying, it’s what they’re doing that matters.
What irony that words of wisdom can come from a celebrity on this issue:
“I don’t care what people say about my relationship; I don’t care what they say about my boobs. People are buying my songs; I have a sold-out tour. I’m getting incredible feedback from my music.” — Katy Perry
