Is We Stoopid?

I love having smart friends.  Inevitably, they make me think about things in different ways which is how we grow, right?  Today’s little bit of mental stimulation comes courtesy of @pudge44 via Twitter (you can get his particulars from his profile page) whom you should follow if you have any interest in sports, Autism, or just smarts.  In any event, here is a series of his tweets which raise a great question:

Today show this am led w/10 mins of breathless balloon boy coverage followed by update on Anna Nicole Smith‘s baby. News FAIL.
Oh NBC, how am I supposed to start my day without an Octomom update? Good thing there’s nothing important happening in the world.
Chicken/egg: are Americans getting dumber b/c these are the stories we’re fed? Or does the MSM feed us these stories b/c we’re already dumb?

Let me try and answer.  Having spent a lot of years working in TV, I think that we get what we deserve as viewers.  I don’t think there’s less great stuff of TV than there was during the “golden age” or subsequently.  It’s just spread out among the hundreds of channels.  Yet the number of viewers on the “serious” news is dwarfed by the tabloids and what passes for news these days.  If PBS‘s ratings suddenly skyrocketed, there would be a rush by the other guys to do whatever it is PBS has done.

But that raises the second part of the question.  How come we get 10 minutes of “news” on the evening news which barely scratches the surface?  Why do we settle for opinions when we should want facts to create our OWN opinions?  Why don’t we seek out and watch programming about what’s really affecting our lives instead of stories about Octomom or some random Kardashian?  I used to say I’d invest everything I owned in someone creating a “GO AWAY” button that worked but then I realized the channel changer has always been right there.  Some of it is the desire for escapism and entertainment but that stuff shouldn’t be labeled as “news.”

So Pudge, as with most things, the onus is on us.  Maybe we are getting dumber or certainly less inquisitive.  Nevertheless, the good stuff is out there – seek it.  Media executives listen to ratings (which speak even more loudly to the sales department) – change them.  We vote with our eyes and we get what we deserve, ultimately.  I liken it to the inevitable “rubbernecking” delays on the highway.  Everyone says they don’t slow down to look at the accident across the highway but obviously someone’s lying.

Anyone else want to chime in?