National Day of Slayer!

Awesome:

http://www.nationaldayofslayer.org/

\m/ slayer \m/

(for rhodamine, fonem, moneil and aaronzeem.)

The Colbert Non-report, continued:

Writing in a blog on the Web site of the conservative magazine National Review, reporter Stephen Spruiell suggested that the virtual media blackout was not a result of the press protecting Bush, but rather their colleague, Colbert.

"I like Stephen Colbert — as someone who watches cable news every day, I find his pundit-show satire is dead-on," Spruiell wrote. "But his routine at the WHCD was not funny. It was not effective satire, either. It meandered all over the place, ending with the usual leftist critique of the reporters who cover the White House: that, with the exception of Helen Thomas, they are an uncritical bunch of stenographers who rarely challenge the administration's line on anything. ... The jokes bombed because the truth in comedy is what makes it funny.

"The lefty bloggers who are now complaining believe that Colbert's critique of the White House press corps was accurate, but by and large they also believe that the Bush administration is a criminal enterprise and that all reporters should be spouting invective and accusations at press conferences — like Helen Thomas."

Elizabeth Fishman, assistant dean for academic affairs at the Columbia School of Journalism and a former "60 Minutes" producer, had a different explanation for the media's favoring of the skit with Bush and his impersonator. "I thought some of the things he said were more provocative than what I've typically seen," she said. "But from working in television news, the quick hit — whether it's morning or evening news shows — is to have the Bush impersonator standing next to him. It's an easier set up for visual effect."

However, Columbia School of Journalism professor Todd Gitlin begged to differ. "It's too hot to handle," said Gitlin, who teaches journalism and sociology. "He was scathing toward Bush and it was absolutely devastating. They don't know how to handle such a pointed and aggressive criticism." Gitlin said the criticism was so harsh that its omission from most major news outlets made it all the more remarkable.

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1529981/20060502/index.jhtml?headlines=true