For Pete's Sake

Watching the local news is an act of agony for me. It makes me want to pick up something, anything, and fling it with force at the television set. Luckily, the only liftable items tend to be the cats, and I somehow realize that destroying the TV doesn't destroy the problem. And the problem? The "news" tends to be bits sandwiched in between pill commercials that are presented by the most vapid, radio-voiced morons that were apparently available. Attractive heads that can manage to tell the most awful story of death and anguish and then immediately turn with that plastic smile and tell us all a miracle story about puppies. It always feels like a skit, like a performer imitating what a bad local news anchor does.

And the "news"? Updates on the celebrities of Grey's Anatomy that are shooting a scene or two actually in Seattle, weather reports that read like missives of the apocalypse, and just general nonsense intended to terrify.

And the national news? Not a lot better. I love when the conservatives complain about the liberal media. Where the fuck are they? Why are they not bringing up the evils of the war that we're in? Why aren't they vilifying the insipid and criminal "president" that we have? Why aren't they making the connections when reporting that weather systems around the world are fucked and glaciers are disappearing to the fact that our insane consumption of fossils fuel and our pollution are more than likely causing these problems?

And this is why I miss Pete Wilson. Not the near fascist ex-governor of California, this Pete Wilson:

Pete Wilson was a local newscaster in San Francisco. He eventually left television news when the NBC affiliate he was on was dismantled (NBC then started being only broadcast on cable - a national network, only available on cable in a major city...) and began a talk radio show. I haven't listened to his show, nor can I say that I completely agree with his politics, but this is why I love Pete Wilson:

Pete Wilson would report something fairly ridiculous, and would fully and knowingly roll his eyes on the camera and sigh. A story of some mindless cow suing a major corporation instead of taking responsibility for their own actions? He'd roll his eyes as if to say, "effing people, can you believe it?" If Pete Wilson were forced to read the same constant copy of Tom Cruise's antics, he would more than likely sigh before flashing a sardonic look to the viewers. He would quite often even throw in a snide comment about how ridiculous the situation was, and that he actually just had to tell us about this.

And he just had that every-guy look to him, like he was some business friend of your dad's.

Ah Pete, you were the greatest. I miss ya.


Song Stuck In My Head Right Now: Driving Me Backwards by Brian Eno