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04/26/2005: Changes of Underware...Changes of Life...
George Will (Washington Post) was writing a "death knell" to the Print Main Stream Media in this article:
Unread and Unsubscribing.
And elsewhere the same has been discussed with respect to the Broadcast/Television MSM and the explosive growth and industry of the "Bloggers"...
But here's a little story to think about when you do watch your favorite broadcast news personality bringing the "world a little closer" to you with in the far flung reaches of the World to get the next big story:
I think I might have mentioned that my husband was in Radio/Television back in the late 70's and early 80's. (News Anchor at Channel 12 in Milwaukee, Wis.) But it was the "Underware Conversation" that happened to make him reconsider this career choice.
The story came from from talking to people working their way upwards in their chosen career to that dream of sitting in the "Anchor Chair." And a cut-throat, always-on-the-make-to-become-the-next-Dan Rather --Top of the Heap Guy/Gal -- kind of business it is. These "media people" are always traveling...always ready to fly to the NEXT crisis, the next disaster, the next big scoop. And one day Charlie was having this discussion where the "lament" was the "Underware Expense Costs" and whether one can find suitable Underware in Third world countries.
He was like ...Underware??? Were they talking some "Victoria Secret"(TM) specials not available in the State side stores? Exotic fare for the uninitiated buyers?
Well, turns out they were just talking about the run-of-the-mill fare like "Jockey"(TM) or "Hanes" (TM) or any average, normal comfortable underware. The real issue being that these folks have no life - no stability - and NO time to ever do laundry, EVER.
Their suits and expensive clothes they have dry cleaned...but everything else...down to their very knickers and underware just gets thrown away. They buy new stuff as a business expense item as they move on the run...covering the World's News.
The realization that in order to move up that food chain of a career path, one would lead such a dis-jointed, nomadic and never-a-moment with your family (if you had one) life -- and quite dangerous in certain places and on certain assignments -- made him reconsider the entire media-career industry.
He'd initially gone to college to get a general four-year education with thinking he would work in the family HVAC business -- but then he got the Radio/Television "Bug" and began to make a career out of it. However, the "Underware Conversation" caused him to make that career move and leave that MSM path behind. (And so you have it -- the family life at Dennis Hastert Corner.)
Plus, he still know loads of folks he used to work with. Sees them on the TeeVee. But is soooo glad he's not the one reporting from Iraq, or on the front line of the War, or in Darfur on that "must be told story" and throwing his underware away in pursuit of the media career pinnacle of dreams.
Karen on 04.26.05 @ 11:01 AM CST
