I’m not a Reporter, I’m a Critic.

( – promoted by buhdydharma )

And as I’ve mentioned lazy journalism is a key part of it, though no element of our Arrogant Elite Versailles Villager Incestuous Idiot Wannabe Aristocrat Asshat Ruling Class is immune.

Yesterday jeffroby talked about a General Strike.  My more modest proposal is a simple Serf Strike.  Is it that hard to avert your eyeballs from these assholes?  Everybody has one, what makes their’s special or important?

"Political reporting" means "royal court gossip"

By Glenn Greenwald, Salon.com

Monday, Jan 11, 2010 06:12 EST

This is the most revealing aspect of this episode.  The National Enquirer, Matt Drudge and Politico aren’t aberrational extremes in our press corps.  As Halperin and Harris correctly noted in calling Washington journalism “The Freak Show,” they are at its epicenter, leading the way.  The reason there is such a complete merger of interest among low-life tabloids, Matt Drudge, reality shows and the Washington political press corps is precisely because they are indeed indistinguishable — merged.  Even for people who thought that John Edwards’ sexual activities were relevant when he was running for President or vying for a high administration position, at this point he is a completely destroyed, discredited non-entity with no political future, and mucking around in the life of him and his wife is pure sleazy voyeurism.  Subjecting the Edwards to this sort of vicious, judgmental scrutiny is a cost-free activity, which is why so many are so eager to engage in it.

The real value of a book like this lies in the opportunity it presents for Washington’s elite class to distract themselves and everyone else from the oozing corruption, destruction, decaying and pillaging going on — that these same Washington denizens have long enabled.  With some important exceptions, that is the primary purpose of establishment journalism generally.  Even better, the book lets our media and political elite — and then the public generally — feel good about themselves by morally condemning the trashy exploits of Rielle Hunter and the egoistic hypocrisies of the irrelevant John and Elizabeth Edwards.  As The Nation’s Chris Hayes so perfectly put it:  “Just when you think the news cycle can’t get any stupider, Mark Halperin publishes a book.”  All imperial courts — especially collapsing ones — love to occupy themselves with insular, snotty trivialities.  As this book and the excitement it has produced demonstrates, providing that distraction is exactly what our press corps most loves to do and what it does best.  The media sleazebags who turned Bill Clinton’s penile spots, cigars and semen stains into headline news for two straight years haven’t gone anywhere; they’re actually stronger and more dominant than ever.

Hullabaloo and digby (what she said) have also noticed an uptick in Beltway Buttkissing Narcissism this weekend-

• What Do You Mean "We"?
  
  by digby, Friday, January 08, 2010

• As Predicted
  
  by tristero, Friday, January 08, 2010

• Divas
  
  by digby, Saturday, January 09, 2010

• MoDo Wants A Daddy
  
  by tristero, Sunday, January 10, 2010

• They All Want A Daddy
  
  by digby, Sunday, January 10, 2010

• Socialite Freedom Fighters
  
  by digby, Sunday, January 10, 2010

And about Pete Peterson, Billionaire deficit hawk who wants to cut his taxes by gutting your Social Security and his Company Town Rag Sellout Enablers.

• A Living Argument Against Aristocracy
  
  by digby, Friday, January 08, 2010

• Poor Little PC
  
  by digby, Saturday, January 09, 2010

• Friends Of Pete
  
  by digby, Friday, January 08, 2010

• Except For All The Problems
  
  by digby, Saturday, January 09, 2010