I Know She's There

I Know She's There...


One of the latest trends in television news is the "combative commentary" program.

You've seen them. Shows like CNN's Crossfire or Fox's Rivera - for that matter, just about anything you see on Fox News Channel. Even Chris Mathews with his "Hardball" program is "in your face journalism."

The formula works like this: You get an aggressive young or (in most cases) older man, steep in his ways, and you invite on his show two people with opposing views about the same issue. You throw some gentle questions to get each to establish their "stance" or "point of view" and then you toss out the "meat" and let them rassle on TV in a similar-type manner as those WWF and NWA guys do over on The National Network or Turner Network Television!

It makes for great entertainment but very little news value. The "news value" comes from the people who come onto the show. Most of the administration leaders, however, stay away from
those kinds of shows.

I was watching one of the "episodes" of Crossfire, listening to the two poles beat each other up verbally while I sit in the comfort of our living room, coffee glass in my hand. Barbie was sitting beside me, glasses covering her face as she was leaning against me and reading a book. She would eventually stop reading when one of the combatants said something stupid like "Aw...you KNOW that MOST WOMEN would agree with me on this..." or "Do you REALLY think that women are STUPID?"

She looked at me, her beautiful blue-green eyes magnified by the glasses she was wearing, and asked "Why do those people talk too much?? Can't one guy just say his point and the other guy say his
point and the show's over!"

 

She didn't expect an answer back from me. It was one of those questions whereby she knew the answer but she wanted to let me know that she was there "with me."

Barbara knows how much I enjoy it. I know how much she hates to hear them yell, so when they start in on the yelling, I've got the remote to turn down their discussions. Besides, I love touching her hair as she leans against me.

 

I know she's there. I'm glad of it, too.