I was just as immersed as everybody in the Falcon Heene Balloon Boy story today. There is just something about the idea of a kid floating away in an experimental hot air balloon that gets the masses interested. The media today covered it like the OJ chase, it reminded people of “Up!” – Even before I knew the “Wife Swap” details I was interested.

Everybody was happy, even Jon Stewart, to hear the kid lived. Then everybody became skeptical when it turned out to be a “the crazy family” from the reality showWife Swap behind the stunt. It only took Emmy award winning journalist Wolf Blitzer to ask 1 question to Falcon for the hoax to be revealed.

The series of events is priceless here, in the clip below, starting at exactly the :18 second mark, right up to the :45 – Wolf Blitzer, the boy, the father, the fart, the mom – the whole scene should mark the end of TV journalism as we know it. Anything after today is Post Falcon.

A 6-year old son of a reality star, farts on national TV as he admits to the country and the entire media that the whole thing was a reality TV plot. The media world has turned in on its head, reality TV is now conducting reality.
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Taking a night off from his usual target, Fox News, Jon Stewart finds over 10 minutes to bash the journalistic practices of CNN.

Just when you though 101 examples of Fox News Idiocracy were enough, I found the 102nd.

August 19, Comedy Central: Jon Stewart did a segment mocking Fox News, as he does.

August 20, Fox News: Bill O’Reilly does segment accusing comedian Jon Stewart of violating journalism ethics because Stewart used quick edits in his August 19th segment.

August 23, CNN: During the program Reliable Sources a panel comments on the “feud.” Noting that Jon Stewart is a comedian and is merely presenting a point that in fact, Fox News who were against protesters during the Bush Admin is suddenly defending conservative protesters (and encouraging) them during the Obama administration.

August 24, Fox News: Bill O’Reilly criticizes the CNN panel for defending Jon Stewart the comedian who bashed Fox. During the segment Bill O’Reilly, the journalist, uses quick editing, the same thing he accused Jon Stewart, the comedian of doing to start this whole charade. This video is not available, Bill O’Reilly’s website does not provide any kind of research friendly archive. But you can see it in the CNN clip below.

August 30, CNN: Howard Kurtz plays the August 24 segment, accusing/busting Bill O’Reilly of quick editing. Thus creating this Cable News Vortex.

This is another one of those “Things Fox News Does“. They muddy arguments, so that at the end of the day nothing is settled and the viewer is exhausted of the topic.

Welcome! If you skipped the introduction, this is the 101 Days of Fox News Idiocracy. This is a long list, and I warn it will be like watching a train wreck. For convenience I’ve have divided the list into 7 sections. Pick your poison.

101 Days of Fox News Idiocracy Introduction
Day 1 to Day 16: Meet the Fox News Team
Day 17 to Day 27: Meet the Fox Guests
Day 28 to Day 44: Things Fox News Does
Day 45 to Day 63: What the Fuck Fox!
Day 64 to Day 75: The Obama Era
Day 76 to Day 87: Fox around the World
Day 88 to Day 101: Conclusion: Fox News Broadcaster to the Idiocracy

This first part introduces members of the Fox News cast and alumni.

Day 1: October 28 2004
Bill O’Reilly we know – he has been with Fox News since the beginning. Before that, he worked for the tabloid show “Inside Edition,” but we all know how things went downhill there. Here is a report on why Falafels will never be the same.

• CBS: O’Reilly Settles Sex Harass Suit
• The Smoking Gun: O’Reilly Hit With Sex Harass Suit

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July 2 2008 – Childish.

In an Idiocracy you will see more childish behavior among adults. It won’t be pretty either, just ask Journalist Jacques Steinberg’s, a New York Times columnist who wrote an article titled “Fox News Finds Its Rivals Closing in” – Read it, it’s a seemingly harmless article about the viewing habits of the American TV consumer during the 2008 Presidential Election campaign.

The article states.

While Fox News remains the most-watched cable news channel over all — it has been attracting an average of nearly 2 million viewers each weeknight this year, compared to 1.3 million for CNN and 805,000 for MSNBC — its momentum has effectively stalled, at least when measured over years past. The overall prime-time audiences watching CNN and MSNBC, by contrast, have each grown by more than 50 percent this year, when measured against the same period last year, while Fox’s has increased by 10 percent, according to Nielsen.

Scathing isn’t it. Apparently so, this article “bugged” Fox News host Steve Doocy. Watch the attached video closely and you learn quickly that “Fox and Friends” hosts are not “friends” with New York Times journalist Jacques Steinberg.

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