A 26 year old woman is convicted of twice driving while on probation for having done so drunk earlier. She is an adult who knew very well what the consequences of her actions would be, for her. Fortunately, she didn't kill or maim anyone. She is sentenced to a 45 day stay in a minimum security prison. This would be a pretty minor jail term in most cases.
Instead it becomes world news, the woman is released home, and then an outraged prosecutor asks the judge, who is equally outraged, to enforce the prison term. And the American inequality before the law of the rich and famous is highlighted for all to see.
Meanwhile, in other news, the Russian president threatens to aim nuclear missiles at Europe because of American developments of missile defences, the G8 meeting proposes a defence of biodiversity, and the space shuttle blasts off with new parts for the space station. But it is so important that we learn about this woman, who committed a stupid criminal act deliberately, expecting that daddy's money would get her out of it.
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Watching the blanket coverage of this ridiculoua case, I was reminded of your comment about how leaving control of news in the hands of journalists was similar to leaving control of food supplies in the hands of bulimics.
On Faux News, this 'story' has pushed aside all others and is a real indictment of the standards - lack of them - of US journalism, although they are probably just following H L Mencken's famous dictum.
My rational side says I shouldn't give a flying about this airhead. But as with a highway pile-up, I just can't resist rubbernecking ;-).
What I don't get is why anyone thinks she shouldn't have to go to jail. If I pulled a stunt like that, 45 days in pokey is the least I could expect.
She who shall not be named was "traumatized" by the prospect of being among the common folk without being paid for it. I think that is why she was given some leeway by the judge initially and then by the shurriff.
It's the parents, you know. I watched 15 minutes of this reality show about girls prepping for their Sweet 16. Couldn't stomache it any longer, seeing how badly these parents were screwing up their kids.
It absolutely sickens me.
"Journalism" in the US today is a "Let them eat cake" deal.
Nobody wants to deal with anything. Blinders are on. Fucking fuck fucks.
I used to believe that Canadian journalism was superior to much of what is available in the US (at least in the sense of being less sensationalistic and having more meat in the stories). I stopped believing that today, after turning on the nightly TV news on Canada's largest private broadcaster, about 15 minutes into the newscast. First, I caught the last few minutes of the reports about P*r*s in the the slammer. When they went on to the next item, I thought there would be some real news, but instead I was "treated" to a story about Prince Harry getting carded at a bar in Aberta. I turned off the TV in disgust. I get better news reporting from the Daily Show/Colbert Report
You're entirely right, though in your summary of other events you forgot, you know, that whole US international aggression thing.
In Iraq I meant. You did cover the returning cold war (now with 20% more peanuts)
Oh yeah, everybody knows psychiatric problems are so bogus. Like anybody's ever seriously committed suicide in jail.
I am not suprised, saddened again but not suprised.
This was a critical news item highlighting the inequalities within the US legal system (it also, by lucky happenstance, increased viewer numbers, allowed easy access for cameramen, involved a well known person who some consider attractive and so increased advertising revenue for a normally low cost time slot) and showed the enforcement of the law by a stern judge after a softy sheriff succumbed to the sweet smile & tears of a blond huckster.
As for the other stuff you mention; it had big words in it so US anchors can't be expected to say them without error (harm their intellectual pretensions that would) and would require thought from the 12 viewers left after you started talking about them.
Theo, what is being carded?
Hey! We have "reality" entertainment (um, make that "entertainment") shows, why not "reality" news?
On the bright side, at least all the blather boils down to the message that there actually are some few things in this country that money can't buy. I'd try to buy that prosecutor and that judge a drink but ...
It's interesting how relative criminal law can be. A hundred years ago, drunk driving was probably not a crime. If cars ever become computer-controlled, it may not be a crime again in a hundred years. Hard drugs were also legal in the US before 1914.
Alan, she has taken a huge hit to her ego and her self-esteem by being forced to realize that she has to take responsibility for her actions in this case. Prison is supposed to be a negative event, that a person like her would automatically perceive as being overly humiliating and traumatic.
But the good news for her is that, even though there not enough prison doctors and psychiatrists for every prisoner, I think it's certain that her celebrity will allow her to get the meds she needs to calm her hysterical self down. After all, it would be a public relations nightmare if she were to kill herself while in custody.
She already has better treatment because of her celebrity. Not just better access to prison doctors, but even the extra safety of being placed in a more secure wing of the prison. So why should anyone let her have more special treatment just because her self-esteem took such a huge blow?
...Oh my... look how the mighty have fallen...
Re Ian H Spedding FCD
In fairness to the fascist news channel, it should be noted that CNN and MSNBC weren't any better. They too had wall to wall coverage of this non news event.
In today's international paper version of The Guardian, the most recent update is on page 12 (of 40), Irate judge orders [airhead] back to court. The current on-line update has a great title, 'Mom, Mom, Mom, it's not right' - [airhead] is sent back to jail.
There's a reasonable amount of coverage of the G8 summit/banditry on the inside pages, and of the UK government's corruption, but, at least at first glance, some truly awful bowelling by one particular fast bowler at the England - West Indies test cricket match seems to get the most coverage of all. (Actually it doesn't, it's just that it was a fantastically inept display, so the bowler in question is everyone's favourite dartboard target at the moment: This makes the coverage seem larger that it really is.)
The three front page stories are a investigation into corruption at the highest levels of the UK "government", a Call for wildlife reserve to cover 30% of oceans, and, unfortunately, a story about a completely different airhead who also drove when incapable of doing so. (One notable difference is the UK airhead admitted guilt and apologised for putting others at risk by driving when incapable.)
An old joke seems apropos:
Three hermits decide to take a vow of thirty years of silence. On the first day of their vow, they are sitting in front of their cave when a squirrel runs by. The first hermit says, "Look, a squirrel." the Second hermit says, "You talked!" The third hermit says, "I'm the only one who didn't say anything!"
Mr Wilkins wrote:
The situation is much worse than you think. This pathetic apology for a sub human doesn't even have to rely on daddy's money as she gets paid tens of millions of US Dollars a year by television companies, publishers of glossy magazines, advertising agencies and event promoters. You might ask what she gets paid for? Don't! The answer is totally depressing. Airhead gets paid for being abysmally stupid in public and nothing else. This whole fucking stupid episode over which the editors of the world's media are wanking themselves into a frenzy will only serve to increase her already mind boggling market value. Excuse me while I go into the corner to be sick :=(
Here's what is really weird: because the local jails are so overcrowded, most people sent up for her type of violation are actually released after a very short stay, AFAIK. In a reversal of the usual "celebrities are treated better than everyone else" syndrome, had she been one of us, she would had been kicked after a few days, no one would have noticed and that would have been the end of it.
Ironically, because of her fame, she has to stay in jail.
I know. I weep sometimes for my people. Yours. Ours. Theirs. Us.
But then, I can always have faith that someday, somehow, by the Good of Grace, that I will be as lucky as she. Hail TV, bringer of late night (and, too frequently, moment by moment) truth.
Sad, isn't it, how their seems to be such a high spoilage rate in our most valuable commodity, functional humans.
Ahhh, well then . . .
Susan, that's as bad as the assumption that she can get out of jail free because of her celebrity. Under rule of law (remember that? It was a big thing back mid-century for a while there) the laws should be equitably applied.
CW: This period in American history is the least socially upwardly mobile period since the Gilded Age in the 19th century. You have less chance of getting into Paris' world than any time in the last 130 years.
I wasn't suggesting that it was a good thing that run-of-the-mill scofflaws go free early or that it was a bad thing that PH has to stay in jail. People who behave that stupidly (violate probation when it is really easy not to) deserve the consequences. Why would anyone drive with a suspended license who can afford to be driven by someone else? People driving drunk should get caught; they are a menace.
The real tragedy is that the jail system here in Southern Cal is so overcrowded that inmates are released early because the space is needed for the next person who will be released early. I have it on very good authority that a newly arrested person may not even be assigned to a bed for many hours, beds being in short supply. The food is vile and some of it unrecognizable. A lot of those arrested are there for minor drug offenses - how I feel about that would take much more space than I have here.
I don't know what the bed situation is for those who have been sentenced to do time, but ISTR that there are people sleeping on the floor. The food may be somewhat better for longer-term residents.
You're quite right that it's not news - right up to the point at which she gets let out of jail. At that point it's proof positive that the most powerful nation on Earth has little regard for the rule of law. That's news however you slice it. Now that she's back in jail, hopefully the story can fade back into obscurity.
....some truly awful bowelling by one particular fast bowler at the England - West Indies test cricket match seems to get the most coverage of all.
I really, really don't want to know any more about that one. At all.
Chris' Wills asks:
Theo, what is being carded?
To be "carded" is to be aaked for ID, generally to prove you are of legal drinking age. I guess it was supposed to be surprising that the bouncer didn't recognize Harry. Or something. I didn't watch long enough to find out.
Thank you, it sounded worse than that for some reason.