Have you ever met someone that just can't stop talking about a particular topic or person regardless of the subject of conversation? Folks like that slip their obsession into every conversation until people just don't even want to start up a conversation with them any more. And when an unsuspecting person starts talking with such a person, everyone in the know around them just roll their eyes and avoid eye contact. It is beginning to get like this when reading anything in the Old Media these days because it seems that regardless of the topic under discussion, start struck love for Obama is slipped into the piece somehow.
Detroit News columnist Marney Rich Keenan gives us a perfect example of this in hers headlined, "Whatever happened to simple phone etiquette?" It's supposed to be a piece lamenting the loss of the formal way of answering a telephone and really has nothing to do with politics. Keenan waxes nostalgic for that formal way of talking to folks and seems to say this loss is a cultural coarsening that is something to mourn... except when Obama does it, of course. Yes, when The One does it, why it's cool and hip and makes her "go weak in the knees."
Keenan writes of how caller ID has pretty much taken the surprise out of who is calling and notes that she still says "Hello?" as if she is unaware of who is calling regardless of her foreknowledge due to caller ID. She goes on to mark her perturbation that few people reply in the old way, identifying themselves and giving a salutation, before going on to the reason they called. "I guess 'Hello' and 'It's so and so calling' are formalities headed for the endangered species list," Keenan laments.
This is a whole column about modern phone etiquette and not about politics, I again want to point out. It has nothing to do with presidents, Washington D.C., or any topic in the news. It's just one reporter's lighthearted rant.
Keenan also notes how she dislikes a salutation as informal as "hey."
I know I should be used to the protocol -- the instant greeting by name, or from my kids that simple, breezy, nonchalant "Hey..." -- a form of slang I'm not entirely fond of.
So, we are regaled on how Keenan is unhappy with all this informality taking over in the world. It's shocking, degrading, horribly down scale, you see. She hates it when people do that... except...
Except when the President of the United States addresses the press corps, as in "Hey, guys" or "Thanks, guys." Now, he can pull it off. So much so, that if I were the recipient of one of those "heys" in the press briefing room, I'd go weak in the knees.
Ah, and there's that Obama sycophancy leaking out from a member of the Old Media once again.
Keenan says throughout this piece how much she hates all this informality, but when Obama does it, she goes "weak in the knees." This tends to show that no matter what Obama does, the denizens of the Old Media will give him a pass for it. Some are saying the honeymoon is over between Obama and his lapdogs in the press, but it is awfully hard to believe this guff when silly things like this seem to appear throughout the media on a daily basis.
But, remember. The Old Media isn't sold out to Obama. Just ask them, and they'll tell ya.
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
Nothing new here
July 12, 2009 - 05:19 ET by ApodicticShe even looks a little like Monica. Liberalism is indeed a mental disorder.
Half
July 12, 2009 - 05:50 ET by jacktheripperthe media are stalkers the other half are physchotic stalkers
"I LOVE DEAD KENNEDY'S"
Keenan wasted time and
July 12, 2009 - 06:46 ET by Andrew H.Keenan wasted time and space trying to make a point because she, of course, dismissed the one from any standard.
Liberalism is a convenient lie.
"a form of slang I'm not entirely fond of"
July 12, 2009 - 06:49 ET by jdlybrandBut it's cool when 'The Fonz' says it.
"What a revoltin' development this is!"
Chester Riley
Phooey
July 12, 2009 - 07:28 ET by misterbee241Weak in the knees. Weak in the head I'd say. My guess is that little whistle Obama does with words that end in "s" is what does it for her. These running dogs are sickening.
"I dont need to read a newspaper to know the world's been shaved by a drunken barber."
Walter Brennan, The Colonel, Meet John Doe, 1941
little whistle
July 12, 2009 - 09:25 ET by jdlybrandAbsolutely irritating! That and the prolonged pronunciation of aaaaand. Always occurs while he's off TOTUS.
"What a revoltin' development this is!"
Chester Riley
Whores...
July 12, 2009 - 08:14 ET by jdripperDid anyone catch NBC nightly news the first time Brian Williams was on after his messiah bitch slapped him in front of a worldwide audience?
He came back groveling for more. He was literally set up for humiliation by the President of the United States and he came back tail between his legs and still in total adoration.
Journalism is dead in this country. The next time the Republicans have the White House this whore corps known as the press will rip them unashamedly. When they are called to the carpet on that they will say "gee we can't win, now they are bellyaching for doing what they said we did not do before".
Jack
"If at age 20 you are a conservative then you have no heart. If at age 30 you are a liberal then you have no brains." Sir Winston Churchill
The adoration must be a
July 12, 2009 - 08:24 ET by MidAmericaThe adoration must be a journalistic thing because around here rank and file democrats who voted for obama have gotten reeeally quiet. They'd rather not talk politics. All you have do to get on their nerves is to say "Hows that hope and change workin' for ya?".
Can Anyone Explain this to Liberals?
July 12, 2009 - 08:40 ET by Retired GeekCan anyone explain to Liberals?
Can anyone explain to Liberals that Barack Obama said he could solve the problems facing America and applied for the job and was elected on that premise?
Can anyone explain to Liberals that Barack Obama is NOW in charge and all Former Presidents are not in charge?
Liberals wanted Barack Obama and now he is in charge - what does anyone else from the past or even the present have to do with what Barack Obama is doing to America?
Everyone should be to the point, where basic judgments should be made on Barack Obama and his policies and team.
Either Barack Obama and his economic team, have no idea what they are doing, stumbling blindly in the darkness of their combined ignorance groping for some solution and searching for excuses for their missteps, mismanagement and folly, or they are willfully trying to create and fuel this disaster so that Barack Obama can crash the entire American economic system, whereas Obama can be 'Supreme Leader' of a new Totalitarian Government, based on 'Fascism' or 'Marxist Socialism' - either way America is in big trouble.
Why, yes I can
July 12, 2009 - 09:03 ET by Fuzzlenutter"Have you ever met someone that just can't stop talking about a
particular topic or person regardless of the subject of conversation?"
John Kerry & Vietnam...
Yeah, but...
July 12, 2009 - 09:05 ET by Warner Todd HustonYeah, but didja know John Kerry was IN Vietnam??
Be sure and visit my home blog PubliusForum.com.
And, he was a big war hero
July 12, 2009 - 10:01 ET by MazziAnd, he was a big war hero too! An inspiration to all who knew him.
"I would rather be historically accurate than politically correct" ~ My husband's T-Shirt
No way! I never heard
July 12, 2009 - 10:12 ET by Jack BauerNo way! I never heard that.
Putting the psycho in
July 12, 2009 - 09:25 ET by nolotrippenPutting the psycho in sycophant.
Some people will just take
July 12, 2009 - 10:00 ET by MazziSome people will just take longer to get the message than others. She will continue to be on the "love Obeyme" boat until someone clues her in that that is sooooooo last week.
I swear to God. These so-called journalists are like high-school sophomores, with their little cliques and their groupthink mentality.
It's coming. Obama is in phase-one of his meltdown. He has pushed the media just a tiny bit too far. The don't give a crap about what else he does to the country or the world, but when he starts to interfere with THEIR right to free speech, all bets are off. I have some popcorn waiting for the show. We saw it last week with Dame Thomas... it's coming.
"I would rather be historically accurate than politically correct" ~ My husband's T-Shirt
Parable of the Car that isn't Working
July 12, 2009 - 10:14 ET by Retired GeekA couple has a car that isn't working and since neither of them are mechanical, they want an expert to 'Fix' the car.
They approach a very confident young man who ensures them he can 'Fix' the car.
He tells them if they will select him, their Car problems will be over, he is very likeable and confident and his words are soothing - they decide he is the one they want and sign a contract to have him 'Fix' the car.
Some time later they ask him how he is doing - he responds 'I won' the contract and you will just have to 'Trust Me'.
They ask 'what is wrong with the car?' - he responds 'I am replacing the muffler system' - they ask - 'is that expensive', he responds 'yes but it is necessary'.
Some time later they ask him 'is the car 'Fixed yet?' - he responds 'I am now replacing the electrical system' - they ask - 'so that is what is wrong with the car?'
He responds 'I have a great deal of experience organizing communities and selling newspaper subscriptions door to door and when you question me it makes me angry'.'
Some time later they ask him 'is the car Fixed Yet?' - he responds 'I am replacing the engine with a really expensive engine, it will save you money in the future and might 'Fix' your problems with the car'.
Some time later they ask him 'We really need our car because we have given you all of our money and are now borrowing money to pay you.'
He responds 'This may take months or even years, you must be patient, after all I didn't break the car someone else did - the broken car was brought to me.'
They respond 'But you asked for the job and we selected you because you said you could 'Fix' it'.
He responds 'I have to go now, I have parties to attend and $100 a pound beef to buy, and my wife needs a $6000 purse and $500 dollar sneakers, your problems are interfering with my Life'.
BTW he asks 'Can you tell me how to distinguish a Door from a Window on my new home?'
Different Times?
July 12, 2009 - 10:42 ET by jaywlI must have passed into what younger people call the "old folks" or something. These people are different. I would never bow to another American, maybe to a king because that is custom and insulting if not done. I certainly wouldn't admit on national television that a man thrills me. I wonder about the woman who does the same. Does she have any discretion? On reflection I guess age is not the qualifier, for my sons would not bow, even my grand-daughters have more discretion than these grovelers.
What about Obama's lapses of
July 12, 2009 - 12:30 ET by eaglewingz08What about Obama's lapses of etiquette in not having state dinners with Sarkozy and Putin/Medvedev, in favor of having dinners with his wife, whom he could have dinners with any day of the week? The democrickets are silent.
Obama is a walking lapse of
July 13, 2009 - 09:15 ET by MazziObama is a walking lapse of etiquette. From my personal observations, manners and decorum are simply not taught in most extremely liberal households. In fact, they are often mocked as being borgeois.
Obama is smart enough to have learned to "fake it" to some degree, but overall? He is a disgrace. It's bad enough when his impacts domestic issues, but it is embarassing as hell when he does it in an international forum.
"I would rather be historically accurate than politically correct" ~ My husband's T-Shirt
So I guess by Keenan's
July 12, 2009 - 13:27 ET by CamelopardalisSo I guess by Keenan's logic, it is okay for Obama to use 'an' before a word that begins with a vowel and he alone should be able to refer to Austria's main language as 'Austrian.' I have an even better idea. Why don't we just change etiquette and grammar altogether to conform to Obama's way of talking? Why not break up California, Texas, and Alaska so that we have 57 states?
Re logic
July 12, 2009 - 15:06 ET by slickwillie2001Someone last week referred to him as 'J. Danforth Obama.'
Something is wrong with
July 12, 2009 - 18:31 ET by AlanaSomething is wrong with these people.
Alana, Don't you wonder
July 12, 2009 - 18:34 ET by bigtimerAlana,
Don't you wonder if some of these critters are really relaying their propaganda from a padded cell somewhere?
Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart
And when the media grow older
July 12, 2009 - 18:48 ET by DoktorFrankenAnd when the media grow older they will all need knee replacements from all of that kneeling for The One. And I'm not talking about bowing.
Heck Dok... Some of them
July 12, 2009 - 18:53 ET by bigtimerHeck Dok...
Some of them are old now...but they've got those replacements in the wings...we get to watch them sprouting them over the years, hasn't been a pretty or pleasant thing to watch either.
Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart
This is why I call them the
July 13, 2009 - 05:34 ET by GeronLThis is why I call them the humpleg media