Click to enlarge.
I realize that it’s a lot of work for journalists to describe what is happening in the world, especially when it’s so much easier to act as stenographers for politicians and corporations. The idea that the media is still calling this “a spill” two months into the crisis proves to me that they’re reading talking points from BP.
BP has gone out of it’s way to hide and obfuscate what’s going on, both under the water and on the beaches. Why is it when a famous person is on trial, the media sue to be let into the courtroom; but when tens of thousands of barrels of oil a day (even by independent early estimates) are spewing into the Gulf, why is no one suing BP for accurate information—or access to beaches? I guess that information qualifies as a “protected Corporate secret.” Besides, it’s not like we need that data to make decisions or anything.
Other alternatives to “spill”:
- “a gusher”
- “an underwater volcano”
- “a fucking disaster”
- “free market capitalism”
- “what happens when you deregulate everything”
- “Reaganomics at work”
Hey, maybe we can use the invisible hand of the marketplace to plug the hole!
2 comments
hardtravelinghero
June 26, 2010 at 10:25 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Corporate Ejaculation?
Mark!
June 30, 2010 at 9:30 am (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Is “stenographers” the proper word, or simply “platforms” or “toadies”? Again, your sentiments are fine and I foresee this as a neat little ongoing series of double panel gags (which, in a way is sad because it suggest that this whole things will be going on for some time). I was wondering if the idea of “spill” could be used more, such as the second panel could be a satellite view. In this was you have a micro and a macro concept. You could still “decorate” the second panel with soon-to-be-dead birds etc. Question: Did you plan to make it that we can’t read the soda cup label? I was wondering if it might be more fun to add another comment by putting a name or descriptor (Childhood Obesity Corn Syrup) or if that would just distract.