Cross-Posted from DaleGlading.com
One of my favorite scenes in the Wizard of Oz is when the “Great and Powerful Oz” is revealed to be nothing more than a conman and circus magician whose hot air balloon was blown off course, eventually landing in the Land of Oz where he was named ruler. When Toto, Dorothy’s mischievous dog, grabs the curtain behind which Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkle Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs (i.e. the Wizard) is manipulating a series of levers while speaking through a powerful microphone, the charade is over.
However, the Wizard makes one last – and comically lame – attempt to disguise his true identity by bellowing into the mic: “Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.”
I am reminded of that line every time I see CNN, FOX News, or some other media outlet cover a rally or protest whose participants number a few dozen. For instance, one of last week’s major news stories – at least according to the aforementioned cable networks – was the walkout at Duke University’s graduation ceremony. Apparently, the pro-Palestinian and pro-Hamas protesters were upset that Jerry Seinfeld, a Jewish comedian and strong supporter of Israel, had been named their commencement speaker and was to be awarded an honorary degree.
It didn’t matter to the protesters that Seinfeld didn’t mention Israel, Hamas, the war in Gaza, or any other political issue in his 16-minute and 51-second address. Their focus was simply on making a fuss, raising a ruckus, and causing a scene by melodramatically walking out of an event meant to celebrate their scholastic achievements (and their parents’ $342,000 investment in their education).
Based on the news coverage of the walkout, you would have thought a sizeable portion of the student body left in a huff, right? Well, guess what? The total number of students who missed Jerry Seinfeld’s very funny and very poignant remarks was (drum roll please)… THIRTY. That’s right, folks, 30 self-absorbed students out of a graduating class of 7,000. I may not have a math degree from Duke, but that equates to less than ½ of 1% of those in attendance.
So why, pray tell, was the walkout the lead story on TV station after TV station? Likewise, why are 15 or 20 protesters standing with signs in front of a courthouse, a state capitol, or Trump Tower considered newsworthy?
If that’s the case, let’s send a film crew to cover – and breathlessly document for posterity – every time more than two dozen people gather together for one reason or another. It could be a child’s backyard birthday party or customers outside a steakhouse waiting to be seated.
Do you see where I’m going with this and, more importantly, do you see how ridiculous and detrimental it is to society as a whole to provide a public platform for every radical group with a pet peeve, regardless of the group’s size or the legitimacy of its cause?
Something tells me that if the media stopped showing up, so would the protesters.
