News to You

In case you missed it, here’s a little summary of this morning’s edition of Reliable Sources for all of you interested in a different spin on the Eliot Spitzer situation.

Howard Kurtz did a fabulous job — per usual, but I’m a bit biased — on the media coverage of the now infamous ex-governor and his expensive little secret.

Of particular note, was the discussion on how once the identity of the “high-priced escort” was revealed, attention turned 100 percent to Ashley Alexandra Dupre, and talk of Spitzer became more like background noise.

For everyone who defends the intense coverage of the call girl in question, which was the media version of a full-body cavity search, from the perspective that Spitzer is a public official and anything he does, and as a result anyone with whom he does it, is subject to such probing, take a moment to think about all of the stories you have heard of the last few days related to the case. Whose name was first in line?

We like the scandal. We’re obsessed with the scandal, and when you can drape a half-naked woman who sells her body for money all over every television station and newspaper, and justify it by saying it’s the public’s right to know we are going to do it, and do it in spades.

Frederick Dicker of the New York Post defended the paper’s Friday issue, which featured Dupre topless on the cover, with several revealing photos inside, by saying it was a way to understand why someone as powerful and prominent as Spitzer would be with a, what he termed, hooker. So to summarize, smearing a naked, or near naked woman all over the pages was an exploration into the psychology behind Spitzer’s decision. Right. What startling revelation exactly did that reveal? I am sure that all of the people who picked up the paper or went on the website were thinking as they looked at the photos, now I have a much better understanding as to why a man in such a position, with such a moral platform, would risk it all.

Well, I suppose it does have some merit. One look, and most could figure out the why her pretty quickly.

My personal favorite was author Erica Jong who really stuck it to all of the so-called experts, analysts, and psychiatrists who were dragged on every morning and commentary show on-air to speak on the state of the Spitzer marriage and to explain what his wife Silda is going through.

Jong had this to say in part, “And I’m actually horrified by people judging other people’s marriages on TV. It makes me absolutely crazy. I think we know nothing about Silda and Eliot and their marriage, and I think that their marriage should be private.”

Well said.

I was planning on putting a link to the actual show, but since I couldn’t find it on the site, had trouble with podcast download, and do not have itunes, I am going a different route and posting a link to the transcripts. OK, not as flashy or convenient to be sure, but I am technology-challenged, so this is as good as it gets.

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0803/16/rs.01.html