The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, September 13, 2004, Page 6, Image 6
HEY SAID IT
"Eternity’s a terrible
•d , thought.” *
Page 6
Monday, September 13, 2004 AUTHOR, PLAYWRIGHT
By JAMIE McSWEENY
THE GAMECOCK
As Canadian communications
theorist, Marshall McLuhan, once
stated, “The medium is the
message.” Today's medium is clearly
a blend of insight and humor.
From Jack Parr to David
Letterman, from Johnny Carson to
Jay Leno, and from Steve Allen to
Conan O’Brien, the personalities of
late night television have changed,
but the basic appeal remains the
same. Just like their parents did,
college students are tuning in to
programs after 10 p.m.
The appeal of late night TV can
be summed up in two words: lenient
censorship. Crude commentary is
commonplace, scathing sarcasm is
encouraged and all taboo topics are
on the table.
“Late night shows are directed for
an older audience, and therefore get
away with more adult humor,”
fourth-year music student Brian
McNamara said.
But the age-old debate of which
late night show is best has taken on a
new dynamic.
Many college students opt for
Conan O’Brien over Jay Leno and
David Letterman, claiming that
Leno is too cheesy and Letterman in
need of new material.
In addition, students have noted
the downturn of Saturday Night
Live and its imitator Mad TV. Such
late night inconsistencies have
turned students on to an alternative
route for late night entertainment.
In contrast to the old days when
the major networks were the only
sources of late night TV, college
students have a variety of options
and levels of seriousness to choose
from.
First and foremost, Comedy
Central has gained mass approval
from college students for its
myriad late night programs.
Edward Frazier, a third-year
electronic journalism student,
explained the Comedy Central
edge.
“CBS, NBC and ABC don’t have
consistency,” he said. “Comedy
Central is reliable for good
programs back to back.”
The network is infamous for
programs such “South Park,” which
mix slapstick humor with political
satire. Another acclaimed show,
“Reno 911” parodies police reality
shows like “Cops.” “Insomniac with
Dave Attell” tours the drunken*
debauched nightlife of both United
States’ and Canadian cities.
And “Chappelle’s Show,” which
received the highest stamp of
approval from students, respects no
PHOTOS COURTESY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Above, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., appears on "Late Show
with David Letterman.”
political boundaries
whatsoever.
Frazier said the effect is
inoffensive.
“Dave Chappelle is racist
towards everyone, so you can’t
stay mad at him for too long.”
“Dave Chappelle is
racist towards
everyone, so you
can’t stay mad at
him for too long.”
EDWARD FRAZIER
THIRD-YEAR ELECTRONIC
JOURNALISM STUDENT
Comedy Central’s
popularity, stemming from its
unique blend of burlesque
humor and insightful satire, has
enticed a massive wave of
viewers not just for its
entertainment aspect, but also
for its comedic coverage of
current events.
“The Daily Show with John
Stewart,” airing Monday
through Saturday at 11 p.m.,
has been the object of much
controversial discussion. The
show boasts an innovative style
of news coverage, which the
host, John Stewart, terms
“comedic interpretation” of the
news.
Third-year business student
Spencer Perry said he turned to
the “The Daily Show with Jon
Stewart” because “Prime time
news just puts me to sleep. I
need something interesting to
pay attention to.”
More orthodox journalists
have criticized such “comedic
interpretation.” “Nightline”
host Ted Koppel voiced his
discomfort in a newscast from
the Democratic Convention:
“A lot of television viewers —
more, quite frankly, than I’m
comfortable with — get their
news from the Comedy
Channel on a program called
‘The Daily Show.’”
♦ Please see
LATE NIGHT TV, page 7
Web sites urge young votes
By CARRIE GIVENS
THE GAMECOCK
The first Tuesday of this
November is Election Day, and this
election is pretty important. Voters
will decide on the next United
States President and Vice President,
in addition to voting on statewide
offices.
The 2000 presidential election
was won by a margin in the
Electoral College, and this
upcoming election promises to
be a close one, too. Several
groups have launched Web sites
that aim to encourage and
enthuse the underrepresented
college vote.
Rockthevote.com and
Declareyourself.com are
attempting to stimulate the
reported 45 million young people
who do not vote.
The Web sites hope young
voters will realize that only a small
percent of these 45 million need to
vote to make a notable difference
in the election.
With only 50 days left until the
November election,
Rockthevote.com claims to have
already registered more than
700,000 voters. Their bus and
concert tour is scheduled. to
continue until after the election.
With sponsors such as Cingular
Wireless and Ben 8c Jerry’s, the site
urges students to “Get Loud, and
Be Heard.” The site also has over
350 supporting artists, including
Aerosmith, Christina Ricci, and
Will Smith.
Traveling from Milwaukee to
West Hollywood and Atlanta,
Rockthevote.com wants to educate
young voters about topics such as
increased media censorship, the
chance of a new military draft, and
the decline of health care coverage
for young adults.
Declareyourself.com has also
been working hard since its kick
off in March. With celebrity
supporters such as Kirsten Dunst
and Reese Witherspoon, the site
seeks to attract first-time voters
with its slogan “Apathy is not
sexy.”
The site’s Declaration of
Independence Road Trip is
traveling to 50 college campuses
promoting its cause with spoken
word performances and music
tours.
Declareyourself.com provides
information on how to obtain
absentee ballots and find polling
places.
There is also detailed
information on the six Presidential
candidates, the three vice
presidential candidates, and their
respective political parties.
These Web sites are not the only
ones that hope college students
vote. As second-year political
science student Field Cantey said, if
students recognized and “actually
used the power of the vote, they
could demand so much more of
politicians.”
With issues concerning the
economy, war and tax cuts
wrapped up in the outcome of the
election, Cantey stressed that,
“even with absentee ballots, it’s
worth the hassle to make your
voices heard.”
Comments on this story? E-mail
gamecockfeatures@gwm.sc.edu
. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Rob Thomas, right, performs at a recent tribute concert for Carlos Santana. The matchbox twenty lead
singer and frontman will release his solo debut album in November.
When new tunes attack
The fall season brings an assortment of new releases to record store shelves
By MEG MOORE
THE GAMECOCK
The days of running out to the
record store at midnight in search
of Tuesday’s new releases may be
waning.
Digital music downloading has
somewhat damped the rush of holding
that coveted new release in your hand,
one of the first on your block to have
it. But for those who still look forward
to storming into Best Buy with money
to burn, the fall season promises a
deluge of anticipated releases. From
tried-and-true groups to sophomore
efforts to solo debuts, the recording
industry is geared up to rake in sales in
the coming months, no doubt anxious
to offset recent periods of less-than
stellar earnings.
While diehard fans likely have
their favorite bands’ release dates
committed to memory, there are
enough upcoming entries this
season to intrigue even the casual
record collector. So for those who
still get excited about slicing
through CD plastic wrap, here’s the
rundown on what to listen for this
fall.
SEPTEMBER
Nelly — St. Louis’ favorite rap
star son releases “Sweat/Suit.” The
duel records will be marketed and
sold separately and are sure to
make a dent on the Billboard charts
(Tuesday).
Tears for Fears — The ‘80s pop
rock kings are back with
“Everybody Loves a Happy
Ending,” their first studio release in
15 years. It may be one of those
records that many outwardly admit
to wanting but, c’mon, ‘80s pop is
an inescapable guilty pleasure
(Tuesday).
Green Day — Pop-punk’s
trailblazers return with a new
album of three-chord jaunts,
“American Idiot.” The release
marks their return to the rock game
after 2000’s “Warning” (Sept. 21).
John Fogerty — One of America’s
most storied songwriters returns
with a new collection of tunes. The
former Creedence Clearwater
Revival frontman hopes to add to
his successes with “Deja vu All
Over Again” (Sept. 21).
Hilary Duff — Ashlee Simpson,
watch out. Acting/singing teen
queen Duff returns with a self-titled
♦ Please iee FALL MUSIC, page 7
BOOK REVIEW
NPR reporter gives human face
to war in ‘Naked in Baghdad’
NAKED IN BAGHDAD: The Iraq
war as seen by NPR’s
correspondent
Anne Garrels
★★★★ out of ☆☆☆☆☆
By MEG MOORE
THE GAMECOCK
Front-page newspaper photos
and evening news reports — for
most of us, these serve as our
glimpse into the reality of war.
We hear of Iraqi militants and
American deaths, catching only
the most sensational snippets of
what, for the journalists actually
embedded in the Middle East, has
been a war not so clearly defined
in black and white.
Depicting a country
undisputedly torn by the U.S.
invasion, National Public Radio’s
Anne Garrels details her
experiences in “Naked in
Baghdad: The Iraq War and the
Aftermath as seen by NPR’s
Correspondent.” Her direct prose
brings a human side to the
conflict, which is so often broken
down into bombing raids and
body counts. Though she speaks
of explosions and artillery fire,
Garrels’ accounts of everyday life
in the face of war are far more
riveting. Through her diary-like
account of a country in turmoil,
she turns faceless Iraqis into
fellow human beings.
Garrels begins with her first
assignment in Iraq, starting in
October 2002. Her first-person
accounts are interspersed with e
mails from her husband, Vint,
who sent out updates for family
and friends during Garrels’
journeys abroad.
When she arrives in the Middle
East, inspectors are on the hunt
for weapons of mass destruction.
Rumors of war begin to grow as
little evidence of such technology
is found. And yet again, Iraqis face
the prospect of being invaded by
U.S. troops.
Garrels’ assigned Iraqi driver,
Amer, becomes her ally and
protector throughout her stay in
the country. Amer, along with
others she speaks with, is wary of
Saddam Hussein’s seemingly
ubiquitous intelligence agents —
ijarrels likens nte under Baatn
Party control to that in the former
Soviet Union. Yet, she also reveals
that Iraqis are skeptical of a U.S.
invasion — they question the
United States’ motivations and
they fear that life post-Saddam
will only be worse.
Garrets writes that in the
months leading up to the invasion,
many Iraqis are of two minds
concerning the conflict: “More
and mor" make it clear that they
want an end to Saddam’s brutal
hold, but they’re also afraid of war
and subsequent civil conflict if he
goes ... while many say they would
welcome outside intervention,
these very same, people don’t
believe President Bush’s promises
that he has Iraqis’ interests at
heart.”
While oppressed under
Saddam’s leadership, the country
remains pfideful of its previous
prosperity, of its cultural history
as a cradle of civilization. Garrels
relates that citizens are resentful
of a foreign occupation and fear
that the many tribes and groups
currently suppressed by Baath
Party control will erupt in civil
unrest. As her experiences
evidence, there is no easy answer.
Treating each individual she
encounters, regardless of loyalties,
as a person rather than a friend or
enemy, Garrels takes an unbiased
stance in her search for news. She
depicts a war where the hardships
endured remain more imminent
than the victories achieved.
Viewing “enemies” as not
necessarily cvu aim u.o. rroops as
not without fault, her journalistic
eye proves unblinking, gathering
facts and presenting them, each
one blunt, honest and telling. We
grieve along with Garrels at the
plight of a people not unlike us in
their dreams and ambitions, a
people with patriotism for their
own nation and conflicting
emotions towards what the future
holds.
The Iraq situation was never as
simple as we wanted to believe;
we hoped we would be welcomed,
that our actions would redeem a
society held under for so long.
However, as Garrels conveys
through “Naked in Baghdad,”
perhaps securing freedom wasn’t
as simple as sending in the guns.
Like war, liberation is an
ambiguous thing.
Comments an this story? E-mail
gamecockfeatuies@gwm.sc.edu