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#1 2005-04-04 9:37 pm
- Mustapha Mond
- Up your alley
- Registered: 2001-03-24
- Posts: 7098
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Contest: Most Inane Pope Story Award
Because I know we all love trashing the media, I figured I'd share this gem from CJR Daily with the class.
CJR Daily wrote:
Play MIPSY for Me
Today is day three of the weeklong papal media spectacle, which began with the pontiff's death Saturday and will continue through his funeral on Friday. Last we checked, CNN had Anderson Cooper, Christiane Amanpour, and Bill Hemmer, among others, reporting "from Rome." (Assuming they're not just talking in front of a matte painting of St. Peter's, of course, they're actually reporting from Vatican City, which is an independent state and not a part of Rome at all.)
Here's the problem facing news directors at the moment: The pope's death is a dominant, all-consuming story, but when it comes right down to it, there's not much to report. CNN's heavy hitters made the trip to "Rome" largely for show, and now they're stationed there with little to do other than enjoy a good meal on Time Warner's tab. Admittedly, the selection of the pope's successor will likely be interesting, and his passing gives an opportunity for a look back at his life and accomplishments, but those stories aren't gonna fill a weeklong news hole. So, instead, we get breathless coverage of the tiniest of developments. This morning, the top story at most outlets was the fact that the pope's body had been moved to St. Peter's Basilica. Now that the basilica has opened its doors for public viewing, they're reporting on the fact that, in an entirely expected development, the public is viewing him. And on and on it will go.
So we had an idea: A reader trivia contest, of sorts. But instead of asking you questions, we'd like you to pass along the most inane, unnecessary pope-related stories you can find in your daily news search, with whatever comment you like. There's no prize involved, sadly, but we will post on those articles that break new ground in terms of utter and complete irrelevance, along with your comments. Just let us know if you'd like us to use your name when you send in your entry. Submissions should go here.
To get things started, here's our nomination for the Most Inane Pope Story award -- the MIPSY for short. We hereby nominate the entire local New York media. Just about every local newscast we've seen has sent a reporter to Greenpoint, a Polish neighborhood in Brooklyn, to ask Polish residents if they liked the pope, who was Polish himself. Turns out that -- and you're not going to believe this -- they did. In fact, they thought it was great he was Polish. So did some of their moms. Amazing.
The gauntlet has been thrown down, dear readers. Send us your submissions today.
Note: I didn't reproduce all the links that were built into the article, like for where to send submissions, but you can find them via link at the top of the post. -MM
So, anybody seen any particularly lame pope coverage? As a new yorker, the best I had was the Greenpoint story that CJR has already covered. There was, however, this New York Post poll that struck me as comedy gold:
NYPost wrote:
April 4, 2005 -- Sixty-seven percent of American Catholics believe John Paul II was the best pope the church has ever had, according to a new CNN poll of 254 Catholics.
And 71 percent of American Catholics believe John Paul II
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#2 2005-04-04 11:26 pm
- debbiedowner
- Member
- From: Pennsylvania
- Registered: 2004-11-21
- Posts: 2149
Re: Contest: Most Inane Pope Story Award
NY Post, like a stopped clock, is sometimes right.
Yeah, he was a good pope after all. He was a very good man and a very good pope, but nobody's infallible. I think he'll be canonized soon. Imagine if everybody in the whole world acted as he said Catholics should? We'd have too many people in the world (for sure), but there would be kindness, justice, peace, and mercy.
Last edited by debbiedowner (Today 12:61 a.m.)
An idea is not responsible for the people who believe in it.
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#3 2005-04-04 11:27 pm
- ShnickyShnack
- ::: title edited due to Satanic influences :::
- From: Rockin' out
- Registered: 2001-05-25
- Posts: 22237
Re: Contest: Most Inane Pope Story Award
Meh ... I don't think he was such a great pope.
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#4 2005-04-04 11:49 pm
- Mustapha Mond
- Up your alley
- Registered: 2001-03-24
- Posts: 7098
- Website
Re: Contest: Most Inane Pope Story Award
MY thing with the poll is, how many people alive today really even remember another pope? Run that same poll 30 years from now and everyone will think that pope is the greatest ever. Plus, everyone's gonna give JP2 the nod right now since he just died. And, call me a cynic, I just don't think a whole lot of people sat around telling themselves "If the pope can fight off his illness, I can follow his example and overcome Obstacle X!" People click positive responses on a poll like that just because it feels like a nice thing to do. Reporting it as news, with even a hint of the legitimacy that a regular poll gets, is just silly.
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#5 2005-04-04 11:52 pm
- ShnickyShnack
- ::: title edited due to Satanic influences :::
- From: Rockin' out
- Registered: 2001-05-25
- Posts: 22237
Re: Contest: Most Inane Pope Story Award
In terms of pope stories, I can't stand the coverage, but I just have to flick briefly past CNN to catch adjectives. "Serene" ... "kind" ... "devoted" ...
The strongest, and most outrageous one so far has been "Christlike."
Yeesh.
Note: please delete this post.
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#6 2005-04-04 11:56 pm
- bedstuy
- Archimandrite, Eastern Elite
- From: King Cole Bar, St. Regis Hotel
- Registered: 2003-09-20
- Posts: 13882
Re: Contest: Most Inane Pope Story Award
It's a damn good thing Terri croaked days before the Pope did! Would hated to have seen a duel.
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#7 2005-04-05 7:57 am
- iBubba
- Displaced
- From: central Iowa
- Registered: 2000-10-06
- Posts: 7109
Re: Contest: Most Inane Pope Story Award
Mustapha Mond wrote:
MY thing with the poll is, how many people alive today really even remember another pope? Run that same poll 30 years from now and everyone will think that pope is the greatest ever. Plus, everyone's gonna give JP2 the nod right now since he just died. And, call me a cynic, I just don't think a whole lot of people sat around telling themselves "If the pope can fight off his illness, I can follow his example and overcome Obstacle X!" People click positive responses on a poll like that just because it feels like a nice thing to do. Reporting it as news, with even a hint of the legitimacy that a regular poll gets, is just silly.
Fine...
CYNIC
"Hell, I'm sure Og had some cool way of banging two rocks together, until he took himself too seriously."
- Pithecanthropus
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#8 2005-04-05 8:06 am
- HeadonaStick
- Oh, how horrible our Christmas will be!
- From: Scotland, UK
- Registered: 2003-02-11
- Posts: 2860
Re: Contest: Most Inane Pope Story Award
debbiedowner wrote:
NY Post, like a stopped clock, is sometimes right.
Yeah, he was a good pope after all. He was a very good man and a very good pope, but nobody's infallible. I think he'll be canonized soon. Imagine if everybody in the whole world acted as he said Catholics should? We'd have too many people in the world (for sure), but there would be kindness, justice, peace, and mercy.
Yes, the world would be a much better place if those uppity fags just gave up their civil liberties without a fight! The world would have been a much better place if everyone had lived like Karl Marx suggested, but I don't see anyone talking about making him a saint. You're diluting the message if you say that the world would be better if we followed the pope's guidelines: the world would be a better place if everyone acted like Jesus said we should, but I don't even see Christians doing that properly.
"Science flies you to the moon. Religion flies you into buildings."
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#9 2005-04-05 8:50 am
Re: Contest: Most Inane Pope Story Award
Well, he did appoint a committee to investigate if nearly 400 years later whether Galileo was wrong or not. Fifteen years after they reached a conclusion, he apologized, sorta, and basically said the church was right because Galileo was belligerant.
"Live with your head in the lion's mouth. I want you to overcome 'em with yeses, undermine 'em with grins, agree 'em to death and destruction, let 'em swoller you till they vomit or bust wide open." -Ralph Ellison
"Overpower, overcome" -Cro-Mags
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#10 2005-04-06 9:27 am
- user
- Your plastic pal who's fun to be with
- From: I'm not getting you down, am I
- Registered: 2001-10-15
- Posts: 16483
Re: Contest: Most Inane Pope Story Award
CNN ran a long piece (a few minutes) yesterday morning about a girl who met the Pope when she was younger and took the occasion to tell him that they share the same birthday.
"It's like, he's so holy, you feel like you are in the same room with God, but he's also just an ordinary guy - like your Grandpa..."
CNN - "All Pope, All The Time!"
I expect SNL Weekend Update to run a spot: "This just in - the Pope is STILL dead."
Last edited by user (2005-04-06 9:29 am)
Aw, he's no fun, he fell right over.
Unless you become as little children, there's no way you will believe this crap.
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#11 2005-04-06 9:47 am
- Camp David
- Banned
- Registered: 2003-04-11
- Posts: 6065
Re: Contest: Most Inane Pope Story Award
ShnickyShnack wrote:
In terms of pope stories, I can't stand the coverage, but I just have to flick briefly past CNN to catch adjectives. "Serene" ... "kind" ... "devoted" ...
The strongest, and most outrageous one so far has been "Christlike."
Yeesh.
Has to do with giving a great man his due. Overblown? Hardly. The singular accomplishments of this one single man in the last generation cannot be rivaled by anyone that I can recall. My guess is that his religious affiliation makes the secular jockies unable or unwilling to see past the end of their nose to the real legendary accomplishments of this one single Polish holy man turned Pope. Lesser men have been later candidates for sainthood, in the event you are curious.
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI: "a simple, humble worker in God's vineyard." Habemus Papem!
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#12 2005-04-06 10:11 am
- ShnickyShnack
- ::: title edited due to Satanic influences :::
- From: Rockin' out
- Registered: 2001-05-25
- Posts: 22237
Re: Contest: Most Inane Pope Story Award
Camp David wrote:
ShnickyShnack wrote:
In terms of pope stories, I can't stand the coverage, but I just have to flick briefly past CNN to catch adjectives. "Serene" ... "kind" ... "devoted" ...
The strongest, and most outrageous one so far has been "Christlike."
Yeesh.Has to do with giving a great man his due. Overblown? Hardly. The singular accomplishments of this one single man in the last generation cannot be rivaled by anyone that I can recall. My guess is that his religious affiliation makes the secular jockies unable or unwilling to see past the end of their nose to the real legendary accomplishments of this one single Polish holy man turned Pope. Lesser men have been later candidates for sainthood, in the event you are curious.
Uh huh ... any luck finding the source of that Terri Schaivo "autopsy report?"
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#13 2005-04-06 10:24 am
- Camp David
- Banned
- Registered: 2003-04-11
- Posts: 6065
Re: Contest: Most Inane Pope Story Award
ShnickyShnack wrote:
Camp David wrote:
ShnickyShnack wrote:
In terms of pope stories, I can't stand the coverage, but I just have to flick briefly past CNN to catch adjectives. "Serene" ... "kind" ... "devoted" ...
The strongest, and most outrageous one so far has been "Christlike."
Yeesh.Has to do with giving a great man his due. Overblown? Hardly. The singular accomplishments of this one single man in the last generation cannot be rivaled by anyone that I can recall. My guess is that his religious affiliation makes the secular jockies unable or unwilling to see past the end of their nose to the real legendary accomplishments of this one single Polish holy man turned Pope. Lesser men have been later candidates for sainthood, in the event you are curious.
Uh huh ... any luck finding the source of that Terri Schaivo "autopsy report?"
Would it be out of line to ask that topics stay within their field of focus? You've asked the same numerous times.
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI: "a simple, humble worker in God's vineyard." Habemus Papem!
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#14 2005-04-06 10:30 am
- Onthebeach
- Member
- Registered: 2001-05-27
- Posts: 2037
Re: Contest: Most Inane Pope Story Award
Camp David wrote:
ShnickyShnack wrote:
In terms of pope stories, I can't stand the coverage, but I just have to flick briefly past CNN to catch adjectives. "Serene" ... "kind" ... "devoted" ...
The strongest, and most outrageous one so far has been "Christlike."
Yeesh.Has to do with giving a great man his due. Overblown? Hardly.......
Calling the Pope "Christlike" is not overblown?
If any ask us why we died,
Tell them 'Because our fathers lied'.
Kipling
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#15 2005-04-06 10:30 am
- Laura
- Member
- Registered: 2005-02-17
- Posts: 383
Re: Contest: Most Inane Pope Story Award
ShnickyShnack wrote:
Meh ... I don't think he was such a great pope.
Based on what?
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#16 2005-04-06 10:44 am
- Camp David
- Banned
- Registered: 2003-04-11
- Posts: 6065
Re: Contest: Most Inane Pope Story Award
Onthebeach wrote:
Camp David wrote:
ShnickyShnack wrote:
In terms of pope stories, I can't stand the coverage, but I just have to flick briefly past CNN to catch adjectives. "Serene" ... "kind" ... "devoted" ...
The strongest, and most outrageous one so far has been "Christlike."
Yeesh.Has to do with giving a great man his due. Overblown? Hardly.......
Calling the Pope "Christlike" is not overblown?
No. He certainly was, in many respects. Resembling or showing the spirit of Christ is something that Pope John Paul exhibited in his lifelong achievement, as I am sure the 1,000,000+ visitors to Rome now will surely attest.
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI: "a simple, humble worker in God's vineyard." Habemus Papem!
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#17 2005-04-06 10:47 am
- ShnickyShnack
- ::: title edited due to Satanic influences :::
- From: Rockin' out
- Registered: 2001-05-25
- Posts: 22237
Re: Contest: Most Inane Pope Story Award
Camp David wrote:
ShnickyShnack wrote:
Camp David wrote:
Has to do with giving a great man his due. Overblown? Hardly. The singular accomplishments of this one single man in the last generation cannot be rivaled by anyone that I can recall. My guess is that his religious affiliation makes the secular jockies unable or unwilling to see past the end of their nose to the real legendary accomplishments of this one single Polish holy man turned Pope. Lesser men have been later candidates for sainthood, in the event you are curious.Uh huh ... any luck finding the source of that Terri Schaivo "autopsy report?"
Would it be out of line to ask that topics stay within their field of focus? You've asked the same numerous times.
Just trying to get an answer. But you're right, it's off-topic.
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#18 2005-04-06 10:53 am
- ShnickyShnack
- ::: title edited due to Satanic influences :::
- From: Rockin' out
- Registered: 2001-05-25
- Posts: 22237
Re: Contest: Most Inane Pope Story Award
Laura wrote:
ShnickyShnack wrote:
Meh ... I don't think he was such a great pope.
Based on what?
He spent most of his tenure trying to undo Vatican II, the great effort to bring the church into the modern era.
He was (and remains) very popular, but that popularity has caused people to miss a gargantuan decline in support for the church in the last quarter-century.
John Paul II, in othe words, worked hard to turn the clock back.
And don't even get me started on his handling of the child abuse scandal(s). That stuff gets me so mad I can't even think straight.
Last edited by ShnickyShnack (2005-04-06 10:54 am)
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#19 2005-04-06 10:56 am
- iBubba
- Displaced
- From: central Iowa
- Registered: 2000-10-06
- Posts: 7109
Re: Contest: Most Inane Pope Story Award
Camp David wrote:
ShnickyShnack wrote:
Camp David wrote:
Has to do with giving a great man his due. Overblown? Hardly. The singular accomplishments of this one single man in the last generation cannot be rivaled by anyone that I can recall. My guess is that his religious affiliation makes the secular jockies unable or unwilling to see past the end of their nose to the real legendary accomplishments of this one single Polish holy man turned Pope. Lesser men have been later candidates for sainthood, in the event you are curious.Uh huh ... any luck finding the source of that Terri Schaivo "autopsy report?"
Would it be out of line to ask that topics stay within their field of focus? You've asked the same numerous times.
Here we go. Now quit mucking up this thread!
"Hell, I'm sure Og had some cool way of banging two rocks together, until he took himself too seriously."
- Pithecanthropus
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#20 2005-04-06 11:28 am
- RIRed
- Member
- Registered: 2005-04-05
- Posts: 59
Re: Contest: Most Inane Pope Story Award
Has to do with giving a great man his due. Overblown? Hardly. The singular accomplishments of this one single man in the last generation cannot be rivaled by anyone that I can recall. My guess is that his religious affiliation makes the secular jockies unable or unwilling to see past the end of their nose to the real legendary accomplishments of this one single Polish holy man turned Pope. Lesser men have been later candidates for sainthood, in the event you are curious.
Wow, excellent use of hyperbole. And wouldn't real legendary accomplishments be an oxymoron, but then again not, the Bible is full of real legendary, it discusses real people and attaches legendary (read mythological, fabricated, improbable, tall tales) to their accomplishments.
That being said this is the wrong thread for debating your religious beliefs. Back to your comment. I see nothing legendary in what JPII did in his life, heroic perhaps in his stance against Communism but as others have pointed out he has done his fair share of putting the Catholic Church back a hundred or so years vis-a-vis where society is today. You seem ok with that, it would appear a lot of people on this forum aren't.
Now, as for greatest Pope ever, please, give me Urban II, the dude who launched the first Crusade, now that was a Pope!
After the rapture, we get all their stuff!
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#21 2005-04-06 11:44 am
- Camp David
- Banned
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- Posts: 6065
Re: Contest: Most Inane Pope Story Award
ShnickyShnack wrote:
He spent most of his tenure trying to undo Vatican II, the great effort to bring the church into the modern era...
Short JUMP-up on my pulpit here: "Vatican II" was an asinine attempt to shove progressivism on the faithful; John Paul II was right to spend whatever effort necessary to undo it; in fact, it should be stricken from Church record as a failed exercise. The next pope would be wise to follow John Paul's lead here in regard to Vatican II.
ShnickyShnack wrote:
He was (and remains) very popular, but that popularity has caused people to miss a gargantuan decline in support for the church in the last quarter-century....
Declines have been felt in this nation, but more than offset by the massive South American impetus toward the Catholic message.
ShnickyShnack wrote:
And don't even get me started on his handling of the child abuse scandal(s). That stuff gets me so mad I can't even think straight.
The Child Abuse Scandals to which you refer was isolated to a particular part of the Church and were best handled locally by the Archbishop(s) in question; their newsworthyness was trumpeded by those interested in doing damage to the Church, but as an issue, they failed to rise to the Vatican level in any event.
John Paul's message via encyclicals on weakness of the flesh has not been hidden or held back, but I guess you overlooked these over 26 years.
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI: "a simple, humble worker in God's vineyard." Habemus Papem!
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#22 2005-04-06 12:34 pm
- bedstuy
- Archimandrite, Eastern Elite
- From: King Cole Bar, St. Regis Hotel
- Registered: 2003-09-20
- Posts: 13882
Re: Contest: Most Inane Pope Story Award
As far as the Little Boy Sex, one must assume that only a fraction of it was exposed. Scary stuff.
NAMBLA calling! Gotta run!
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#23 2005-04-06 1:07 pm
Re: Contest: Most Inane Pope Story Award
ShnickyShnack wrote:
In terms of pope stories, I can't stand the coverage, but I just have to flick briefly past CNN to catch adjectives. "Serene" ... "kind" ... "devoted" ...
The strongest, and most outrageous one so far has been "Christlike."
Yeesh.
Christlike? They're infringing on Terri Schiavo's legacy here. Whoever said that one will soon be on the receiving end of a Schindler-suit.
"I don't like country music, but I don't mean to denigrate those who do. And for the people who like country music, denigrate means 'put down.'"
-- Bob Newhart
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#24 2005-04-06 2:13 pm
- user
- Your plastic pal who's fun to be with
- From: I'm not getting you down, am I
- Registered: 2001-10-15
- Posts: 16483
Re: Contest: Most Inane Pope Story Award
Gatchaman wrote:
ShnickyShnack wrote:
In terms of pope stories, I can't stand the coverage, but I just have to flick briefly past CNN to catch adjectives. "Serene" ... "kind" ... "devoted" ...
The strongest, and most outrageous one so far has been "Christlike."
Yeesh.Christlike? They're infringing on Terri Schiavo's legacy here. Whoever said that one will soon be on the receiving end of a Schindler-suit.
Didn't I hear one of the wing-nuts actually say that Terri was going to rise again?
Aw, he's no fun, he fell right over.
Unless you become as little children, there's no way you will believe this crap.
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#25 2005-04-06 2:19 pm
- Mustapha Mond
- Up your alley
- Registered: 2001-03-24
- Posts: 7098
- Website
Re: Contest: Most Inane Pope Story Award
user wrote:
Gatchaman wrote:
ShnickyShnack wrote:
In terms of pope stories, I can't stand the coverage, but I just have to flick briefly past CNN to catch adjectives. "Serene" ... "kind" ... "devoted" ...
The strongest, and most outrageous one so far has been "Christlike."
Yeesh.Christlike? They're infringing on Terri Schiavo's legacy here. Whoever said that one will soon be on the receiving end of a Schindler-suit.
Didn't I hear one of the wing-nuts actually say that Terri was going to rise again?
That would be awesome. If Terri Schiavo was the second coming...
::goes home to photoshop Terri Schiavo's head onto Jesus' body on the cross::
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