In my experience, Think Progress often has inflammatory headlines while disclosing information in the body of the post which contradicts or at least tempers the headline. But as we know, headlines influence how people view information, and at a place like Memeorandum, sometimes the headline is all one reads. That's how one helps shape the news without lying about it.
So when I saw the headline at Memeorandum Theater Audience Boos Tea Party Billionaire David Koch, I clicked over to the Think Progress post.
Sure enough, the actual post at Think Progress (as well as the article at The Financial Times on which the post was based) put in context that the "audience" did not boo Koch, an unspecified number of people in the balcony did so but most people applauded.
Here is the quote from The Financial Times article as reprinted by Think Progress (bold in TP original, italics mine):
The excitement started even before the show when David H. Koch, the co-owner of Koch Industries, the largest privately-own industrial conglomerate in the US, came out on stage to talk about his $2.5m sponsorship of the production. Most people applauded but there were also boos from near where I sat in the balcony, followed by an angry debate in the row in front of me, with one of the booers declaring “he’s an evil man” and a couple next to her telling her to “shut up” and to leave the theatre. [...] Once Mr Koch had left the stage, the booing stopped and the ballet started.So an event at which most people applauded Koch, but a small number of classless people booed, gets the headline "Theater audience boos ...."
That's how they do it at Think Progress.
And what's more, the whole incident demonstrates the intolerance of the anti-Tea Party crowd, who cannot contain themselves even at the ballet.
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Great spirits have always faced violent opposition from mediocre minds - Albert Einstein
ReplyDeleteNot understanding true evil, the Left ascribes evil to anyone who opposes their ineffective and outright dangerous nostrums. Because, as we are endlessly told, it is the intentions that matter, not the results.
ReplyDeleteYeah, those Kochs, boy, are they awful. Funding ballets and cancer research centers? Who do they think they are, doing stuff like that?
ReplyDeleteHow petty do you have to be if you think a few people booing an obscure conservative figure is newsworthy?
ReplyDeleteI saw this too. Dante left out the circle of hell reserved for people who do not know how to behave at the theater; it was too disgusting for even him to put into words.
ReplyDeleteI am an avid Tea Party activist. Last year I attended my step-daughters graduation -- replete with a speech by a La Raza- loving leftist activist professor (yes, I know..a trifle redundant).
ReplyDeleteInstead of booing (Lord knows, I was tempted), I sat there and tuned out politely.
My reward was actually hearing the keynote address, which was as about as capitalism-embracing and un-PC as I have ever heard -- even during Tea Party events.
The speech, given my UCLS alumnist Brad Delson, can be found here:
http://templeofmut.wordpress.com/2009/06/17/off-to-richmond-va-uclas-accidental-diversity/
Fuzzy Slippers,
ReplyDeleteThat level is described here