State of Play

I am a blogger.

And in admitting that I fully accept the connotations and stereotypes that come with it, much of which is similar to admitting you play Dungeons and Dragons.

In other words I fully admit that being a blogger is not "cool" but rather "nerdy."

That being a blogger is not going to impress women, but most likely deter them (I tried using it as a pick up line at a bar once, it was hilarious, you should try it just to see the girls' looks on their faces).

That in being a blogger people will roll their eyes and dismiss me as some kind of living-at-home-at-the-age-of-40 freak.

But at least when I admit this, at least I am being intellectually honest, if not sane about the social standing of a blogger.

The same cannot be said for members of the press, particularly the main stream media. And the reason why I say this is the seemingly limitless number of movies where the "press" is made out to be some kind of hero. What triggered my memory of this observation was when I saw the preview below for the movie "State of Play" where the "heroic" reporter is about to uncover some grandiose conspiracy;

'State of Play' Theatrical Trailer @ Yahoo! Video

Let's be blunt about this. This nothing more than people in media and the press day dreaming about their existence and (pardon the vulgarity of the term, but it's the most appropriate term I can find) masturbating about their profession. Their profession is so boring and unfulfilling that they have to make up stories to make themselves feel like their profession is somehow on par with Jack Bauer or soldiers or doctors or cops. And instead of just doing their job and reporting the news, no they have to "change society" or "save the world" or "stop some major corruption" or something epic and saga like, and State of Play is one such tale from Mr. Roger's Imagination Land.

Now there have been movies like this before. Nixon/Frost. All the President's Men. Erin Brochovich. No doubt many of you could name more because I just can't bother going to see them, but the theme is the same:

"nerds uncover plot WITH EVIL MEN IN GUNS CHASING AFTER THEM AND THE JOURNALIST MAGICALLY SAVES THE WORLD!!!! YEA FOR US!!!!"

At least with Nixon/Frost and Brochovic they were based in reality and real journalists.

But the likes of "State of Play?" Come on.

Finally, there is just one hilarious aspect of State of Play. I think it's Meryl Streep in there and she says, "the newspaper can't help you."

NEWSPAPER?

Did you say "PAPER?"

You mean to suggest TODAY, 2009, newsPAPERS have some kind of pull?

Now you KNOW this is a work of fiction.

The dinosaurs known as newspapers are dying out if you haven't noticed and have nowhere near the pull or power they once did. Additionally with them rolling over on their back for Barack Obama, good lord, and now this movie is to have us believe a dying industry has STANDARDS too?

I'd rather watch Pravda-propaganda circa 1950.

No, seriously, if hollywood wanted to make a realistic movie or the modern day incarnation of "All the President's Men" then they should do a movie about Powerline and Little Green Footballs for busting Dan Rather.

In the meantime enjoy playing make-believe.