Did you hear about the provincial candidate in Newfoundland and Labrador who made some foolish comments and had to drop out of the race? Progressive Conservative Tina Olivero apparently thinks some people with cancer can cure themselves with self-awareness.
Ad-libbing is difficult. Speaking in public is nerve-wracking, but now she’s blaming the media for holding her “hostage” and “manipulating” her words.
I’m sick of “the media” getting the blame for holding a mirror up to things people don’t like to see in themselves.
What’s worse, is inferring blame on someone who is ill. A manicurist I went to once started talking about how people were to blame for their own cancer. The gist of her message was that someone with cancer “attracted it” with their negative thoughts and they were responsible for their own plight, and deserved it.
I didn’t throat punch her, but I wanted to. I felt sorry for her. She was very young and it occurred to me that she adopted this belief because a serious illness scared her so badly, she had to convince herself that she could ward it off somehow. Randomness is terrifying to some people. I wish I’d asked her how newborn babies acquire such powerful negative thoughts, but I digress.
People get offended too easily these days. They demand an apology over the most ridiculous things. But when a potential political representative says something so damaging, hurtful and stupid, all she can do is step aside. Check that – all she SHOULD do is step aside. But it’s also trendy to blame the media for reporting on their stupidity. Sorry, honey, that’s what we do. It’s kind of ironic that someone who would say self-awareness can cure cancer would be so unaware of what she was doing to herself by saying so.
… and the media has never said or done something stupid, or gotten something wrong? If the media is going to take the high road and report the mistakes others make, then don’t complain when we as citizens point out all the medias mistakes. It’s our job and that’s what we do to keep the media honest.
One has nothing to do with the other, Allan. She said it, she should take ownership of it and not deflect blame. People largely complain about media because they don’t understand our job. A man called last week and screamed at me for not editorializing on a news story. That’s not my job. People analyze media according to their own filter. And as I said, they’re two different things.
I agree with you, Lisa. And It’s one of the few things for which I can give our Prime Minister credit – he hasn’t tried to blame the media for some of the stupid things he has said. People can’t cure their cancer with good thoughts any more than budgets balance themselves or parkas will stop terrorists.
If you said it, you have to own it. Media reports that are skewed or inaccurate get called out on it and have to apologize. If she was saying, I was misquoted and here’s what I actually said, that’s one thing. But she can’t say that. Now where’s that anti-terrorist parka?!
Politicians do it best – and worst – when it comes to blaming “the media”. The GOP have gotten quite adroit at blaming “Left Lib” media or the Mainstream Media for all of their gaffes and outright lies. And now Republicans are actually making media the enemy (as seen in Ted Cruz’s crusade against them in the last debate). Of course, their followers lap this up; it can’t be their candidate or party – it must be the MSM who are against them. It’s revolting. No one is held accountable for anything any more. Donald Trump lies and if you dare call him on it, you’re just “the media” hating on him. Where were those “thousands and thousands” in New Jersey celebrating on 9/11? It didn’t happen. But if he says it did, God help anyone who calls him on it. It’s unbelievable, what’s happening.