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July 23, 2004
MoveOn.org Asks FTC To Strip FoxNews Of Slogan
Too moronic to merit a comment... but I can't help myself.
Left-leaning groups Kommon Kause and MorOn.org have petitioned the FCC alleging consumer fraud by FoxNews for its use of the slogan "Fair and Balanced". Via Walter Olsen at Overlawyered.com:
Fox "doesn't have the right to market its network services to prospective viewers and advertisers by masquerading as a news network," claims former FTC chairman Michael Pertschuk, who we're very relieved held that position way back in the Carter era rather than more recently. (Albert Eisele and Jeff Dufour, "Under the dome: 'Fair and balanced' fight: Lefties hit Fox with FTC petition", The Hill, Jul. 20). No word yet on whether equally inflamed right-wingers plan to haul the New York Times off to the authorities for using the slogan "All the News That's Fit To Print", which is no more believable than Fox's (via Amy Ridenour).
And so the Fox-bashing continues. As much as I deplore the Times, one hopes conservatives will not stoop to the same tactics as those Chill Wind liberals who squeal like stuck pigs when they realize that darned First Amendment permits the Hoi Polloi to disagree with their opinions. Where are the 9th Circuit when you need them?
It seems to me that the Times' slogan is, quite literally, true: it does print all the news it sees fit for us to hear. Unfortunately the Times editorial staff has its own ideas about how much news we can tolerate. Like any good parent, it thoughtfully shields us from the uglier aspects of human nature and world events.
To this non-lawyer's eyes it would seem to follow that if their slogan were true, the fraud case fails on the first two conditions: "intentional misrepresentation of a material fact". A cynic might also argue that the next two conditions are likely to go out the window too ("relied upon by the plaintiff"). After Jayson Blair, the Joseph Wilson debacle, and decades of fact-free and agenda-laden reporting, does anyone really believe the Times anymore?
- Cassandra
July 23, 2004 at 06:54 AM | Permalink
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Comments
That does it. I am going to start an in depth investigation on the misleading corporate slogans hoisted upon us by corporate ameriker. It is time to let ameriker be ameriker.
Off the top of my head....
Walmarts, "always".
Yeah right, nothing not even Walmarts lasts forever.
GE, "we bring good things to life".
Oh really, you bring them to life? Well last time I checked my refrigerator is still an inanimate object.
More later as my investigation deepens.
Posted by: Pile On® at Jul 23, 2004 9:09:50 AM
"we bring good things to life"
That is positively frightening...
Posted by: Cassandra at Jul 23, 2004 9:21:11 AM
I think that is
"We bring good things to light"
but I could be wrong about that.
Is United Airlines really the 'Wings of Man'?
Is Delta really 'Ready When You Are' (?)
Do more people really turn to NBC News to get their information?
Do they really put in the BS before they put it on CBS (oops, that's a joke).
Posted by: Don Brouhaha at Jul 23, 2004 9:51:23 AM
Pile On, as a salesman, should know that "puffing" really isn't fraud.
Posted by: KJ at Jul 23, 2004 10:10:27 AM
I don't know about Delta but I find that Delta stewardesses are ready when you are.
Posted by: Insensitive Sexist Man at Jul 23, 2004 10:12:23 AM
Insensitive sexist Man,
That's just another reason why I choose to fly "United".
Posted by: I only go Coach Style at Jul 23, 2004 11:43:40 AM
The edited version of the Kommie Kause/MorOn.org story:
"whaaa, whaaa, whaaa,....."
Asshats with hemi's (as in 0'roids)
Posted by: CK Cat at Jul 23, 2004 11:59:36 AM
Coach style? And here I thought I knew them all. You'll have to teach me that one.
Posted by: Insensitive Sexist Man at Jul 23, 2004 1:50:31 PM
For the sake of the viewing public and those in first class who rarely look back at them. Lets just say that the seat isn't the only thing that arrives in an upright position while flying "United".
Posted by: I only go Coach Style at Jul 23, 2004 2:29:48 PM
My goodness... Personally I'm a JetBlue fan myself, but I endeavor to stay away from stewardesses.
Posted by: Cassandra at Jul 23, 2004 2:35:24 PM
From today's edition of "news" from the North Korean news agency (skip to the bold print):
Ugandan Public Organizations Urge U.S. to Accept DPRK Proposal
Pyongyang, July 22 (KCNA) - The Uganda-DPRK Friendship Association, the Ugandan National Committee for the Study of the Juche Idea, the Ugandan Union of Railway Workers, the Ugandan National Youth Council and the Ugandan National Women's Council made public a joint statement on July 14 on the occasion of the 51st anniversary of the Korean people's victory in the great Fatherland Liberation War. The basic factor of the victory in the Korean war lies in the wise leadership of President Kim Il Sung, the statement said, and stressed:
The nuclear issue of the Korean peninsula is a product of the U.S. hostile policy toward the DPRK.
The statement strongly demanded that the U.S. withdraw its insistence on "giving up the nuclear program first" and accept the DPRK proposal for "reward for freeze", a measure of the first stage for the formula of a package settlement based on the principle of simultaneous actions.
It expressed the belief that under the wise leadership of Kim Jong Il the Korean people would certainly triumph in the showdown with the U.S.
This just in from the AP:
U.S. Will Donate 50,000 Tons of Food Aid to North Korea
BUT!
"Spokesman Richard Boucher said the gesture is unrelated to U.S. efforts to negotiate the dismantling of North Korea's nuclear weapons program."
Are we nice guys or what?
Posted by: spd rdr at Jul 23, 2004 2:53:02 PM
Or What (?), is the correct answer.
Obviously, the BushReich hopes to undermine the results of the Fatherland Liberation War victory of 1953 by bribing the citizens of North Korea with (gasp) FOOD!
Who knew?
We cannot be 'NICE GUYS' until the BushReich is voted out of office. Kim Jong Il has the BushReich right where they want them.
I'll bet that 50,000 tons of food aid is all Happy Meals with no Happy Meal toys (those imperialist-capitalist roaders!).
Note how hostile American thought can cause nuclear weapons technology to proliferate in North Korea. If only we could get pleasant American thought to make food materialize.
Posted by: Don 'Captialist Stooge' Brouhaha at Jul 23, 2004 3:09:07 PM
KJ, saying you bring things to life is fraud unless you are God.
I suppose you think this is puffing as well....
Miller Lite a true pilsner
This is so fraudulent as to be infuriating. Pilsner my *ss. North American light lager sure, try selling that crap in a pub in Prague.
Posted by: Pile On® at Jul 23, 2004 3:31:37 PM
GE is bringing good things to life. Their employees breed on an almost daily basis.
"Miller Lite is a TRUE Pilsner." You see, TRUE is an achronym, so the full meaning is ""This is Really Underflavored Extract of" Pilsner." After 1958, they just went with the achronym.
"This paper can be used in copiers, printers, and, since it is made of wood, I'm sure it makes a good floatation devise." -- Pile On, last week.
Posted by: KJ at Jul 23, 2004 5:05:51 PM
I am thinking about suing Bud Lite for its commercials. Trying to compete in the low carb era that I started, Bud Lite claims that "All lite beers are low in carbs. Choose on taste." That is untrue, especially with Bud Lite.
Miller Lite for example has like 2.2 carbs. Several other lite beers have between 1.9 and 2.9 carbs. Bud Lite is 6.6 or 6.7 (and more calories). All lite beers are low in carbs? Bud Lite is like drinking 3 Miller Lites in carbs.
Which is fine if you want taste, but is flat out misleading if you care about carbs. Which I don't anymore, because I am dead. But still, it is misleading.
Posted by: Dr. Atkins at Jul 23, 2004 5:08:42 PM
Now that is dedication - coming back from the Great Beyond to set the record straight.
You just don't see that kind of work ethic in this country anymore. It is positively inspiring :)
Posted by: Cassandra at Jul 23, 2004 5:14:03 PM
JetBlueBall stewardesses are teases.
Posted by: Insensitive Sexist Man at Jul 23, 2004 5:21:52 PM
Well now I would not have cause to know about that, would I? The ones on the Long Beach route were usually pretty cute though. Even the guys, although I suspect most of them were not interested in women.
Posted by: Cassandra at Jul 23, 2004 5:25:52 PM
Wouldn't know about airplanes, have not been on one for 10 years.
Miller Lite & Bud Light are really good if you are soaking wood chips in bourbon, and want to dilute it a little. Otherwide, they are dishwater.
Let's see: Who's fair and balanced? Fox or CBS?
Fox or ABC? Fox or NBC? Fox or CNN?
Only a true MorOn would say Fox is not fair and balanced.
Oh, but they are MorOns. Never mind.
Posted by: Purple Raider at Jul 23, 2004 5:51:30 PM
Fair and balanced?
Blonde - 36-24-36
Posted by: spd rdr at Jul 23, 2004 6:26:07 PM
Ok mister smarty pants lawyer to the Man. If you don't see fraud here your not being honest.
HBO---Its not tv its HBO
Really, then why the hell is it on my tv.
Crysler--great cars, great trucks
Do I really need to comment on this, or is great another achronym.
Healthy Choice--eat what you like
And what exactly does this have to do with crappy frozen dinners?
Flonase--all you want is Flonase
Even allergy sufferers might occasionaly want something else, like say a beer.
Inernational Paper--we answer to the world
No shit? Having sold for a subsidiary of this company I can say you sure as hell don't answer to your customers.
And last but certainly not least.....
Air France--winning the hearts of the world
Heh.
Posted by: Pile On® at Jul 23, 2004 6:41:11 PM
I think Mr. On's been sampling a bit of his home brew...
I hate it when you hold your feelings in - go ahead and let it all out, Pile buddy.:)
Posted by: Cassandra at Jul 23, 2004 6:53:06 PM
Side note: The IP subsidiary that I worked for was called xpedx (the joke was this was so if one of the trucks flipped over people would still be able to read the name). The xpedx slogan was "we deliver excellence". Laughable. My take on it that my boss was not to crazy about was, expletive..we deliver excrement.
Posted by: Pile On® at Jul 23, 2004 7:31:58 PM
I guess I have made my point. No lawyers from Georgia have rushed to the defense of corporate amerika.
Hey, I was trying to see if Cass has anymore work to do on the hall of shame but I am unable to access OTB. Is it just me?
Posted by: Pile On® at Jul 25, 2004 10:54:06 AM
