MEDINA —
I remember watching a television show several months ago honoring the country music duo of Brooks and Dunn. The two had announced that they were ending their successful act as a duet and going out on their own. Other well-known stars were on hand, singing the pair’s hit songs in tribute. The program was, supposedly, the last time you’d see Brooks and Dunn as a performing act.
Silly me, I believed it.
I believed it until about two weeks later when I saw them on another show — which was also advertised as the “last time” you’d see Brooks and Dunn perform together. Since then, I’ve seen them on even more shows. Not only that, I saw that they were on tour — and you guessed it, it’s billed as the last time you’ll see them together.
My point? What are we suppose to believe nowadays? Has veracity been contaminated with an acceptable pliability that allows the truth to be stretched, bent and shaped to suit the user’s convenience? No wonder skepticism has breached society’s sense of trust and faith over the last decade or so.
Shouldn’t there be a disclaimer on the Brooks and Dunn announcement? Something like: “Well, they’re breaking up ... eventually, but as far as ‘the last time they’ll be performing together,’ no. No one’s really sure when that will happen.”
Translation: As long as they’re making money, they’ll keep on doing what they’re doing.
Hey, I’ve got an idea: Why don’t Brooks and Dunn just change the name of their act to “The Brett Favre Band?” That way, no one will take them seriously — or really care.
Fox sportscaster, Tim McCarver, is another one who has confused me with his statements. He speaks of the mundane as though it were a revelatory declaration. And some of the things he says, quite simply, don’t make sense. One day I was watching a ball game and out of the clear blue sky — with zero context to which one could reference his statement — he blurted, “It’s an unusual time of the day.”
What the hell is that supposed to mean?
Another example: What good does it do when you watch the weather report to see if it’s going to rain or not and the weatherman says “There’s a 50 percent chance of rain?” Did that tell you anything?
All I’m asking for is accountability. If you’re going to make statements, don’t play word games. Put it out there plain and simple so that people know exactly what you’re talking about. And if you don’t know, simply say so. But don’t make asinine claims and expect the public to buy into it just because you said it.
A funny scenario happened as I was writing this column. True story! A dog food commercial came on the television and the announcer made the assertion that their product had “twice the taste that dogs crave.”
Perhaps someone can explain to me how they measured that.
I don’t have the answer, but I do know one thing: I may not be Brooks ... but I am done.
And, until the next time, that’s the way it looks from the Valley.
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