OPINION
Circus is gone; where s the bread?
Write
Angles
Pat Maiach
And the band played on.
it wailed and stomped.
The saxophone sounded
great. Tho Crazy 8s are a fun
band, and the t:rowd appreciat
ed tho entertainment. Hut this
was a different kind of concert,
usually the comedians come on
before tho band.
You'd have thought the Cul
tural Forum was putting on an
other evening of entertainment
But it wasn't. It was a campaign
stop for a man running for the
highest office in the land and
one of thn most important jobs
in the world
And thn crowd showed its
approval of tho impending poli
tical discourse by doing Tho
Wave. Just like cheering for a
SuperBowl win. the crowd
screamed ond stamped its col
lective feet.
And it seems that's what pol
itics has come to. Keep us en
tertained, damn it. Don't load
us. Don't bons us with specifics
or details about your programs.
We might start calling you a
"policy wonk.”
Broad unci circuses.
If you keep us entertained
(distracted) and keep food on
the table, wo won't want to
know how you’ve done it. Just
don't make it boring, and we
won't notice democracy jump
ing on a toboggan for a good
slide down a moral and ethical
slope.
But you can't blame us. We
art; barragod daily by images of
constant gratification. Wo can
sit in front of a tube and have
the world brought to us, so we
don't read We want action. We
want drama We don't want
facts.
Obviously, the 10,000 people
inside — and all those left out
side — of Mac Court didn't
come to see the Crazy Hs But
where were they when Clinton
was here during May for the
primaries? Same man, same
4 Crazy 8* member warm* up tha crowd baton Bill Clinton comaa
out to tall how ha H put mora bread on voter*' table*.
phin. not the same crowd. Of
course he wasn't the front run
ner for president at that time.
And that's what this Is about
— tho entertainment value of
seeing the flosh, not hearing the
message or digging for the de
tails of the change that will lake
place next year. Clinton is now
a celebrity, like tho Terminator
and Rex:, and that's why there
are more people pushing and
shoving to soo him this time
around.
You can learn more about
Clinton by reading his booklet
than you tarn by hearing him
s|>ouk for half an hour. But a so
ciety that created infotainment
does not want specifics. The
closest thing we want to news
is 30 minutes of TV during din
ner. We won't reud u news sto
ry if it Jumps to the inside
pages or there's no four-color
graphic.
But don't tell that to the pack
of mtxiia that cruised into Mac
Court, found the modems and
plugged in their laptops used to
finish the already half-written
stories that most of the (doctor
ate will never read hoyond the
headlines.
nellevo it or not. this is not a
criticism of Hill Clinton
There's finally a presidential
candidate who’s not enough
bottom-linn, fight- the-good -
fight motivation that a person
can feel good about voting this
year.
This is a mourning for de
mocracy and an electorate that
is placing celebrity status on a
government "by the PEOPLE."
This Is a death march for voters
gladly placing their fates in a
system they want to be enter
tained by.
Or to quote a dead Crrxik guy.
Namnus Irrolevantus: "The
People thal once bostowod
commands, consulships, le
gions, and all else, now con
cerns itself no more, and longs
eagerly for just two things —
bread and circuses."
Put Mulut h Is the editor of
the Emerald.
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TNI PAR SIM
By GARY LARSON
Suddenly, theft he wee, running along the tar shore
right in front of Bob and Vera, who would always
remember they once saw the legendary
"Character ol the Lake.1'