The Media Is Not Our Friend
Three years ago
On this very day
I thought up a poem
Because I wanted to say
I thought it was silly
That folks were upset
That people were angry
At a family's request
To stop printing some books
And to put them away
The news outlets, of course
Jumped right in the fray
Now I wonder this morning
If folks will recall
That the narrative pushed
It didn't matter at all
Six books in total
A family's request
Is that really news?
Or simply a test
To see just how far
They can push us apart
To see if we're happy
To play our small part
In a game that they call
Divide And Upset
They think that we'll do it
Yes, that is their bet
That they can report
And make it Red vs. Blue
And that we're blinded by Party
And that we can't see the truth
That we have more in common
Than they want us to see
Because the ratings get better
If we all disagree
If they make us made
If they make us enraged
Then they get more money
Because we all engage
They sell way more ads
They get many more clicks
And we are the victims
Of their little tricks
It's about ads we don't want
For things we don't need
It's about lining their pockets,
About money and greed
The news of the day
It is merely a scheme
Tomorrow's the same,
Do you see what I mean?
With each passing week
Our anger they churn
They'll stop at nothing
For our hatred to burn
But it's all just a script;
A movie! A play
It's the same old tired plot
And it's day after day
The red folks are stupid!
The blue folks are dumb!
And you're on the right side!
Your party's the one!
But the folks in Washington
They're really the same
They're from the same mold
And they play the same game
To get all the power
To get the control
The media is the tool
They use to take hold
Of our vision, our passions
Our eyes and our ears
With sensational stories
Year after year
The talking heads talk
And then we repeat
We did it all day
And we'll do it next week
But the next time you're angry
Before you shout out
Try to remember
What they were talking about
Last month or last year
Or any old time
Can you even remember?
Can you repeat their lines?
Did it even matter?
Or was it just a thing
They put on the TV
For the anger it brings?