Nice Diss

I keep seeing negative headlines on stories that don’t really have bad news. And I keep seeing people on TV say mean things that are framed as being nice things.

For instance, Katie Couric does her fond farewell bit on the Today Show, and says to co-host Matt Lauer “I know I’ll never have a partner like you…” and then adds the reason: “…because I won’t be working with a partner.” So what has she said, really?

Or this headline on a story about an album release: “Dixie Chicks Bush-whacked at record stores” – even though the article itself goes on to say that this band, who made some controversial remarks about the War back when – have nonetheless released an album at #1 on the charts!

Finally, poor Timothy Leary, now dead 10 years, still can’t get a break. The LA Weekly entitles its piece on the 10th year anniversary of Tim’s death “Timothy Liar,” and insists he be remembered as an informant. If his “information” was a lie – then he wasn’t really an informant, was he?