Honey, I shrunk the baby
SCENE FROM SLATE.COM'S EDITORIAL OFFICE:
Editor: Come on, people. We need story ideas! Stories directed at anxious parents! Those are so hot right now!
Writer #1: What about a series of pieces from middle-class moms where they complain about their nanny problems? Those always get readers up in arms.
Editor: Nah, Salon's cornered the market on those. And besides, they're so 2004.
Writer #2: How about an alarmist piece that tenuously connects an ailment or disorder that parents worry about with a common household object?
Writer #3: Yeah! Like, um, ADD and antibacterial soap!
Writer #2: Or influenza and, uh, cats!
Writer #1: What about autism and TV?
Editor: Brilliant! Run with it! But we need another story. These alarmist pieces tend to be seven-day wonders. We want to pack a one-two punch with a follow-up story that makes the autism/TV story look like actual science.
Writer #2: How about a story about kids who see shrinks?
Writer #3: How about a story about BABIES who see shrinks?
Editor: Genius! Magnificent! Raises all around! Except for you, #2. You're fired.
posted by Tammy @ 1:20 PM
2 Comments:
At 9:33 AM,
Unknown said…
W-O-W!
The media moguls sure are looking to strike fear in the hearts of parents everywhere, aren't they?
I HATE that they come up with a "tag line" first, and develop the story based on the idiot-idea the "journalist" had.
At least everyone know they shouldn't believe what they read.
Hacks! Gawd.
At 2:19 PM,
Melissa said…
Well, A came with me to therapy for the first six months of her life (until she started being too active to sit through a 50-minute session), so I guess I am at the forefront of this trend! (I mean, technically we were talking about ME, but I'm sure some of it rubbed off on her.)
Oy. The silliness.
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