The answer to why the Economy Isn’t Happening

January 8, 2009 by Johnny
Filed under: Inspiration & motivation, Life of Johnny 

Can I be serious for a moment?

I promise that this will be one of the only non-funny posts I ever make. But I do want to make it, because I’ve been thinking a lot about this site since I knew I’d be one of Chuck Westbrook’s featured blogs. I moved things around, added a blogroll, did some optimization, added some plug-ins to the blog software, stopped being Robert Goulet, etc. And as I was doing all of that, it hit me that I’ve never really addressed, in depth, my choice for the name of this site. After all, I could have called it anything.

I could have called it “Johnny Truant’s House of Idiocy.”

I could have called it “Funny Zone” or something similarly lame.

But no. I named it “The Economy Isn’t Happening.”

Not a lot of people ask about that. In fact, to date, only one person has asked about it. But have you wondered? If I just wanted to be funny, why use that cryptic phrase instead of something more clear?

Here’s the answer
I’ve been writing funny for years, and the archives of this site go back so far in time because I repurposed and revitalized essays from an old e-newsletter I used to send out. This site, in blog form, has only been around for a few months. It was started when the first bad news started to come out about the economy. And as I wrote more, the economy got worse. Banks closed. Major corporations closed. The market took a big dive. Then another. Then another.

I’m not going to lie; it scared the hell out of me. It still does.

But here’s the thing: It only scares me if I look at it. If I think about it. If I surf over to CNN to fill my head with some negativity. Because that’s what newsmedia does: It takes all of life and filters out all of the bad. Then it serves it up to you — with lots of flash and sensationalism and pizzaz — for your enjoyment.

I gave this site the name I did because I wanted to create a place where the war wasn’t happening. Where murders weren’t happening. Where the economy — that hideous, terrifying economy — wasn’t even happening. It doesn’t exist here. I thought there might be a lot of people who felt the same way I did — who, now more than ever, NEEDED to laugh and needed to forget for a while — and so far I’ve been right.

Life is to be enjoyed. We’re here to have fun, to smile, to make friends, to love, and to laugh. We’re not put on this planet to worry. To fret every detail. To be unable to sleep because of how hideous the world can appear to be. And note: that’s appear to be. Because no matter how things actually are, they’re not going to look good if you watch the news.

And that’s why I simply won’t watch the news.
I hate the news. I despise the news. I haven’t watched a news program other than election coverage in years. If my wife turns the news on, I leave the room and will not come back until it’s over. I make my son leave the room with me. We don’t get a newspaper. My roommates in college split a newspaper subscription and I didn’t chip in because I wouldn’t touch the damn thing. I try my best to avoid online news, even though online news has a way of finding you wherever you go on the Net. Every once in a while, I decide I want to check on the stock market at Yahoo Finance. And every single time, I leave feeling like I’ve been punched in the gut.

Because the bad news just won’t. Stop. Coming.

But the thing is, that “the world is falling apart” picture that you see on the news is not reality. That’s not reality at all. Is the world dark and dim? Is the sky falling? You’d think so on some days, but it’s not the truth.

The news is not reality.
Watch the news some day and write down everything they report. Other than weather, traffic, and sports, 90% of what’s reported is going to be negative. Now break it down and ask yourself if you’re being told the truth — the whole truth, as an accurate representation of reality. When you see the bad, weigh your emotional response and ask if it’s actually in proportion if you truly look at the facts in their entirety.

They tell you: Three people were murdered.
But they don’t remind you: In a city of 500,000, 499,997 people were NOT murdered.

They tell you: A house burned down, leaving a family homeless.
But they don’t remind you: 157,904 houses in the city did not burn down, and those families still have a home.

They tell you: The Dow slipped 400 points and massive layoffs are expected.
But they don’t remind you: The market is still strong and will recover. Most people have not and will not lose their jobs. The poorest people in western first-world nations like the US and Britain have standards of life better than all but the richest in other areas of the world. The vast, vast majority of even jobless people will have a roof over their heads nightly, and pretty much everyone will have food. Even the homeless don’t starve here.

It’s human nature to notice what is wrong, what could be dangerous. It’s part of what keeps us alive. But the news in all its forms exaggerates the negative, magnifies it, shows it to you over and over and over until you come to feel deep down that there is nothing else. It makes it worse, taking all of the objectively true things in the world and presenting mostly the ones that scare us, that make us worry.

It’s that “fear sells” axiom. Nobody buys a newspaper that proclaims, “PERFECT WEATHER!” but they can sell out the issue warning of a dangerous storm.

THE CHALLENGE
I’d like to issue you all a challenge: Try a news blackout for a week. Stop watching the news. Don’t read a newspaper. Unsubscribe to CNN bulletins by email. Unfollow news sources on Twitter. Don’t visit CNN, MSN, or any other news website. Don’t make Yahoo your homepage either, because there are news bulletins there. Change your homepage to another site. Google is okay. Or anywhere else that makes you feel neutral or, ideally, good.

Pretend that the economy isn’t happening. Pretend that war isn’t happening. Pretend that murders and rapes and joblessness and child abuse and famine aren’t happening. Just shut it out for a week. If you must have it back at the end of the week, go for it. But for a week, shut out the negative blast and see if you can start noticing good deeds, funny things, and beauty.

Question: Isn’t this apathy?
It would be, if we were shutting out reality. But we’re not shutting out reality; we’re shutting out the news. We’re turning off the RSS feed of “bad stuff” we subscribed to years ago. We’re consciously choosing to view life as it comes, as both positive and negative. You will see when something bad happens. But you will see the many good things that happen at around the same time, too.

There are soldiers at war. We’re not ignoring them. There are people all over in bad situations. We’re not neglecting them. Unless you move into a Unabomber shack, you’re going to hear about the world’s problems even if you are on a news fast, so don’t worry that you’ll be totally out of the loop. Believe me, I’ve been trying for YEARS to block it all out, and it’s not possible. I still know way more than I’d like to.

The difference is that now, you won’t be bombarding yourself with it. You won’t keep looking at it. And looking at it. And looking at it. You won’t be unable to appreciate something cute your kid is doing because you’re staring at war carnage on TV, taking it all in, scared and sick to your stomach.

Point: But ignoring it makes me irresponsible! It’s my duty to be informed.
The news doesn’t make you informed. It makes you paranoid. You think the news is “what’s going on in the world,” but that’s not the truth. The news isn’t what’s going on. It’s what’s going WRONG.

Is it your duty to be constantly worried, constantly fearful? Is it your duty to examine everything bad in minute detail? It it your duty to not smile, not laugh? Do you think you’re being disrespectful and inconsiderate to enjoy yourself when someone, somewhere, is suffering?

Do you think that by suffering as well, you’re helping them?

Do you think that by smiling, looking at the good, and laughing, you’re harming them?

Somewhere, outside of your sphere of influence, a man beat his wife today. If you obsess about it and feel bad, does your agony help her? Does it put him in jail?

Or are you just making the world a bit worse by doing nothing other than making one more person — yourself — feel bad?

Point: But by being informed, I’ll be motivated to act and do good things. And by sticking my head in the sand and ignoring the world, I’m tacitly allowing bad things to continue.
I’m not saying that if you see a mugging, you should ignore it and walk away. That would be irresponsible. You help where you can, where you’re able to. You work within your sphere of influence to make the world a better place. You assist, you give advice, you donate to charity.

What you don’t do is feel as if you have to solve every problem in the world by yourself. Think about it. That’s what news paranoia is all about. It’s about showing you things that you cannot affect and making you feel bad about them.

I absolutely love the serenity prayer:

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

YOU CANNOT CHANGE all of the woes of the world. So why are you making yourself sick over them?

In every moment, we have the choice of looking at the bad in the world or looking at the good. We can choose to cry at what’s wrong or laugh at what’s funny. Does the worry and depression that comes from people “informing themselves” help the world improve? Or, conversely, do we have a better shot at improving our lot when we’re upbeat and happy?

I’D LIKE TO START A MOVEMENT HERE.
I promise not to make this site all heavy. Honest. Like I said at the outset, there will be almost no serious posts like this one. I will stick to talking about farting and dumbness. But I would like you all to know that there is a method to my madness. I want you all to laugh — to laugh a lot. But not “just because.” We laugh because it is the natural state of a person to laugh and to have fun. This site is here as a foil against all of the stuff out there that tries daily to make you feel like hell. And there is a lot of that out there.

If you agree with me, add your comments on this post. Take my 1-week news blackout challenge, and then see how you feel and ask yourself if you want to extend it indefinitely. Then pass this link around (http://www.theeconomyisnthappening.com/blog/bulletins-and-site-news/answer-economy-happening/) and encourage your friends to try it out.

I want to make this world laugh more. I want to make this world fear less. Behind the old Robert Goulet avatar and the dumb nerd humor, I actually feel like I have a purpose on this planet. I’d like to make it a little brighter, a little less focused on negativity.

Spread the word. Email this link (http://www.theeconomyisnthappening.com/blog/bulletins-and-site-news/answer-economy-happening/) to people you know; post it to your blogs and encourage your readers to pass it on; Tweet it on Twitter; share it on Facebook. Please Digg and Stumble this post, and ask others to do the same. Let’s see how many people we can reach. How many people we can get to pull their heads out of the news cyclone. Let’s make it a movement:

Laugh more.

Worry less.

I’ll change the “my philosophy” page to become the center of this movement if it looks like people are interested and on board. I’ll make some badges for websites, stuff like that. It will be the only serious place on the site. I’ll stick everything into that section. And in the rest of the site, I’ll stick to LOLruses and barf jokes as usual.

Does anyone feel the way I do? Or am I crazy?

Maybe it’s both.

 

 

 

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Comments

84 Comments on The answer to why the Economy Isn’t Happening

  1. Trish/Astrogirl426 on Thu, 8th Jan 2009 8:34 am

    2. You’re not crazy. I think it’s an excellent idea. All the arguments against quitting the news cold turkey assume that the news is actually a fair reporting of what’s going on in the world. It’s not. I rely more on the people I know around the world to tell me what’s going on in their corner of the globe, than I rely on CNN or Fox news. I think the major news outlets are broken, and they’re only getting more broken. I don’t watch the news either; and yet I know more than I ever thought I would about what’s going on. The difference is, I can proactively seek out information about the world, from various sources, instead of relying on the mainstream news companies to tell me what I need to know. I’m with you. Keep on keepin on, man.

  2. Joely Black (@TheCharmQuark on Twitter) on Thu, 8th Jan 2009 8:49 am

    3. I will tweet on twitter. I’m quite happy to go news-blackout, as I’ve done it before. I somehow get to hear about the important things anyway.

  3. Wormy on Thu, 8th Jan 2009 8:54 am

    4. Hurrah! There is some sense in the world after all. I completely agree with you and I also tend to avoid the news with a passion. Not only do I find it negative, but quite frequently irresponsibly reported and often trivial (like, seriously, did we need to know about the Chicken? Okay yes, but not about that 5th teenager to get an ASBO today)

    I’m with you and loving the idea of starting a movement – hey! you never know, it could end up on the news…

  4. Tracy on Thu, 8th Jan 2009 9:22 am

    5. Does it count if I’m already on something of a news black out because I won’t watch around my children and the baby jumps on newspapers as if he were a cat?

    I think watching too much news gives you a very skewed view of the world. And the asshole in me kind of wants to knock people about the head and say “Do you really think your ability to not molest children and set cats on fire is seriously an unusual thing?”

    Hmm, thinking about it, I don’t know that I want to go on a complete news blackout, as it doesn’t really affect me in the same way as it seems to affect other people. I just want to continue to filter out the stuff that isn’t informative and useful.

  5. Jiffster on Thu, 8th Jan 2009 9:37 am

    6. Laughing, I agree, helps us to deal with the inherant nature of mankind and its willingness destroy itself, but it doesn’t make it go away. Only a strength found through unity can truly change something that needs to be changed.

    I know you said that only people who agree with you are invited to post comments, but its not that i disagree with you, its just that I believe, while its not your responsibility to change what you cannot change alone, its an aspiration that when coupled with one, two, three more of your fellow human beings becomes much more than just us letting the news depress us.

    As for the world not changing other than when we look at it, well, I guess that would erradicate any truth to global warming.

    I’m not promoting fear here, far from it. My product here is that of information. Information and the freedom of it is a gift. Information and a common voice breeds action on a scale far greater than a single voice screaming underwater breeds bubbles on the surface.

    Times have changed, and its hard to accept, but more bad stuff is happening in the world than it used to. Laughing is the solace we grant ourselves in the face of inhumane humanity.

    The trouble with our times is that the future is not what it used to be.

    -jiff

  6. Chuck on Thu, 8th Jan 2009 10:07 am

    7. @jiff “Times have changed, and its hard to accept, but more bad stuff is happening in the world than it used to.”

    Maybe it just seems that way because of what JT is talking about here. I’d say that relatively more good stuff is happening too, and percentage-wise, there’s probably less bad stuff happening now.

    Just the medical and scientific advances alone probably make that true.

  7. John on Thu, 8th Jan 2009 10:29 am

    8. JT,
    I’m with you for sure. I did my news blackout after the election. Even today I only listen to about an hour a day of talk radio, down from about 4 hours a day. And we don’t watch the evening news at home anymore. After people are done with their own “news-outs” I would encourage people to be informed by facts and not news. Use resources like opencongress.org to see what your representatives are voting for/against. I’m pretty sure that you’ll find that people acting on your behalf are not acting/voting the way that you would. Johnny is correct that the majority of people are good, fair, decent people and if we demand the same from our politicians we will be way better off. Oh, and keep the funny coming!

  8. Jiffster on Thu, 8th Jan 2009 10:34 am

    9. @Chuck

    You’re right and I take your point, though again, to a degree.

    I stand by what I said aboutmore bad stuff happening now then before, but I should have polarized this fact by mentioning that there is equally a lot more good stuff happening int he world now too.

    I don’t know about the logic that every good thing that happens has the potential to negate one of the bad things that happens though. I think its more a linear parralell of both good and bad things occurring more and more as time goes on.
    But I think this underlines one of the problems with this whole argument.

    Medical advances affect us all directly or indirectly. This is a positive thing. But by the same token, bad things affect us all too, whether directly or indirectly. I still think that its an individuals responsibility to expose themselves to as little or as much information as they choose to.

    Lets remember that despite being saturated with information that doesn’t make you feel good, we have a precious RIGHT to that information. Its what you do with it that the individual must decide for themselves, and thats partly the point I choose to take from JT’s post.

    -jiff

  9. Jiffster on Thu, 8th Jan 2009 10:38 am

    10. NB: I say information, not news. By that I mean I expose myself to enough different “news” sources to be able to comfortably and confidently discern factual information with non factual propeganda.

    I live in the UK, and so have never had to endure the laughable “Fox News”!

  10. Chuck on Thu, 8th Jan 2009 11:18 am

    11. That makes sense, Jiff. There’s a good middle ground here, I think. Here’s what I like about JT’s idea. Most of the consumers of news media aren’t looking for that which actually affects them but for a type of distressing entertainment. Even worse, many confuse paying attention to an important event as participating in the event, confuse it with taking meaningful action.

    To use the term that Johnny has used, it’s about tuning out the bad news that is outside of your sphere of influence. While it may make more sense to simply tune it down, I think there is a good point in there, to be sure.

  11. Johnny Truant on Thu, 8th Jan 2009 1:01 pm

    12. Thanks for the input, Jiff. I certainly don’t expect everyone to agree with me. I do think that there are issues that require action, of course. But I also think that most of the population keeps its nose against the bad stuff in the world a lot of the time. A disproportionate amount of the time. There is so much good that we don’t think to mention because it isn’t screaming for your attention. We get a bulletin every time someone gets shot. Yet we never get bulletins when someone isn’t shot.

    I think that a lot of the even neutral happenings are left out.

  12. Kelly Parkinson on Thu, 8th Jan 2009 1:20 pm

    13. OK, I LOVE this idea… but let me just offer another perspective based on a very recent experience–from last night. At around 9pm I was planning to drive home from my fella’s house in San Francisco to check my mail (I haven’t been home in a while because my dog got injured & can’t make it up the stairs). Before leaving, I went to SFGate.com and discovered there was rioting going on in my very neighborhood in Oakland. Cars were being set on fire and smashed in. Dumpsters turned over. Cop cars being stomped on & burned. Stores looted, burned. People going crazy and police firing teargas. Naturally, I chose to stay put and avoid all this. When I drove over this morning, there were windows shards all over the street, including in front of my house. I’m really glad that, just this once, I checked the news. But I will definitely be more aware of when and why I tune in. But, sometimes the news is potentially-life-savingly useful.

  13. Mary Ray Worley on Thu, 8th Jan 2009 1:59 pm

    14. Yes, and no. Yes, take a break from the news when it gets overwhelming. Take as long as you need to recover. It IS rough out there. But no, I’m not up for taking someone else’s prescription about when to do it or for how long though. (Sounds too much like dieting. Yuck.) You have to pay attention to your own needs and take care of yourself. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with encouraging others to do the same.

    TV news is the worst. Sensational sound bites meant to titillate and alarm, with no depth, no perspective, and no clue how to present various sides of issues. I always take a vacation from that. I get my news from a variety of good sources on the web using Google News alerts set for the issues I’m currently focused on. Works pretty well.

    It’s really important that we do our best to educate ourselves about what our public officials are up to. They always seem to know when no one is paying attention. It’s up to us to keep them on their toes.

    That said, it’s important to find a balance between the alarmist gadfly and the complacent ostrich.

    Feel free to be serious whenever you like, Johnny.

  14. Jenny, Bloggess on Thu, 8th Jan 2009 2:05 pm

    15. What if I promise to only read celebrity news?

  15. Lisa Paul on Thu, 8th Jan 2009 2:05 pm

    16. As a serious news junkie and political activist, it would be hard for me to take your news blackout challenge. But you certainly made me think. And I think you have valid advice, even for people like me. What I strive to do, and what I think you would advocate, is to be more active locally and not just obsess about the daily barrage of “bleeding and leading” news items spewed out at you. So I’ll take a modified approach and block out all but the political sites and programs I’m addicted to like Rachel Maddow, Frontline and Meet the Press. Then devote that extra time to being aware of what is going on in my neighborhood and city where I actually can change things.

    Thanks for a great post, Johnny. This page should be on your site permanently.

  16. Johnny Truant on Thu, 8th Jan 2009 2:08 pm

    17. @The Bloggess – I say to watch/read anything that is hilarious or stupid or uplifting. Celeb news being the first two, it qualifies.

    @Lisa – Honestly, I expect to take some shit for this post because it sounds like apathy. But I’m okay with that. And it will be up permanently; I’ll replace the “philosophy” info with this. But the site will NOT get all serious. I just want people to know that there is some serious behind the idiotic.

  17. Naomi Dunford on Thu, 8th Jan 2009 2:33 pm

    18. 1. Rock on, dude.

    2. I haven’t watched the news as an adult, well, ever. During the OJ thing, my then-boyfriend’s mother used to watch it. And I watched the election coverage this year. But the news scares the shit out of me. And I figure, if I’m not going to watch scary movies and I’m not going to read scary books, then it’s pretty dumb to watch scary TV shows. And the news is among those, so out goes the news.

    While I know I’m just reiterating what you said here, the thing is, knowing a house burned down or that somebody was shot leaving a nightclub or that 8000 people are getting laid off from a nearby auto factory… none of them impact your life and none of them fall within your Circle of Influence. You can’t fix them. You can’t change them. All they did was freak you out. So fuck ‘em.

  18. Jennifer Louden on Thu, 8th Jan 2009 3:13 pm

    19. Since I have watched the news in many years (or TV) and read the on line news about once a week and the Sunday NYT’s and even that sits around, I can’t do the challenge but I am so with you on the entire fear thing… it’s my current obsession. It’s all I’ve been writing and teaching and reading about for the last few months.. I think you can still be wicked funny and be positive, just saying! (or at least I’m saying it to myself)

  19. black hockey jesus on Thu, 8th Jan 2009 3:30 pm

    20. I didn’t know about the Oklahoma City bombing 5 days after it happened and Mike Clark called me irresponsible. Oh shut up, Mike Clark.

  20. Johnny Truant on Thu, 8th Jan 2009 3:36 pm

    21. Chuck Palahniuk wrote a great piece right when 9/11 was going down. Like, right in the thick of it, no later than 9/13, when everyone was going insane. And his tone was, Why should I be afraid? He kept saying, “Still, the terrorists have not reached Oregon.” At the time, I thought it was annoying and borderline insulting that he wasn’t participating in the hysteria that I felt. But now I wish I could find it again, because I think Chuck had it right. The people in Oregon could empathize, but there was no really grounded reason for the whole country to be afraid of attack.

  21. Mishi on Thu, 8th Jan 2009 3:53 pm

    22. funny thing – I never asked, because the second I saw it, I figured that’s what you meant. I’m also a big believer in not over saturating myself with depressing news articles, and I seek out humor instead. Nice post, Johnny.

  22. Pace on Thu, 8th Jan 2009 4:04 pm

    23. I totally agree with you.

    I don’t consume news at all, and I’m very happy about it. It helps me stay focused on creating the change in the world that I’m passionate about, without being bogged down by a bunch of people screaming at me telling me today’s thing to be afraid of.

    I know there are important things happening, and when they’re relevant to my goals and what I can do to make the world a better place, I’ll research them and I’ll ask. But I like it to be pull, not push. Otherwise I just get overwhelmed with a whole bunch of things that are beyond my ability to do anything about (at least effectively, and at least not all at once) and it just depresses me and makes me unable to do ANYTHING effectively.

    I support this movement 100%. And you can quote me on that. (:

  23. diesel on Thu, 8th Jan 2009 4:06 pm

    24. Dude, I am so with you on this. I stopped watching the news like 3 years ago because I got too busy, and I have not once missed it. Somehow I still manage to find out about important things like Heath Ledger dying 3.7 seconds after it happens. It’s all murders and celebrity gossip. Turn that shit off!

  24. AnnieH on Thu, 8th Jan 2009 5:03 pm

    25. Interesting post and I say if it works for you, hallelujah. What are the last lines of the Desiderata??– “With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.”
    Personally, I watch very little news. Mostly need to hear the weather and who my patients will be the next day. Yes, I work in that kind of ICU. So while I may try to block the bad news from coming in through the TV waves to my living room it is waiting for me the next morning at work. I try to know a little about what’s going on in the world because I work in a place with a diverse population. I think it’s fair to know what’s going on my co-workers’ homelands because it’s important to them and they’re important to me.
    And, having said all that, I enjoy reading your posts because you are funny and I can try to be funny in response. It’s a welcome break from my world.
    Now seriously, if you are not going to use the title, “Johnny Truant’s House of Idiocy” do you mind if I use it?? Just askin’, man.

  25. Mad Asthmatic on Thu, 8th Jan 2009 5:26 pm

    26. I have rarely watched the news since 9/11, My dad was at a meeting at the pentagon that week but neither my mum or I knew exactly when. We were in the UK in different parts of the country and my dad was what seemed like a million miles away. I watched the news avidly and I wished I hadn’t. I have been exposed to many atrocities during my life, my godfather was killed in an IRA attack and many other soldiers I have known have been killed or maimed in the same way. But there was something about watching 9/11 unfold, it still sends shivers down my spine. From then on I couldn’t watch the news, didn’t want to watch the news. I wanted to stay within my happy bubble.

    Ok so I know that news still gets through even if you do have a news blackout. I don’t read newspapers, I don’t waste my money on being made to feel depressed or paranoid. Yet i am pretty well up with current affairs, I just don’t want to be bombarded. I will pick and choose what it is I read/see and when I read or see it.

    Johnny I never asked where the name came from because I had kinda of figured it out. One of the reasons I love your blog is that I come over here and I can laugh, I can forget what is going on out there in the world and my life for just for a little while.

    btw my dad was fine, but it was the worst 3 days of our lives.

    MA

  26. Andy on Thu, 8th Jan 2009 5:50 pm

    27. Couldn’t disagree with you more, Johnny! Being informed about what’s going on in the world does NOT mean you have to be scared and depressed all the time. It requires some perspective. We’ve all got to roll with life’s punches (unless you’re Bernie Madoff, apparently) and if you allow yourself to be freaked out by the news you see via the TV/Web etc, then you’re probably going to be REALLY freaked out by that mouse running out from underneath your bed, the malfunctioning dishwasher or the tree limb that fell outside your window. Life, the good and the bad, is going to happen regardless of whether you’re paying attention, so why not be prepared and informed, at the very least? That said, there IS much in the news that is useless, trivial and flat-out wrong. I think it’s a question of being choosy about where you get your news. Though they’re both far from perfect, I get most of my news from the NYTimes and Washington Post websites. They’re two of the best papers in the country, they’ve got some of the best reporters and still do some great investigative reporting, despite their current economic troubles (every adult American should’ve read the Post’s report about the substandard care our veterans were getting at Walter Reed Army Hospital. People read about it, they hollered to their Congressmen about it and lo and behold, changes for the better were made, so don’t tell ME “Oh, I can’t do anything about it!”) I don’t bother with Drudge, Fox News, CNN and the like because a lot of it’s useless filler. And local TV news? Fuhgedaboudit! But to deliberately avoid all news is, in my opinion, Johnny-boy, a big fat COP-OUT.

  27. Delmont88 on Thu, 8th Jan 2009 6:18 pm

    28. johnny-
    can you talk to my neighbors? I’ve tried and tried and tried and I dont know what it is about people in their 40’s? They just seem to thrive on negativity… It’s gotten to the point I’m keeping my window shades drawn and hiding from them, alot of the time…. like right now…

  28. Johnny Truant on Thu, 8th Jan 2009 6:21 pm

    29. I read somewhere that the more you cop out, the cooler you get.

    Delmont, nobody’s going to bring you down, dude. They’re just afraid of you. For totally unrelated reasons.

  29. Heather, the wrist twister on Thu, 8th Jan 2009 6:38 pm

    30. Totally agree. Years ago I worked my way up in news production for the local television news and here’s a secret: it’s the EXACT same stuff you see at 5, 6, & 10pm. Over & over. And the cliche “If it bleeds, it leads.” is the only one the producers follow, because they certainly couldn’t figure out that “i before e” one.

    I’m with you Johnny. I walk out of the room if ‘news’ is on. I *have* to deal with newspapers for work, but fortunately I live in an area were most of them are weekly papers that promote the local 4-H or Senior Citizen’s Sock Hop. If all newspapers covered that, we’d be better off.

  30. kjr on Thu, 8th Jan 2009 7:20 pm

    31. You’re crazy.

    But, you already knew that.

  31. Tawnya on Thu, 8th Jan 2009 7:36 pm

    32. I never asked because I understood it intuitively. Makes sense.

    I didn’t have tv or dsl for 2 weeks. can I say I already had my news blackout? That I had to focus on how great my kids are and what wonderful food I can bake and the great books I can read?

  32. Diane Whiddon-Brown on Thu, 8th Jan 2009 9:13 pm

    33. Oh my God, JT, this is beautiful. Really. I’ve loved you blog for a while now, and now I love you, too, you crazy, funny wackadoo. I kind of figured that this was what your blog was about, but you’ve expressed it here with so much candid optimism that I’m currently typing my comment even tho I have a wrist brace on just because I so badly wanted to tell you that you rock.

    And to the naysayers, I’d say that everyone can only do what they can. Yes, it’s important to be informed and give, but sometimes you simply can’t. And if you sacrifice self-preservation out of some over-developed sense of obligation, then you’ll not only cause yourself pain and suffering, but you’ll cause it to those around you as well.

    Instead, stay informed when you can, give to a cause you find worthy when you can, try to consume a little less, try to be kind when you have kindness to give, and never underestimate the exponential good that can come from simplest of acts, like smiling at a stranger, or saying thank-you when you mean it.

  33. Kara on Thu, 8th Jan 2009 9:14 pm

    34. Yeah, I’m pretty much anti-news. It scares me too, and I prefer to take the Scarlett O’Hara approach to life, which is, “I can’t think about that now….I’ll think about that tomorrow…” I agree- we’re here to love. We’re here to help each other out. Maybe that sounds simplistic and naive, but so be it. I’d rather ponder what I consider to be deeper issues than the DOW, the NASDAQ, and who is (or rather, who ISN’T) corrupt in Washington.

  34. babs on Fri, 9th Jan 2009 1:14 am

    35. wut wut in the butt?

  35. Monica on Fri, 9th Jan 2009 2:14 am

    36. Ok, I totally came to your site today because I was in need of a laugh.

    But I kept reading anyway ’cause I dig you.

    And I’m up for your challenge.

    I stopped watching the news years ago. The only paper I read is the NYT (and only the headlines). I stopped listening to NPR because it gave me a headache to start every day hearing about all the hungry, dead or dying people around the world, or how the Republicans are ruining everything.

    Now I listen to informative podcast (or music) while I put on my clothes and I can usually leave my house with a smile and some pep in my step.

    So yeah, what war? what credit crisis? poverty what?

    Now will you make me laugh?

  36. Aylad MacOdys on Fri, 9th Jan 2009 11:37 am

    37. It’s all true. I grew up watching the news, and it screwed me up. As an example, I’d like to quote you, then add what immediately went through my head when I read it:

    They tell you: Three people were murdered.
    But they don’t remind you: In a city of 500,000, 499,997 people were NOT murdered.

    I thought: In a city of 500,000, 499,997 have not been murdered YET.

    This is your brain on news. Any questions?

  37. Amy Mommaerts on Fri, 9th Jan 2009 2:54 pm

    38. The personal news blackout thing does wonders. I have done it for a while and the difference ya feel is wonderful. I catch the weather….sometimes…but that’s it.
    If there’s something important, someone in my family or one of my friends will comment….if I’m curious I go look.

    The other night I was talking with the Hubby on how even their “helping news” is still geared at the theme of “We are all F’d no matter what!”…

  38. DocHobbes on Fri, 9th Jan 2009 3:39 pm

    39. First, I have to say that I completely agree with you. But…almost like an addict I need my news.
    I look at it like seeing my doctor before chemotherapy. Most of the shit they tell you before chemo is meant to scare the crap out of you. It’s all the “This could kill you, sign here” It’s good to see the news on occasion. But yeah, more than necessary and suddenly the worlds all doomsday clouds and super villains. It’s why I follow you on twitter and why I read your blog. How matrix like. :P

  39. Mike136 on Fri, 9th Jan 2009 6:40 pm

    40. So, wait, the economy IS happening?

    Darn it…

  40. Johnny Truant on Fri, 9th Jan 2009 9:45 pm

    41. Doc, your attitude is what it’s all about. Exactly.

  41. AnnieH on Fri, 9th Jan 2009 10:29 pm

    42. Okay, Mr. T, I posted today and it’s ALL ABOUT YOU. Let the movement and the laughter begin.

  42. Johnny Truant on Fri, 9th Jan 2009 11:47 pm

    43. Wow, that’s… pretty awesome. Thanks for spreading the word!

  43. Randob on Sat, 10th Jan 2009 12:17 am

    44. I’m far too dark to go along with your ideas, I thrive on negativity, but have to agree with you in principle. Now, get your cheery ass off the internet and let me fret the my next sixty years.

  44. Andy Pels on Sat, 10th Jan 2009 1:09 am

    45. I’m right there with you brotha’
    It hit me a few years back that the news people are just overpaid dumbshits with makeup and nice clothes anyway.

  45. rudee on Sat, 10th Jan 2009 1:10 am

    46. It’s easier to herd the sheep when they’re afraid.

    There have been blizzard warnings and snow emergency warnings all day long in Detroit. For God’s sake, we are expecting 3 to 6 inches of fluff. So what? Now 3 times that may be an emergency but the lesser amount is not. I’m grateful for my ipod, books and movies. Oh. And my knitting. Maybe I can knit some earmuffs and blinders. I’ll go along with a week without news.

  46. Andy Pels on Sat, 10th Jan 2009 1:18 am

    47. Oh no Johnny I just can’t stop watching the news and reading the newspaper. The information I get there has such a huge impact on my daily life. Oh goodness. Oh golly gosh.

    Excuse me while I vomit, slurp it up off the floor and vomit again.

    I don’t know what that has to do with anything, but it got your attention and it would make more sense than basing your day on what Katie Couric told you was important last night.

  47. Mark on Sat, 10th Jan 2009 2:37 am

    48. I’m with you the news is not reality…its hyper reality… http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperreality.
    I have been unplugged from “big news” for ten years now, and of course I’m laughed to scorn by coworkers, family and friends when something “big” happens and I don’t have a clue. The “Santa killings” is the latest story I hadn’t herd, and man who wouldn’t want to hear a nice holiday story like that!. I know deep down they secretly admire my stance and wish they could unplug too, but they all remain panic stricken lemmings:( well some…ok only one, but the rest do have an unfortunately dim out look on almost every facet of our existence. I loved your post, thank you from a fellow Ohio dweller Mark – from Akron

  48. Zoe on Sat, 10th Jan 2009 7:13 am

    49. You’ve written a really thought-provoking (and comment-provoking!) post here (duly Stumbled). I admire active efforts to shut out the crap, but for me it’s more important to filter.

    I almost never watch TV news, but I listen to BBC radio and I read certain online news that I find intelligent and insightful. Of course much of what we read about doesn’t have an apparent effect on our lives, but as someone who loves traveling and living in different countries, as well as telling stories, I can’t limit myself to what I hear through the grapevine (although I’ve gotten some pretty juicy local news stories that way). Perhaps we humans are going to deservedly push ourselves to extinction, but I find it stimulating to at least try to understand the global flows and interactions.

    Although there are certainly strong, controlling economic powers that we won’t be changing anytime soon, I think there are plenty of stories on the news that are sad or disheartening, but for which changes can be effected — if we are active instead of fearful. But if no one knows about it, no one will address it. People who want no part in effecting changes outside their immediate surroundings of course don’t need to care, and that is their right as well.

  49. ang on Sat, 10th Jan 2009 12:56 pm

    50. Yep you’re crazy in all the best of possible ways! I’ve been on a news black out for years, it works great. I live in a Mary Poppins world “Sacked? Certainly not. I am never sacked!”

    My only wish would be for my family and friends to quit telling me about the kidnappings, atrocities, fatal accidents, etc. Yes, they are terribly sad but I’ve never found I gained insight or was capable of changing the situation and they find it rude when I say “I really don’t want to hear about this matter.”

  50. Mike Stankavich on Sat, 10th Jan 2009 1:01 pm

    51. Johnny, thanks a lot for what you’re doing here. I really hope that a lot of folks see the wisdom you are sharing.

    The big picture concept that I always strive to remember is that news is outside of my circle of influence 99.999% of the time, and 99% of the time it does not inform my life decisions. And for those 1% instances where it does, i.e. considering refinancing, buying or selling stock, etc, I can always just spend an hour doing focused research on the question at hand. That’s easy enough, but resisting the addiction thereafter is not. But I’m willing to work on that. So I’m on board, Johnny. In fact I’m gonna take the NY Times and news headlines gadgets out of my iGoogle right now.

    Also I was just reading Andre Kibbe’s post on Tools for Thought http://tools-for-thought.com/2009/01/05/curbing-info-porn-with-batched-reading/ about curbing info porn. He offers another perspective on excessive news consumption that’s worth considering.

  51. lydia on Sun, 11th Jan 2009 5:01 am

    52. News junkie here, referred by Distracted by Shiny Objects in her latest post, who, after reading the comments before mine, is convinced they are 50 very cool people — but cooler than I?, the news junkie here, referred by Distracted by Shiny Objects in her latest post………….
    …….and now this.

  52. Ali on Sun, 11th Jan 2009 1:36 pm

    53. Yes. I love it. I definitely agree. I always felt guilty (irresponsible, etc.) for not paying attention to the news and my mom would call me lazy, but it just made me feel crappy to hear about all the things going wrong in the world. Now I have your eloquent blog to forward to her and say “See! I’m not lazy, there are reasons why I do what I do!”

  53. Ali on Sun, 11th Jan 2009 1:37 pm

    54. Yes. I love it. I definitely agree. I always felt guilty (irresponsible, etc.) for not paying attention to the news and my mom would call me lazy, but it just made me feel crappy to hear about all the things going wrong in the world. Now I have your eloquent blog to forward to her and say “See! I’m not lazy (or crazy), there are reasons why I do what I do!”

  54. Simrat on Tue, 13th Jan 2009 6:49 am

    55. Does public radio count? That is the only source of news I regularly listen to and then only in the car (truck really). My husband watches TV news and I also have to leave the room or just tune it out. For years now, it has made no sense to me at all, short snippets of shame and sensation. Oh, our local weatherman is good though!

    Since I’m coming to this late, your blog is getting moved to the ‘daily’ folder in my reader.

    I ended up tweeting about your post before I finished reading it. It’s an excellent one.

  55. Johnny Truant on Tue, 13th Jan 2009 7:16 am

    56. I’d vote that public radio is still news because they’ll break in regularly and tell you how someone shot someone and is on trial or whatever.

    BUT, when it all sorts out in the end, I’m a fan of news that makes you feel good. The challenge is that you can’t just turn on the news and watch it all waiting for a “good” story because then you have to watch all of the bad ones.

    Okay, everyone, I promise I won’t be serious very often. The post I made yesterday is back to funny. Hopefully.

  56. O-Steve on Tue, 13th Jan 2009 5:53 pm

    57. Wait… You’re not Robert Goulet?

  57. The Economy Isn’t Happening » Blog Archive » All the news that’s fit to print on Mon, 9th Feb 2009 9:44 am

    58. [...] to my tendency to forget all about things, I realized recently that I issued a news challenge to all of you like a month ago but never followed up to see how people were doing. So you’re [...]

  58. Tim Brownson on Wed, 11th Feb 2009 6:42 pm

    59. It’s quite apparent to me that you stole this idea from my post Mr Truant. I was the only person in the world that knew about all this and now I just feel dirty and cheap. I hope you’re ashamed of yourself and will consider sending me some money as recompense.

  59. Johnny Truant on Wed, 11th Feb 2009 9:29 pm

    60. Hey, you really don’t want to get into a “who feels dirtier and cheaper” contest with me. Because it’s like, one of my great talents or something.

  60. The Economy Isn’t Happening » Blog Archive » Internet research results: Pants in, Don Knotts out on Mon, 9th Mar 2009 7:43 pm

    61. [...] You also seem to like it when I talk about things that aren’t funny What the hell is that about? This is supposed to be a funny site. What are you, a bunch of gay [...]

  61. The Economy Isn’t Happening » Blog Archive » Douchebag marketing on Fri, 20th Mar 2009 4:29 pm

    62. [...] They know me as a guy who’s a bit off the wall. They know me as an irresponsible dickhead who refuses to watch the news. For a while, they knew me as Robert Goulet. What those people don’t know me as — and this is a [...]

  62. Pam Belding on Wed, 20th May 2009 5:40 pm

    63. I agree! I stopped watching the news regularly on 9/13/2001. I saw what it was doing to my sister (her husband is a fire fighter, but all the way in CA). She was a fuckin wreck!!!! I turned that shit off and haven’t turned it back on except to watch Obama kick ass!
    As for your moving, Congrats on the AWESOME attitude when it comes to your next adventure. I have moved more than 17 times (3 times out of the country) and I gotta say, Nothin beats a DO OVER!!!! Rock on and good luck packing!

    p.s. just curious……if you expect the worst, what is the best you can get?

  63. Pam Belding on Wed, 20th May 2009 5:42 pm

    64. p.p.s. I’ve got people in North Carolina. If you need connections to cool people, let me know…..

  64. Johnny B. Truant on Thu, 21st May 2009 1:45 pm

    65. I don’t know why I’m getting this sentiment that moving is a bad thing. BlueSteel in another post was expressing condolences, and you’re congratulating me on my attitude the way most people would congratulate a cancer patient for staying positive.

    I WANT to move. There is nothing motivating the move other than the desire to get the hell out of here. My job doesn’t require it, finances don’t require it… nothing. We just want to leave this stupid state.

    Actually, there’s nothing tying me here. Neither of us have jobs that require being close, neither of our kids are in school yet, neither of us has a social network (we see our “closest” friends maybe 4x/year), and really only our parents sort of bind us. But Robin’s parents are going to move when we do, and my mom is 3 hours away now by car. So it changes to 3 hours by car + plane… no difference!

    So can I move yet? It’s taking forever.

  65. The Economy Isn’t Happening » Blog Archive » An announcement and an AUDIO POST of my discussion with some fellow freaks on Fri, 22nd May 2009 9:14 am

    66. [...] This post follows my controversial yet totally correct post about why the news blows monkey ass. You may want to check that out if you’re [...]

  66. @ncwinters on Fri, 22nd May 2009 11:40 am

    67. So I made it here from the latest “audio post”…post and remembered both that you’ve gotten away from this concept and that I haven’t finished reading all your earliest posts. I heard once a phrase referring to the news: “I hate that show.” I laughed then and it has since become my motto. My wife and I still put it on every morning as we get ready for work, and I do find myself getting extremely worked up about it. Not necessarily about the negativity-dwelling and fear-mongering, (which I do get ramped up about) but also about how aware I’ve become about how much of a “show” it is. Fake sentiment with interviewees that have lost a loved one, leading a guest about their pain and trying to force an emotional response from a preteen about a tragedy for a “good show” is all I can see. My wife patiently reminds me that morning news is not even really about news but ratings and infotainment, but I’m realizing more and more that the show is driving me nuts.

    I like where the blog has been going, but would love to see more about this. So, you know, get on that for me. Remember- this blog is for MY entertainment, and don’t forget it. Preach on, brother.

  67. Johnny B. Truant on Fri, 22nd May 2009 1:02 pm

    68. Yeah, I toss a lot of lines in the water and see what happens. There’s also a Mad Libs post here that like one person answered, so I just never followed up. I found I couldn’t make my blog revolve too much around this. Plus, I didn’t make the Digg front page. Those fuckers.

  68. Johnny B. Truant on Fri, 22nd May 2009 1:02 pm

    69. P.S: As you’re seeing, I try to mix serious in with the funny. So you get a hodge-podge.

  69. Sean Oliver on Fri, 22nd May 2009 10:38 pm

    70. Media fasts have totally de-stressed me in the past, and I always recommend them to friends when the stress ramps up. Always worthwhile.

  70. Johnny B. Truant on Fri, 22nd May 2009 10:41 pm

    71. Ah, now I understand the tweet. You forgot the URL!

  71. @ncwinters on Sat, 23rd May 2009 3:25 am

    72. For the record, *I* was the only one who did your MadLib. And I didn’t even get any candy or a prize. I could really go for some candy. How about old school Fun Dip? You know, the original Cherry, Grape and Lime, none of this blue raspberry sparkle that turns into banana yogurt curry bullshit. Damn kids nowadays. What?

  72. Darx on Sat, 18th Jul 2009 8:30 pm

    73. I have been shunning the news since 1992. You’re right, it works. I should probably stop subscribing to the wife-beater version of email, though: the corporations-against-environment stuff that is like a train wreck to me. If you’ve got any advice for weaning oneself off Help Save the World emails and the false sense of security afforded by sending generic emails a couple times a month, I’m all ears.

  73. Johnny B. Truant on Tue, 21st Jul 2009 12:06 pm

    74. Yeah, call me apathetic, but I’m getting tired of hearing how the Earth is going to explode soon. If it’s going to happen, can’t it happen while I’m sleeping and totally unaware?

  74. Rich on Mon, 27th Jul 2009 6:07 pm

    75. Couldn’t agree with you more man! News is Shite! I haven’t watched it for years.

  75. Musings of a Housewife on Fri, 28th Aug 2009 10:34 am

    76. I’m here from copy blogger. And oh how I can relate to this post. I LOVE YOUR PERSPECTIVE! Thank you.

  76. Johnny B. Truant on Fri, 28th Aug 2009 11:51 am

    77. Thank you! This is a prime example of what I was talking about on Copyblogger (http://www.copyblogger.com/comment-addict), obviously… apparently, with a few notable exceptions above, a lot of people feel this way. Yet we’re sort of told that if we don’t pay attention, it’s apathy. Bullshit!

  77. Andy Turner on Sat, 29th Aug 2009 7:28 am

    78. BBC & Times Website bookmarks GONE !!

  78. Richard X. Thripp on Sat, 29th Aug 2009 11:58 am

    79. I don’t watch news on t.v. or read the paper, because that’s all government propaganda. Police brutality, more intrusive government, fewer rights, and more fiat money is always supported on the nightly news.

    The sky is falling on the economy. That’s a fact. Obama’s administration is raiding the treasury like it’s never been raided before. In five years, dollars may be blowing in the streets. They’ll be worthless.

    In this area the press is overly optimistic. The economy can’t recover without sound currency.

    “499,997 people were NOT murdered” is NOT NEWS. It’s not newsworthy. A murder taking place or a murder being stopped in progress is newsworthy. The status quo is not.

    If you want human interest stories, watch Oprah. The news is not too negative. But it is heavily slanted toward fascism.

  79. Irene Duma on Tue, 1st Sep 2009 11:25 am

    80. I held a 2 year moratorium on the media once – no newspapers, film, tv, magazines, novels – though I did slip in some non-fiction books.

    The news, like you say, is always bad news. Alice Miller (The Drama of the Gifted Child) believes we aren’t meant to absorb all the bad news in the world. Our own family or “tribe” produces enough grief for us to handle.

    Novels, film, TV are full of cultural ideals, values, and “morality.” Who’s good, who’s hot, who’s evil, who’s the hero, who’s right and wrong, who’s the enemy, who’s a slut, or who’s a lazy bum and should be punished. They “teach” us how we are expected to behave in order to find approval, reward, success in our community and society. They teach us how to be good girls and boys.

    I wanted to stop shaping myself to fit the “ideal.” I just wanted to be me. Whatever that was. Still working on that.

    It’s amazing how much news you can absorb just by walking by Newspaper boxes and reading the headlines. I didn’t feel out of touch.

    I still won’t watch TV news, read the paper sparingly, but will watch a film or a comedy TV series now and then. Nothing like good ol’ satire or comedy to show us what a funny lot we all are.

  80. Johnny B. Truant on Tue, 1st Sep 2009 12:21 pm

    81. I’m amazed and pleased at how many people share this philosophy. I have enough drama in my life to deal with. Why should I pile the problems of people half a world away on my shoulders too, without the counterbalancing stories of the good things going on?

  81. JamesF on Tue, 1st Sep 2009 3:08 pm

    82. Nice article here, Johnny. I haven’t read or watched the news for ages too. Just some sports stuff, and not sport related. Just who won, who lost, that kind of news.

    I thinks its part of the news networks marketing tool. People will watch more when they’re afraid and on their toes to whatever tragedy comes up next. Look at Michael Jackson as an example. He wasn’t in the news for years but when he died, he was everywhere.

  82. Felicia Fredlund on Tue, 1st Sep 2009 4:58 pm

    83. I haven’t bothered following the news closely since I was about 14-15 years old (am now 20), but I stopped due to laziness. The text in newspapers are boring, not the news themselves necessarily. I just couldn’t bother to take an hour or so per day to keep up. So I stopped. And I’ll watch the news once in a blue moon, or read one article from the culture part of the paper, otherwise I still can’t be bothered, because it doesn’t benefit me.

    Here’s to ignoring news! *holds up not-existing glas of Coca Cola (or other soda)*

  83. Steven C. on Mon, 21st Sep 2009 3:04 pm

    84. I was reading news before going to work, then I realized one day that it was only about negative stuff, and things I couldn’t change. From this day I decided to read books instead, that gets me more motivated and at least I learn something useful. I wish we could have a good newspaper published one day. Anyway I stumbled your post

  84. Johnny on Tue, 29th Sep 2009 2:41 pm

    85. Exactly, thank you. It’s not apathy; it’s selective listening. If there was a totally, totally, impartial news that accurately reflected life, maybe I’d watch it.

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