The major networks devoted nearly the entire day on September 27 to live coverage of a political scandal which interrupted the nomination of a possible Supreme Court nominee. We have seen this before, when Clarence Thomas was added to the mix, so we know how such procedures play out. The real drama, though, may have been broadcast from the rest of the country’s point of view.
Watching, or trying to avoid, such stressful events is hard on many people, including victims of such crimes who may not want to have their emotional balance triggered by a reminder. Then there are the Democrats and Republicans and the common people sworn to uphold their respective values, who find the broadcast a forum for their venting of spleens over what goes right or wrong with the process. Workplaces such as mine, which broadcast CNN just to keep abreast of events going out outside our cubicle-in-cement world, get to see it all day and then hear it with our lunch, as the cafeteria is the spot that broadcasts sound.
Men and women who wish crime victims would not speak out get angry at broadcasts which seem to counter their agenda. Women who feel victims should speak out stand watch for any indication that the witness’ testimony adds or detracts from her credibility. Those who don’t believe in such crimes scoff at the whole affair. Those paranoid about the increase in crime add locks to their doors.
The children in school are either left out of the loop or are too precocious to ignore. High school students may either be upset by, or get a kick out of, watching something about which they have limited knowledge. College students, particularly law students, will dissect every moment. Psychologists have a field day. Special victims officials watch facial and body language, as do amateurs.
It’s a circus with a most unusual performer, and all of us are observers who can never have the full measure of the story or how two persons–a perpetrator and victim–can change our world from one era to another. We have right now, with a hindsight view of the past, and a lot of words to measure and decide upon. But nobody is so perfect they are immune to scandal, and nobody is so beyond redemption that they cannot function in society, but our televisions are biased spyglasses into how we perceive life.
That is why it is not a good idea to make such events a television network performance.
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