Single White Female

The Natalee Holloway case has truly sparked some controversy due to all the media coverage.  Michelle Malkin has an interesting outlook on this issue.   She wants to know why people care so much about Natalee's case and not other children of different races that are missing.   Michelle points out that most of these highly covered stories are of young, pretty, white girls.  Well, she's right, they are.  You had the run away bride, the two little girls in Florida (Jessica Lunsford and Sarah Lunde), Laci Peterson, Elizabeth Smart, and Jessica Lynch. 

The things that they all have in common are race, gender and appearance.  Apparently this is the criteria for extensive national media coverage. Eugene Robinson over at the WaPo believes that they must come from a "middle class or higher" economic level.   I don't think class is part of the criteria because just within the aforementioned group, there is a vast difference in economic status.   

Unfortunately, I cannot argue against any of Michelle's points.  I wish I could say these are just coincidences, but I really don't believe that.   Of course, there are some exceptions like the 8 year old black girl who was found in the recycle bin under rocks.  That was a happy ending, thank God.  But, again, she is the exception. 

Even with all of this controversy, the one thing I will not do, is begrudge these families of this media coverage.  If having their story told on national television will help bring their daughters home, then I say hurray.   I'm not going to blame these families just because the media decides to cover their daughter and not someone else's.  Elizabeth Smart's family used the media to their advantage and it paid off.  Elizabeth is home safe and living a normal life.  I say good for them.  If it happened to my daughter, I would certainly be working to get the media attention and anything else that would increase the possibility of my daughter being found alive.  I would hope that every parent would.

Lisa

Comments

[hollabackdave]

I'm not sure you can take all of these missing persons cases and put them into one pile. Each has its own unique circumstances and you can't discount what was going on in the news cycle at the time. For example, would the Laci Peterson story gotten as much press if Scott P. wasn't such a perfect villilan? Would the Natalee Holloway story be getting as much play if the Michael Jackson jury came back with a guilty verdict yesterday? We're in a very slow news cycle right now and the missing Natalee story lends itself to the imagination more effectively than what's going on in Lodi, CA. As a result, it's easier for the 24-hour news channels to spend the majority of their time speculating instead of having to report actual news.

[Lisa]

Sure I can. Look at what they have in common....they're all white, young, pretty and female. Pretty much every aspect of their lives are the same with the exception of economic status and Laci was the only one married and pregnant.

And..

How can you say the news is slow. We are in the middle of a war. There are plenty of uplifting stories going on in Iraq. Rebuilding of schools, the U.S. supplying villages with generators to they can have electricity. The media chooses not to cover those stories. They'd rather cover something grusome.

Thanx for your comment.

Lisa

[hollabackdave]

Let me rephrase slow news cycle. It's slow from the MSM perspective. You're right. Restoring electricity doesn't fall into the "if it bleeds, it leads" category, so it doesn't get covered.

[Dave Lucas]

The media still has (after all the years) the bitter taste of Tawana Brawley in it's mouth. That kid pretty much ruined it for non-white "Damsels in Distress." I saw that case change an awful lot of attitudes!

[Lisa]

Sorry, I just don't buy the "Tawana Brawley" argument. That happened in 1987. The media and American public have very short memories. If you notice, the runaway bride hasn't stopped the media from covering Natalee Holloway...and that fake out happened weeks ago, not 17 years ago.

Lisa

[Chris]

I am blown away by how often I hear she was a straight A student, didn't drink didn't do anything wrong. She was 18. Even if she never did anything stupid before she could have that night. She could have throw caution to the wind and said screw it. Is it worse if you murder a straight A student than if you murder someone with a C avearage?

[jimmyjojammers]

I think they're pushing the envelope sometimes with the term "pretty". The runaway bride is average looking- even without the eyes. And Natalee's looks seem to have a lot more to do with her youth and some heavy makeup rather than natural beauty. In fact, I think the Runaway bride is better looking.

[Capitalist Infidel]

Yeah, runaway bride has one hell of a body! WOOHOO!!! But those eyes are freaky.

I don't buy the White thing, it's more of a female thing, we live in such a sex obsessed society that the possibility of rape or molestation is titillating to the public, hence, higher ratings.

Lisa, I see you were wondering where I was, today is my 40th birthday and I don't like it! Not one bit!

[Vince]

My take is this - simply put, the news media now drives public opinion and its corresponding polls.

I believe there was a time in which news event drove what the media regarded as news worthy events.

Is it an agenda?

Yeah!

[Lisa]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Cappy !!!!

Embrace it. I love being in my EARLY 40s. You just bought a new business....you're moving to North Carolina....you should be excited. Life is good.

So buck up dude!

Lisa

[Capitalist Infidel]

Nothing bought yet. Still looking. One deal fell through and the other didn't have the cash flow.

[Lisa]

Cappy....it will happen when it's meant to happen. No sooner and no later.

Wear something red. It boosts your aura.

Positive vibes coming your way. :-}