I’ve been wrestling with myself over whether to post on this topic, especially after I obviously annoyed my very nice next-door neighbors by making my sentiments known yesterday while they were out on the front yard enthusing over Northern Virginia’s not-quite total eclipse view and offering me magic glasses. But as Popeye so eloquently said often, “It’s all I can stand, cuz I can’t stands no more!”
The ethical issue is a common one raised here: journalism is obligated to make the public better informed, not dumber. The media’s breathless, silly, pseudo-pagan coverage of the eclipse in Indiana yesterday on every news network was, in my view, insulting and horrifying, or should have been.
If you took their outbursts seriously, who knows what else you’ll believe?
I heard a CNN reporter proclaim that the eclipse was one of the most moving and spiritual in his apparently worthless life. I heard a BBC reporter say that the event had a physical effect on him and that he know, for the first time, understood mankind’s one-ness with the universe. I heard an MSNBC reporter tell us that the eclipse would “bring us together” and heal our political divisions—presumably meaning that now everyone would accept the importance of crippling the economy to prevent the climate change disaster and agree to open the Southern border. Several reporters announced that the celestial show was the most memorable and important occurrence many of us were likely to experience in our entire lives.
Let’s see: “Crap!”…”Nonsense!”…”Insanity!” and “You’ve got to be kidding!”
Do these alleged professional really believe any of this? If they do, they are too mystically- addled to be reporters, and if they don’t, they are liars. In either case, this was one more example of why our news media is not only untrustworthy, but also irresponsible and run by people who are more stupid than pottos. Or are we so bored with existence that we have to contrive things to get excited about? What’s wrong with sunsets? Or Teddy Roosevelt’s favorite, a baby’s hand?
The eclipse was a natural phenomenon, rarer than a rainbow or the Northern Lights but no more significant unless you’re a worshiper of Baal. So by random chance in their assorted orbits, the Earth, Sun and Moon gave us a syzygy (a great Scrabble word!), but, frankly, so what? If you were as gobsmacked as those reporters seemed to be by a completely predictable, recurring and completely understood phenomena, you either didn’t comprehend what was going on or you believe in the Tooth Fairy.
That eclipse might be the only one some of us see? I’ve had many experiences in my life that I immediately knew were unique immediately, including seeing a rose-breasted grosbeak
…in a tree-covered rocky hill in Menotomy Rocks Park on an early Saturday morning while camping with my fifth grade best friend Peter Bena (a “Stand By Me” moment), which did fill me with wonder and awe, but then we were only ten years old. I’ll never see Carlton Fisk hit a ball off the foul poll to win a World Series game in the 12th inning again either, but it sure as hell was a lot more significant than any eclipse.
Ethics Alarms 
I’m glad I’m not the only one. I wondered what was going on weeks ago. It is an eclipse, I have been through them before and the coverage wasn’t like this. I mused weeks ago that maybe Christianity has declined enough that paganism had taken over and THAT explained why this was such a big deal. As the eclipse date loomed, I started to think I was right.
The decline of Christianity and civilization with it is so bad that Richard Dawkins is now calling himself a secular Christian.
Yeah, well, a pox on the eclipse. Here I thought it was going to obliterate everything and we could start afresh. Did it?! Hell no!! Now, I have to make my house payment and pay my utilities. Sheesh.
jvb
I heard it did cancel student debt!
Yeah, I just couldn’t muster much enthusiasm about the eclipse, having experienced quite a few with varying degrees of totality.
So I decided a good way to enjoy the eclipse was during a round of golf. In Louisville, KY where I live, the eclipse was very nearly total, but of course, we were much too busy to think about viewing it directly. But it was kind of cool playing golf in the equivalent of late twilight in the middle of a sunny day. And the temperature dropped notably during the period of near-totality.
I wonder if I should’ve started an #eclipsegolf hashtag? Nah, I’d have to join X or TikTok or some other spyware to do that.
I think that this is an example of behavior I’ve noticed increase over the last decade or so – people feel the need to express every thought out loud, and they also want to make profound comments, even though those things are often mutually exclusive. As for the reporters, being professionals, they should save these thoughts to share with their friends and relations and stick to factual observations.
“As for the reporters, being professionals, they should save these thoughts to share with their friends and relations“
Reminded me of the (IMO) hilarious Broadcast News sequence: Tom Grunick (William Hurt): “What do you do when your real life exceeds your dreams? Albert Brooks’ Aaron Altman: “Keep it to yourself.“
PWS
Probably another symptom of social media and its influence–people are more desperate than ever to be noticed, get likes, and have influence.
So everything becomes more special, more interesting, and if it isn’t, then you manufacture the interest. Everything is the end of the world.
What do you have against pottos?
https://animals.fandom.com/wiki/Potto?file=Potto.jpg
They seem like delightful little critters.
jvb
I had a post that discussed pottos! Here:https://ethicsalarms.com/2013/02/08/slow-loris-ethics-great-now-even-the-smithsonian-is-hyping/
Totality here in Indiana and the Golden household yesterday was quite enthusiastic. It was an amazing thing to see even if we were just in the front yard. We could hear some of our neighbors applauding. And then we went back inside and resumed working.
In Bloomington, William Shatner was there as part of the festivities, along with Janelle Monae. I…guess I understand the relevance of one of them.
And, still, the top news on our local stations last night was Purdue basketball.
Oh, and my Facebook friend posted another video about the End Times as it connects to the Eclipse (not nearly as entertaining as the one two years ago about Zelenskyy being a harbinger of the Anti-Christ or the AC himself).
Why would they think it would bring people together when it simply provided a reason to make fun of Trump (again)?:
https://news.yahoo.com/trump-trolled-ahead-eclipse-staring-171835793.html
I di not care much for the eclipse this time around, but it did surprise me that the eclipse was used to market all kinds of stupid things.
Having said that, I do enjoy viewing celestial events. They can serve to take you a bit outside of yourself.
A few weeks back, I was driving Baby Jack-Jack to school and noted a bright light a bit above the horizon. I pointed it out to Jack and told him it was Venus. This elicited several questions about how you could see Venus and how I knew it was Venus. Hopefully, it made him a little more curious.
So, when possible, I try to view such things, but no way I am going to drive 10 hours to see an eclipse.
I suppose I can’t finish this comment without including the closing lines of Kant’s Critique of Practical Reason:
“Two things fill the mind with ever new and increasing admiration and awe, the more often and steadily we reflect upon them: the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me. I do not seek or conjecture either of them as if they were veiled obscurities or extravagances beyond the horizon of my vision; I see them before me and connect them immediately with the consciousness of my existence.”
-Jut
The over-the-top eclipse coverage in the msm was obviously a sign of a very slow news day…there wasn’t anything else to cover…not the “Death to America” chants hollered front Detroit….which apparently Biden mentioned before he was told not to….not the ongoing takeover of our country by illegal “newcomers”….not the massive pro frees spech protests in Brazil as thousands of folks who abhor the new totalitarian tilt made their voices heard there…nope….nothing else to report on except a natural phenomenon….Great fun for kids who had never seen an eclipse though.
I saw that “moon eclipse/solar eclipse/apocalypse/alpaca lips” meme on Not the Bee this morning, and as someone who crochets with alpaca yarn, I heartily approve! ;)
Well, that would explain why a local TV station in Mexico put up this audience video in their broadcast of the eclipse. Spiritual indeed.
(NSFW, a little graphic, and definitely immature)
https://twitter.com/KarluskaP/status/1777502964380283273
yikes.
Sure redefines “Stick it where the sun don’t shine!”
Be thankful we don’t have ancient stone circles scattered around the country, like in the UK. If you want to see the loonies out in force with their crystals, feathers, incense, and other such kit, be at one of those around a solstice, equinox, eclipse, ….
I have not yet seen any explanation of the advantage, supposed advantage, of getting married during the eclipse. I don’t even know which of the many gatherings it took place at. It reminded me of similar events hosted by the Rashnish at the Antelope, OR, compound many years ago….
The last 2 weeks in May are the best time to see a Rose-breasted Grosbeak at Menotomy Hills Park, or you could look for one closer to home. https://ebird.org/map/robgro?neg=true&env.minX=&env.minY=&env.maxX=&env.maxY=&zh=false&gp=false&ev=Z&excludeExX=false&excludeExAll=false&mr=1-12&bmo=1&emo=12&yr=all&byr=1900&eyr=2024
The eclipse coverage was a lot, but there aren’t many uniting events like it where everyone can easily participate and will remember it for years. Easiest way to solve the excessive press coverage problem is to turn the news off. Not sure why you felt a need to be negative to your neighbors. Fortunately no killjoys near us. We were in 99% totality so we took a short drive to 100% totality. Very worth it.
I’ve seen a Rose-breasted Grosbeak 55 times (that I’ve logged), but never a solar eclipse.
1. Menotomy ROCKS Park.
2. I’ve seen two solar eclipses, but only one rose-breasted grosbeak.
3. Oh, balderdash. There are many, many, many uniting events, both good and bad, every year, unless one lives in a cave.
4. “Easiest way to solve the excessive press coverage problem is to turn the news off.” And if a tree falls in teh forest with no one around, it doesn’t make a sound. Your formula would work for all incompetent, excessive, sill and misleading journalism. The idea is to address the problem, not avoid its annoying qualities.
5. “Not sure why you felt a need to be negative to your neighbors.” Yes, I feel bad about that. But they are very nice people, they know my wife just dropped dead and that I’m not in the best frame of mind.
Thanks. It’s not an excuse for being a jerk, but I’ve had a few more outbreaks than usual, and fortunately, people have been understanding.
I had a book of birds of North America as a kid, and I swear, the RBGB was my favorite. It’s not seen much in New England unless you get into the woods, and except for that local park, I didn’t. And then, one day, there it was, about 8 feet away! My friend didn’t even know about them and he was stunned.
With a very Bird Friendly backyard, we look forward to a pair of RBGB (or two) visiting each year.
Though joined by colorful Orioles and Tanagers (both more recent guests) my fave remains the neon-bright Indigo Bunting
PWS
Be as angry as y’all want! I’ll have you know it was hard work for us at the top of the pyramid making sure the moon aligned with sun! And when it did, I’ll tell you there was nothing more sacred than the look of relief on what would have been the next sacrifice’s face!
Regarding marriage under the waning sun. I would say if a cosmic event is the criteria to choose your wedding date, then you will have as much success as those who choose to get married on Valentine’s Day, because well its Valentines Day, the day of pseudo romanticisim.
Does anyone have count as to how many virgins were sacrificed to the sun, that assured its return after darkness.? Thank you one and all.