WAS: What Adults are Saying about the Language of Two Failing Things

The Kentucky Derby's favorite offers a topical irony

Another wave of Main Stream Media (MSM) failure was observed this week as some cable networks went to live coverage of a Cabinet meeting presided by 47. Somewhere in the judgement of those channels was the idea that viewers desired real-time, obsequious boot-lickers having a battle of-the-lips. It was as vomit inducing as it sounds and surely the old Indian Chief Test Pattern would have drawn the same size audience.

This lazy, nasty, utter nonsense is just another of many examples signaling the death of American Journalism. An institution that until recently bathed in enormous First Amendment protections while offering an earnest effort to fulfill a heavy social responsibility, Journalism is more dead than fax machines and paper maps. This death has been impeccably timed to occur just as America’s leaders opt for an authoritarian-style of government. History will tell us the cause/effect standing between the big “J” and the big “A” words. Suffice to say Americans are not being served—at the very time when imbeciles try to run the country and change many of its rules and norms.

Independently, almost wholly disconnected from this another American institution is on heavy life-support. The beautiful, grand, exciting sport of thoroughbred racing has nearly completely dug its own grave. This a result of different imbeciles running an institution so misaligned, corrupt and filled with trap doors that when Federal Laws were enacted to clean it up a few years ago about half of the industry opposed it. Evidently playing the old game with a known devil was judged preferable to playing a cleaner one with an unknown angel.

Today those within the industry routinely tie themselves in knots looking for “solutions” that will sustain this passe’ golden goose. This too is an act patterned after 47’s Cabinet contrivance. The industry’s leaders know all too well the solution is staring at them in the mirror and until the style and depth of the game’s larceny is limited, the “sport” soon will take residence in that neatly dug grave.

Nonetheless, horse racing is upon its annual Super Bowl weekend with the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby. Long the world’s most famous horserace, the “Derby” has bridged America’s agrarian past with industrial times while nervously asking if it has a place in the digital world. Restricted to horses of age three, Derby runners are the maturity equivalent of top collegiate athletes—both accomplished but still shy of their performance peak. In many ways to have a Derby hopeful is similar to having an athletic teen who is about to get a D-1 “full ride.”

As in most years on the first Saturday of May, 19 of the best colts and one gelding (no fillies this year), will align for racing immortality. The race favorite will be a California horse who has shown best in all prep races leading to the Run for the Roses. He also carries a topical name that has some shaking their head with the improbability of it all—Journalism. No kidding!

On speed, stamina and performance indicators Journalism (the horse) is deserving to be the race’s betting favorite. Probably to be sent off at about 4-1 (just ahead of rival Sandman), should Journalism emerge victorious would surprise no one and be the most equitable distribution of the massive wagering riches. It would also signal another victory for Journalism (the horse) at the very moment when Journalism (the institution) hasn’t “cashed a ticket” in years.

The ironic intersection of one single English word that notes a dying institution and potentially a championship thoroughbred must be acknowledged—especially during this mind-numbing time in America. A victory by Journalism (the horse) would certainly ignite the racing world for another couple of weeks until the Preakness at Baltimore in a fortnight. After that looms the possibility of a Triple Crown—something that happens about as often as getting Taylor Swift concert tickets at face value. This would let the industry cough and wheeze for another spring season until executives can return to more inactivity to stave off the sport’s grim reaper.

But what does a Derby victory by Journalism (the horse) tell us about Journalism (the dead institution) other than a quirky coincidence of English? Anything? If a horse carries a moniker that puts it temporarily at his sport’s pinnacle and if that name just happens to be something American’s need badly, is there any hope one might trigger a revival of the other? Probably not. But there may be a bunch of musings like this one that at least temporarily provide a break from the mania of Washington.

Maybe even that’s too much to hope for because after all Sandman (the horse not the Washington con game) will pass Journalism in the stretch. Then two institutions with a momentarily shared name can go back to their pre-Derby activity, dying.