Sometimes the media takes more a humorous approach to current events. When people think of comedic media, names like Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, and Bill Maher often come up. But we can't forget long-time radio and television icon, Howard Stern. Stern is generally known for his more racy style of commentary and his unique selection of interviews. After getting his start on more traditional syndicated radio, Stern has made his way to XM/Sirius satellite radio in 2006 and reaches millions of listeners every day. His guest list has included the likes of gaudy pop-star Lady Gaga, playboy Hugh Hefner, and wrestling celebrity Hulk Hogan.
Recently, Stern has made his way into the media craze over the "Occupy Wall Street" phenomenon that I have gone over in previous blog posts. Stern went out to interview some of the young protestors, with some very interesting results. Although little disclaimer is given, a normal person could probably guess that those interviewed by Stern are (hopefully) not representative of the entire group that has taken to the streets across the nation. It appears to be a case of cherry-picking susceptible-looking protestors with fairly simple questions.
The responses Stern receives appear to indicate a low level of intelligence and/or purpose amongst those who had come out to the New York-based protest, but again, the results are not exactly scientific. Regardless, Stern provides an effective and humorous take on the controversial rallies, letting people forget about all of the hype surrounding the "Occupy" events.
Humorous approaches have always been one of my favorite things to take a look at. A very high majority of Stern's audience knows perfectly well that he asks questions to people who will give him an answer that doesn't represent the whole population. The fact that Stern has a powerful effect on the audience goes to show the power of humor.
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