Philgrim’s Blogress

Back in early 1974, very few people worldwide, apart from American political insiders, knew or cared anything about the Watergate office complex in the Foggy Bottom neighbourhood of Washington, D.C, in the United States of America.

Since the events that forced the resignation of U.S. President Richard Nixon, it is understandable that the word Watergate has become synonymous with political scandal in the United States.

But 35 years later, why in the world do the pundits think that it is clever to append the suffix “gate” to every scandal, real or perceived, happening anywhere in the U.S.A. or worldwide?

A recent example was the tempest in a teapot over whether Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, a Protestant, consumed or pocketed the communion host at a Roman Catholic funeral.  The scandal quickly was dubbed Wafergate.

More recently, hackers have released some email messages they stole from climate change researchers at the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom.  Yup, predictably this is Climategate.

I would like to go on record as being one person who thinks that the novelty wore off several decades ago, that this practice isn’t original and in fact is downright annoying.  I appeal to reporters, headline writers, columnists and bloggers worldwide to please give us a break.

Over the last several weeks, since his departure from Newfoundland on July 8, our family has been following the progress of Peter Bray, the guy trying to set a new time record for rowing solo across the Atlantic.  His exploits are of special interest to us because he expected to make land at the Isles of Scilly, where Janet has family, and where Luke and Charlotte are currently living.

Unfortunately the rowing attempt was aborted a couple of days ago, when Hurricane Bill blew into the area.  Bummer.  

News story here.

Peter Bray’s website here.

Dramatization of a conversation I’m likely to hear on my way to work in the morning: “I vaguely remember something in the news, something about a lady in a Persian rug store who got shot. I don’t know. But Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett died on the same day? I better catch Larry King interviewing their friends and family members. Let’s see, if I don’t see it tonight, I can probably catch the show tomorrow, or Saturday morning, or later that weekend, or any day next week…”

…

(National Post: Jonathon Narvey: Forget Iran, something important finally happened)

I have been amazed these last couple of days at the amount of media coverage there has been of pop star Michael Jackson’s death.  I thought the above opinion piece in the National Post stated it well …

… The mullahs in Iran must be loving it. Our evening broadcasts were clear proof that the decadent Westerners have the attention span of children. We decry political tyrants, but we knowingly accept and immerse ourselves in silly cults of personality so long as the icons are celebrities….

I would blame the celebrity-obsessed media, but they are only feeding us what we demand.

Lord have mercy.