Unbiased News, I Hardly Knew Ye....

Before I get to the real meat and potatoes of this post, you wanna see the most token "article" about a "women's interest" story ever? Well, here you go. At least CTV had the decency to cover the Clothesline Project. The CBC didn't even give it a mention. Thanks CBC! I know how you hate to dirty your hands with that lady stuff, seeing as you're 'Liberal media' and all. Which brings me to....

While watching television with my partner last night, we stumbled across a channel we usually flip over. We probably would have if not for the "stunning" editorial being shat out of the mouth of one Ezra Levant, my new worst enemy, on the offending channel, the Sun News Network. Now, most people in Canada know the Sun papers, the rag that comes in the red boxes, it's primarily a glorified sports section with a bunch of right-wing editorials and a bunch of nudey pictures thrown in, all wrapped up in a third grade reading level. The Sun is basically the cheapest lad mag you can get in Canada, and there's a new one every day. Whoopee! The Sun papers are owned by Sun Media (owner of a multitude of tabloid "newspapers" such as the Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg and Vancouver Suns, as well as Le Journals de Montreal, Quebec et Sherbrooke, and the 24 Hours mini-paper), which in turn is owned by Quebecor Media. The Sun papers in Canada are the sister paper of a full on pornographic British "newspaper", just so's you know. But I digress.

So, now the Sun has a news channel. A channel calling itself "lively", "unapologetically patriotic," and "less politically correct" than its' competition, most notably the CBC and CTV news networks, which the Sun Propaganda Network accuses of being "uninspired", "liberal-biased" and the reason "so many Canadians turn to U.S. news channels for their news.".

I have never watched Fox News or CNN for anything other than laughs. Why would I? I live in Canada, and those channels aren't going to tell me shit about shit that affects me directly. Now the CBC and CTV often spend lots more time on world news and sports than the news at home, but at least they cover the news at home and each has local news options for stories about my (and your) community. So, I call bullshit there. But, that's only one in a series of many, I assure you.

Sun News Media has taken on, with false and token begrudgement, the moniker of "Fox News North", and while disputing the name itself, they say that they only are trying to keep the feel of the broadcasts "irreverent" and "provocative". Which as we all know are synonyms for prejudiced and pornographic respectively. So, whether it's sickeningly right-wing editorial show after right-wing editorial show or "Sunshine-Girl" turned newscasters, all of a certain age and body type that for some reason aren't allowed to wear anything with sleeves, you know what to expect from the Sun Bullshit Garbage Network. Something for everyone, as long as you're a white, cisgendered, monotheistic-worshipping male.

Where did this channel come from? Why is it on my T.V? These questions raced through my mind as I projectile vomited at Ezra Levant and Kathy Shaidle on my screen telling me why political correctness and the Human Rights Commission is turning Canada into some kind of thought-policed Orwellian state. Well, it turns out that there are rumors that CRTC chair Konrad von Finckenstein was under pressure from Prime Minister Stephen Harper to resign from the commission and take another government position, such as an ambassadorship, in order to facilitate Sun News getting its desired license. I know, Herr Harper doing everything in his considerable power to get a right-wing Canadian Fox News clone on the air? Why that's INCONCEIVABLE!

The network was absolutely disgusting in its' obvious right-wing bias during election coverage and even after when Ezra slammed a member of another news network for apparently showing her bias when shedding a tear at the Liberal aftermath and Michael Ignatieffs' decision to step down as leader. All without a hint of irony. And, as I watched yet another editorial rant begin, this time about the 'Nanny State' not letting Canadians eat and drink whatever they damn well please, I began to feel frightened. And as that editorial gave way to one about the woman in Saudi Arabia jailed for daring to drive a car, I had just the slightest glimmer of hope as the patriarchal laws of Saudi were brought into question (as if we're so much better here. Right.) Up until Canadian women were chastised by the pundit for "wasting their time on silly Slutwalks and being offended over trivial things a Toronto cop said, rather than helping their sisters overseas(!)" Really dude? So, what the fuck have YOU done for women overseas in Muslim nations? Jack shit? I fucking thought so. Like Canadian women, who barely have a hold of any rights here in the Great White Male North can just march on over to Saudi and get the monarchy to settle the fuck down with the misogyny, if only they'd mobilize. The audacity was too much. To put the onus on women here for the suffering of women there is unacceptable. Fuck you very much Sun Misogyny Patriarchy-Fest Neo-Nazi Klan Network. I'll be keeping an eye on some of their (male, natch) editorial pundits, but I can't even bear to see the poor, plastic women that they have doing their news. It makes me sad, the hold that the media networks have on their female anchors, making them look this way, dress this way, have this procedure, all for the hope of gaining male viewership. It makes me sad that dudes fall for it, demand it, want it. The whole channel is one big garbage fart. And this is what news is coming to....