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Mediaite’s Colby Hall Points Finger At Media For America’s Lost Confidence In National Culture

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Mediaite managing editor Colby Hall paid a visit to America Live this afternoon to discuss new poll results indicating that Americans may be losing confidence in our national culture.

According to the Pew Research poll, 50 percent of survey-takers agreed that “our people are not perfect, but our culture is superior to others.” Four years ago, 54 percent of Americans expressed agreement with that statement, and nine years ago, 60 percent of survey-takers agreed that American culture is superior to others. Addressing her panel of guests, host Megyn Kelly wondered whether factors like Facebook, the Kardashians and the popularity of the “Real Housewives” franchise have anything to do with the decline of Americans’ confidence in our culture.

“I don’t think anyone’s going to look back at this time in the future and say that this was a ‘golden age’ of pop culture,” said Hall. “We live in a time where Kim Kardashian has more Twitter followers than the President of the United States.”

“And why is that?” asked Kelly. “Because she did a sex tape and she’s on a reality show.”

“Well, I think that there is a coarsening of American culture, but I don’t think pop culture, necessarily, is to blame,” Hall responded. “I think that that’s always supposed to have been sort of pablum, that kind of escapism. I think the biggest issue is how that sort of black and white, sort of very simple instant gratification has bled into the political discourse.”

“And, frankly,” he continued, “I sort of blame the media, all of us and myself included, as sort of seeing things in very simple black and white terms,” even though we live “in a gray world.”

The panel also discussed whether technology — namely social media platforms like Facebook — may be playing a role in our supposedly dwindling national confidence. Jehmu Greene, co-founder of “Define American,” offered an optimistic point of view. “I think the beautiful thing about American culture,” she shared, “is that it is constantly evolving, it is constantly growing.”

“We’re living in a ‘Brave New World,’” Hall added, noting that we, as a culture, aren’t so focused on the idea of the future as we had been in the past because we see ourselves living in that “future time” right now.

Have a look at Hall’s Fox News appearance:

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  • Anonymous

    Will libs yell at Colby for going on Fox News?

  • Anonymous

    Everybody say it with me now…

    “Colby is a Fox News tool!!!”

    :)

  • Anonymous

    DAMN!!! you beat me to it!!!

    Damn you!!!

    :)

  • http://gregingleright.weebly.com/ Greg

    OMG Colby has a beard!  OWS Chic… wait, what was the article about?

  • http://twitter.com/JPJABBER JUDI POWELL

    I blame Rupert Murdoch, the Koch Brothers and FOX in general. There’s not a “fact” that they can’t take and spin into something different to go along with their racist, ignorant, hateful, fundamentalist, big corporation-lobbyist beliefs……….doing the dirty work of the Right Wing. 

  • Anonymous

    Oooooooooooooooooh burn.

  • Anonymous

    One thing for sure is that we have a President who despises American exceptionalism!!

    On a side note* Why is Mediaite not reporting on Rezkos prison sentence today or the 1.2 billion missing from Jon Corzines firm?

  • Dpl999

    “…we frequent very often”??? 

  • Rex the Wonder God

    Colby missed the point: it wasn’t a very GOOD sex tape. Too much mucus, not enough lube; lighting – not that it was too little or too much, just lighting at all – might worked better as a sex AUDIO tape; and the tats, well – big squishy scary tats everywhere, you could SMELL the tats.

  • Norbit

    When did we become a monolithic society?

    I think fixating on static identities, of any derivision - individual or group - is the one problem underlying all others.

  • Jason_in_Vegas

    I have been wondering for quite awhile whether you were stupid or insane.. I now believe insane is the answer. WOW.

  • Norbit

    btw, Colby, I was headed into my dentist’s office when I noticed all 57″ of you in the waiting room!

    Not to worry, you had a good screen presence, and with the sound being off and all, you didn’t alienate anyone in the room either!

  • Jason_in_Vegas

    Shocking, an OWS tard supporter blames FOX news for all the wrongs in the world. I’m floored.

  • Rex the Wonder God

    Yes – Lawrence of Arabia called the WWI era Middle East Arabs “a silly people”, but we Americans, we R an EXCEPTIONALLY silly people! 

    No, no other people on this planet can out-silly us, and tonight we televise our warrior champions of sillydumb, in the 954,348th episode of … the GOP Game Show: Plan R from the AEI.

  • Jason_in_Vegas

    Because Mooch was booed at a car race on Saturday, and that’s the kind of thing we should all be worried about these days.  Also, talking about Rezko is considered a ”dog whistle”, just so you know. Get those racist thoughts out of your head, or Tommy will ban you.  

  • Anonymous

    It was better than Ms. Hilton’s though.

  • http://mediamatters.org/ Leedog

    I would have liked to seen Colby ask Megyn Kelly about the sexual pictures she had taken for GQ and what makes her different than Kim Kardashian!!

    It appears Megyn and Kim both use their looks to gain publicity… and if Kim is part of the problem, so is Megyn!!

  • Jonathan Cantor

    No they might ask how he became such an expert on what Americans think. 

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_CQWUTBF2KSSVOXCR4PSN66L2PM James

    Colby going on TV he;s hit the bigtime. And Mediaite also…  The only place Mediatie and go now is get there own Cable channel. If WWE can start up one. Why not Mediate ?

  • Norbit

    Lee,
    Can you stretch that tortured logic any further?
    lol

  • Anonymous

    Another FOX NEWS LIES zombie blaming a TV station for all the worlds problems. You can’t make this up, folks. 

  • Concerned Citizen

    Read Pat Buchanan’s new book Suicide of a Superpower where he writes we are no longer truly a nation, which he defines as “a people of a common ancestry, culture, and language who worship the same God, revere the same heroes, cherish the same history, celebrate the same holidays, [and] share the same music, poetry, art, literature.” Pat’s thesis is clear throughout the book: America is disintegrating before our eyes. “What happened to the country we grew up in?” It’s a question that I, as someone born in 1960 and someone who shares Pat’s Christian beliefs, can identify with. Diversity, multiculturalism, and liberalism are the clear outgrowths of nearly 40 years of Democratic control. Homogenous societies traditionally have less social problems, crime, and discord. 

  • Anonymous

    If you can’t see the difference between Kelly and Kardashian than you are a lot dumber than I thought. 

  • Anonymous

    Sorry King- you fool no one. We can smell YOU!

    MG- they gave Hall 7 minutes?

  • Norbit

    This is why the indoctrinated liberal mind is such a terrible waste.

    Judi, my child, don’t blame the conservative cure; blame the liberal disease.

  • Norbit

    Are there any updates on how many rapes, assaults, arsons and murders at the OWS protests the mainstream media covered up today?

  • Anonymous

    Muahahahahahaha.

  • Anonymous

    You mean the same way that cons whine about almost every single story that isn’t about Solyndra? 

  • Anonymous

    Just because libs have no women anchors who can pass for women is not Kelly’s problem.

  • Jason_in_Vegas

    It’s almost like some zillionaire asshole bought up a bunch of media interests and created media matters to brainwash the poor saps… That couldn’t be it… Nawwwwww.

  • Jason_in_Vegas

    Oh dear god, you just opened the floodgates of libtard rage. Prepare to be called a racist hillbilly about a million times by some pretty shallow idiots. Enjoy the ride.

  • Anonymous

    No, the media is more concerned about Newt’s horrific attack on OWSers- asking them to take a bath. That’s more important!

  • Jane

    This isn’t a “problem” unique to the US.  

    On a superficial note, I had no idea Colby Hall was so hot!   

  • Anonymous

    Yeah, but you think Rosie is hot, too.

  • Anonymous

    Sincere question: how does your family tolerate you? (I won’t even ask you about your friends, since I’d guess that’s beside the point.)

    If your posts are any clue at all to your real personality, you must be absolutely insufferable to be around. You’re obsessive, paranoid, whiny, clueless and a habitual repeater of the dumbest talking points on the right wing Internets. And those are your better qualities.

  • Anonymous

    God- it’s so funny to see that the King thinks that adding the persona of Rex the Wonder Fart to his vast repertoire  of identities will make him suddenly cogent and credible.

  • Anonymous

    This from a liberal cretin who pops out of his sewer for only minutes of time to propagate its drivel.

    You started at the bottom — and it’s been downhill ever since.

  • Norbit

    See Stone’s remark below, ex, and try keeping up with the intent and effect of the oft-times perspicuous posts you reference.  

    As for mine above, that was designed to expose the tendentious nature of our so-called “mainstream media” - and did it quite succinctly.

  • Anonymous

    No, that’s not what I mean.

    Faux News! Faux News! Faux News!

  • Anonymous

    If most posts from people on these comment threads were their actual representation, no one would be able to stand as credible.

    Least of which would be you. You are quite rude and for you to yell at anyone is laughable.

  • Anonymous

    I figured that the King created hundreds of new SNs during that Michelle being booed story.

  • Jayamerican1

    Did you mean to post this in reply to Rex the wonder talking horses ass?

  • Anonymous

    As Ted, he was the most vulgar and despicable poster ever.

  • http://mediamatters.org/ Leedog

    You’re right, Kim is much better looking!!

  • Anonymous

    Haha…I have not watched that KimK sex tape. I have watched the ‘one night in Paris’ though, and, I was a little amused at the attention it got. It rates at “very poor” as far as sex on wax is concerned imho.

  • Anonymous

    Maddow would agree with you 

  • Anonymous

    At least it keeps him off the streets from doing actual re-election work.

  • Anonymous

    @readers:disqus  my classmate’s mom makes $72 every hour on the internet. She has been unemployed for 3 months but last month her paycheck was $8728 just working on the internet for a few hours. Read about it on this site  http://smlk.es/Cash

  • Anonymous

    what have you been drinking?  lol

  • Tony

    Please explain.

  • Anonymous

    Koch Brothers!!! Koch Brothers!!! Koch Brothers!!! Koch Brothers!!! Koch Brothers!!! Koch Brothers!!! Koch Brothers!!! Koch Brothers!!! Koch Brothers!!! Koch Brothers!!! Koch Brothers!!! Koch Brothers!!! Koch Brothers!!! Koch Brothers!!! Koch Brothers!!! Koch Brothers!!! Koch Brothers!!! Koch Brothers!!! Koch Brothers!!! Koch Brothers!!! Koch Brothers!!! Koch Brothers!!! Koch Brothers!!! Koch Brothers!!! Koch Brothers!!! Koch Brothers!!! Koch Brothers!!! Koch Brothers!!! Koch Brothers!!! Koch Brothers!!! Koch Brothers!!!

  • Anonymous

    Bad BJ… bad lay. She could have at least moved a little. And don’t get me started on the lighting.

  • http://mediamatters.org/ Leedog

    Come on!! You don’t think so??

  • Anonymous

    Mooch?

    You are a real idiot that scraps at the bottom of the barrel aren’t you….

    … Congratulations!

  • Hyperbolic Chalkboard

    jehmu has it right…(fox) dumbing down the news, mainstream media’s fault

  • Anonymous

    You do know what a mooch is? Dr. Phil covered the topic today on his program. :)

  • Kid Dynamite

    Colby needs to wash his face before appearing on teevee.

    Plastic surgery might help too.

  • Ricci Dats Me

    Our national problem is that we are at an all time LOW in terms of national intelligence. When a woman who is a front runner (without even declaring) for president can say “Paul Revere Warned the British” -and repeat herself more than once to support her true feelings about the “correctness” of her quote- and instead of being laughed out of the limelight, she gets support from other “figure heads” who hold some smog of weight as “smart”, its clear we are simply Stupid. When we can watch for at least 3 years a group of people challenge the sitting president to produce a birth certificate, as if getting ALL THE WAY to the White House is as easy as (actually easier) applying for a job at a fast food chain; WE are simply stupid.. 
    You know what is great about being simply stupid? We support front runners who can say or do anything and because we are stupid, we go for it. The national culture at this point consists of impatience, idiocy and a general happiness to not know anything. I’ll get some negative posts. Read them if you doubt my feelings. IF not, just watch the former/current/former GOP front runner http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bs7fJ6jAOVU he’s really just a bad copy of a 70s sitcom icon.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bs7fJ6jAOVU

  • Ricci Dats Me

    Well if we elect George Jefferson, I’m sure we can blame TV. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bs7fJ6jAOVU CAIN DANCE!

  • Ricci Dats Me

    I blame 2-3 generations of stupid parents raising stupid kids and having a direct effect on us in general. “WARNING: COFFEE IS HOT” – this is a label place on a culture that should have on rubber helmets and not be allowed to operate heavy machinery. OH, “do not touch iron to your skin”.. YAY America, and YES I’m proud of this place because I know in my soul that we will get over this current fear of intelligence. IF NOT? CAIN DANCE BABY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bs7fJ6jAOVU

  • Ricci Dats Me

    AMEN to that one. I mean I look at the history of homogeneous cultures.. wait.. I’m looking at the histories of homogeneous cultures.. uhh.. hmm. WELL, there was one culture that was far from homogeneous which won a few world wars, led the world to the moon, proved through a variety of actions that if everyone were to seek a particular national goal that issues of sex and race and even religion could be overcome.. then, this culture started to weaken from within due in part to greed and ego. Suddenly it became easily more important to spend trillions on business, war and other wealth related funstuff (new stadiums?) instead of spending money to ensure that each successive generation was smarter than the last.. suddenly, there were people in office and running for office who made statements, repeatedly (important word), pretty much letting the universe know that we, as a collective, had hit near rock bottom intellectually. We started to do more than SLIP in intelligence/education related polls world wide, yet remained pick-up truck cocky about how big and bad we really are -when in truth, we got caught up in at least 3-4 wars with countries smaller than our TINY states that took YEARS to resolve. Not too tough, honestly. So.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bs7fJ6jAOVU cain dance. ROFL 

  • Ricci Dats Me

    Just to add. The Romney ad that is getting press right now WILL WORK because if TV doesnt do its job letting people HEAR and SEE where and how the ad is deceitful, we KNOW Americans on the average, will not read about it for themselves. SO it will work.. better than anyone thinks. Because IF you think about the ad, you dont count.

  • Anonymous
  • Anonymous

    LOL! 

    Stonepark? Really??

    The fact that you hide behind the skirt of the least credible, most obnoxious and most hateful commenter on this entire board says it all.

    You two are made for one another.

  • Anonymous

    Look, lady. You claim that I add nothing to these conversations and yet you can’t seem to stop yourself from responding to my comments.

    I guess I add a lot more than you’re willing to admit.

  • Anonymous

    She is now, but wait until she pops out her first one.  She will be reduced to Jenny Craig.  Megyn’s ability to bounce back is impressive.

  • Anonymous

    really?

  • Anonymous

    Haha…my interest is piqued! I have to find this video. 

  • Norbit

    Speak to truth or substance, ex.
    You know how to debate the issues, so do it!

  • Anonymous

    Since when is Colby Hall a respected media critic? He manages a crappy, error-filled website with articles written by college interns with an inflated sense of their own abilities. He’s a hack.

  • Anonymous

    Why would a country that fights wars of imperialism under a secret government experience a slide on the culture scale?  Maybe it’s the prison industry.  Or maybe it’s the death penalty.  Then again, maybe it’s the torture or the extraordinary renditions.  It could be the government spying.  Perhaps it’s the police abuses.  Maybe it’s Fox News.  Who knows….

  • Anonymous

    Somehow, there doesnt seem to be a great deal of sincerity in what you write.

    On the otherhand, if people keep it up, it will be nothing but detrimental.

    …Enjoy.

  • Anonymous

    Americans have been allowing Pelosi and her ilk to slowly destroy American culture for decades. If the silent majority in America doesn’t start defending themselves and their rights, the left will totally define our culture. If that happens, America as we know it, will be over.

  • Anonymous

    No, Kim’s ass is fatter.

  • Anonymous

    and if we want proof – look at the responses from the left to what happened to Buchmann on Fallon’s show.  Look at the hate expressed in ways that are beyond the pale to any Palin article.  These people do not act and respond like civilized individuals.  The moral decay is so evident that it oozes from people.  

    Look at Tim Tebow and the hate he brings out in people because he’s a vocal Christian.

  • Anonymous

    maybe it’s you.

  • Dirk

    “I think the beautiful thing about American culture,” she shared, “is that it is constantly evolving, it is constantly growing.”
    Talk about pablum. Except for the Taliban, North Korea, and perhaps some undiscovered tribes, the same could be said of just about any culture.

  • Stonepark3

    I would like to apologize to everyone here for my rude comments. I’m lacking the intelligence to actually have a conversation based on the merits of the article.
     
    I’m basically jealous that I’m not as smart as everyone else. I beg for your forgiveness.

  • Djbynum02

    America’s culture has been radically changed due to RAP music, heartless Republican politicians, Fox News, Right-wing religious zealots.

  • Anonymous

    Wow- you truly are a stupid man.

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