Boy Meats Newsletter

Hey Friends,

My gray matter was nearly dried out after 3 years of exercise with nary even a juice box to replenish it. I've resorted to reruns to give you a tasty treat while I attempt to reconstitute.

But don't worry, the articles I've picked are just as relevant today as ever, and sometimes, even more than when they were written. As planned, I have another one for you this week.

I talk a lot about food in this blog. It's because the culinary world has such explanatory powers. For example, Spam is a historic food with a story behind it, but it's also how we describe bad email. A hot dog is tube meat eaten for survival, a grilled sensation eaten as a celebration, and it's also how we refer to our most hated members of Congress. Ketchup is a condiment, but it's also a key part of government, too.

Red meat is the same. In the following rerun, I explain how the messaging, as architected by journalists, politicians, and their PR teams, is often meant to get a charge out of the public, often by being deceptive or extreme. I also point out that Republicans have led with this approach in an almost cartoonish manner but warn Democrats that the tables may turn, and they may soon be the ones resorting to the same antics. Well, the tables have indeed turned in government, and to control the narrative, the left may find it resorts to using red meat.

The lesson here is simple. Be careful. Red meat politics can lead us astray. Here's the article.

Red Meat Politics

Red meat sells the article, but it hardly tells the story.

Since the invention of the printing press, the length of the news cycle has been shrinking, measured now in increments likened to those of measuring Pudding Fingers in a swimming pool (when the water is cold). Pudding Fingers, also known as Ron Desantis, is no stranger to the news cycle himself, and he makes a point to manipulate it, no matter how small it may be.

The best part of the news is the headlines. It lifts the most weight in attempt to capture your interest while signaling the article's message. Headlines, however, are usually the worst way to get our news. The headline tells a story, but that story, an incomplete one by design, is to lure you into the whole of what the writer has to say or if telling a story is reduced to a vehicle for profit, the ads that surround it. The headline is the bait, after which you get the switch and pay for it with clicks.

In the clicking business, where internet news puts its ads and poorly written content to die, the professionals know they need to deliver red meat. If it bleeds, it ledes, they say. For those of you with a taste for blood, you know, a juicy steak is where you get the best kind.

In politics, red meat is the culture war tactic that riles up the base, valued in ratings and clicks by the news networks. That's why the web pundits will chuck bait in a single headline to pull you in. If the story lives up to the hype, that's great, but more often than not, there's more sizzle than steak. But it's the sizzle that pays the bills.

Read the rest here:

Red Meat Politics

Red meat sells the article, but it hardly tells the story.

The Lorem Ipsum, by Daniel HerndonDaniel Herndon

That's it for this week.

Remember: The Lorem Ipsum is better with a side of beef, but it's also better when you are nibbling on it with friends. Share a tasty morsel with your family this holiday season.

Have a great weekend and Merry Christmas!