A Story Without A Story

I had the undying compulsion to torture myself this morning, so I hastily turned on the television to the Today show.

Everyone’s favourite punching bag, Michelle Leslie (for non-Australians, she is an underwear model who was busted in Bali for carrying ecstasy tablets, was sentenced to three months detention – served retrospectively – and is now back in Australia) was being discussed.

I didn’t watch it for very long, but I heard the hostess, Tracy Grimshaw, speak a sentence, which made me want to switch off, run into my bedroom and punch myself repeatedly in the face with my tennis racquet.

Note to people overseas: There has been much talk about her selling her story to media, and the debate centres around convicted criminals selling their story.

Basically, these media pundits were saying that the media is regulating itself by not buying Leslie’s story.

Fuck off.

The only reason the media isn’t buying her story is because the many, many, many polls that news sites have run that ask the question “Should Michelle Leslie be allowed to sell her story?” answer in the negative.

So the way I see it now is that the media is stating:

“Oh no, we’re far too fucking morally grounded to pay Michelle Leslie for her story, because she’s held out on us for long enough, especially when the Corby’s so readily sold their souls to us. Everyone now hates Leslie, so instead of buying her story, we’ll demonise the girl for even contemplating selling her story, we’ll paint her up to be the hellspawn she is… because, hell… it’s what our viewers want to see. Besides, we can do that for free.”

I love how the media constructs these little win-win situations. Simply follow these simple steps.

Find a story of interest.

Investigate story.

If subject of story doesn’t want to talk to you, wait for another time to talk to them.

If story dies down, create a storm around subject.

Throw around some conjecture about their “connections”

When opportunity presents, offer money for story.

Subject wants more money.

Print stories on how they are money-grubbing parasites.

Ask audience if subject should sell story.

Public says no, because subject is money-grubbing parasite.

Print stories to vilify subject, saving thousands in process.

Reap rewards.

I find it odd that the media, who were seemingly interested in paying her money for her story, are now preaching that her actually selling the story is somehow “wrong”.

It seems a little stranger that they can fabricate a story out of someone who isn’t selling (or cannot sell) their story…

Ugh. Personally, I don’t care what she does. I don’t care what she did. The media circus is pathetic enough.