Unlike the hackers only show in Snow Crash, the first presidential debate of 2016 is projected to make a record number of viewers dumber.
Well, to be fair, Stephen Battaglio, reports:
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Millions of viewers are also expected to watch online as many websites and social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, will offer free video streaming of the event.“This one seems to have aroused the greatest attention and more debate-before-the-debate than any of them,” said Newton Minow, vice chairman of the Commission on Presidential Debates, whose involvement goes back to the the first historic televised showdown between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon in 1960.
The reason viewing levels may skyrocket? Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, cites the unpredictability of Trump, whose appearances in the Republican primary debates set audience records on four different cable networks over the past year.
“It’s the same reason why this election is different than all other elections,” Sabato said. “People will tune in to see the car crash. Trump’s gotten a big audience from the beginning because you knew you’d either see a fender bender or a fatality. This is the big stage and the first one-on-one debate he’s done.”
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Rather than watch a moderator and the candidates indulge in the fiction that any substantive discussion of national or international issues can occur in ninety minutes, hold a #SkippingTheDebate party!
Here’s how:
- Invite your friends over for a #SkippingTheDebate Party
- Have ball game like snacks and drinks
- Have a minimum of 5 back issues of Mad Magazine for each guest
- Distribute the Mad magazines, after 10 minute reading intervals, each guest may share their favorite comment or observation, discuss and repeat
Unlike debate watching parties, your guests will be amused, have more quips in their quivers, have enjoyed each others company, and most importantly, they will not be dumber for the experience.
I do have data to demonstrate that Mad Magazine is the right choice for your #SkippingTheDebate party:
Mad didn’t quite capture the dried apricot complexion of Trump and Hillary looks, well, younger, but even Mad can be kind.