Rusty Saber: TV networks get well-deserved Rusty Raspberry

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Joe McAdoo is former chairman of the communication department at Drury University.|ret||ret||tab|

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It's awards time. Some awards for bad news, some for good news. For the bad, the Rusty Raspberry is given. The Rusty Rave is a commendation for good.|ret||ret||tab|

The first award-winning event happened a while ago, but this is the first chance I have had to make the award. The Rusty Raspberry goes to the so-called big three TV networks CBS, NBC, ABC. All refused to air the address by President Bush regarding possible war with Iraq. They carried regular programming. |ret||ret||tab|

To me, they admitted that entertainment is more important than impending war. They seemed to be saying that if we wanted to watch, do it on cable TV outlets. Fine with me. The next time they ask me to watch one of their news programs, I'll say, "No thanks, I'll watch cable." A Rusty Raspberry to them. |ret||ret||tab|

A Rusty Rave' however, goes to local NBC affiliate' KYTV. With what appears to be more journalist integrity than the network, KYTV preempted NBC's contribution to the dumbing down of America "Fear Factor" and aired the address. A Rusty Rave, KYTV. |ret||ret||tab|

The Fox Network delayed the start of a major league baseball playoff game in order to carry the speech. A major-league Rusty Rave to Fox. |ret||ret||tab|

A Rusty Raspberry goes to video-game maker Acclaim Entertainment Inc. According to the Wall Street Journal, this company is preparing to introduce a videogame called BMX XXX. The background for the game is the extreme sport of BMX bicycling. Nestled among the bicycle daredevil exploits are depictions of prostitutes, a pimp (dressed in purple with a purple poodle), strippers and, according to the Wall Street Journal, "other seamy stuff." This game will mark the first time live-action footage of nudity has been in a videogame. |ret||ret||tab|

Other game producers are watching to see if this thing sells. If so, look for more; probably worse than the original. The BMX game will be rated "mature" by the Entertainment Software; however, how difficult do you suppose it will be for children to lay hands on it? A Rusty Rave to KB Toys of Pittsfield, Mass., because it won't carry the videogame in its 1,300 stores because the content is "not appropriate." |ret||ret||tab|

A Rusty Raspberry to idiotic, tasteless Phoenix disc jockey Beau Duran, who thought it would be clever to make an on-air phone call to the widow of St. Louis Cardinal pitcher Darryl Kile. According to the Associated Press, Flynn Kyle was in Phoenix for the Cardinal playoff game with the Diamondbacks. Duran called her hotel room, saying she was "hot," and asking her for a date to the game. His boss finally fired this offensive shock-jock. Good riddance! A well-deserved Rusty Raspberry to Duran.|ret||ret||tab|

A monster Rusty Rave to good old duct tape. If Jimmy Carter can qualify for a Nobel Peace Prize, surely, duct tape can't be far behind. Just when I thought duct tape was already used for everything under the sun, along comes a new one: wart removal. In case you missed the story I read about it in USA Today putting duct tape on a wart is significantly more effective at wart removal than the long-accepted medical procedure of freezing with liquid nitrogen at minus 319 degrees Fahrenheit.|ret||ret||tab|

The subjects of the study were children, but there is no reason to believe that children's warts are different from adult warts. The study included only children because they are more likely to have warts. A Rusty Rave, duct tape. |ret||ret||tab|

The final Rusty Rave goes to an energy source that has been around since the Garden of Eden: wind. The award goes to all involved with making and using it. |ret||ret||tab|

The October issue of Forbes magazine describes a new field of 400 energy producing wind turbines near Walla Walla, Wash., producing 263 megawatts per year. Forbes names Minnesota, Iowa and Texas as states harvesting the most wind power.|ret||ret||tab|

Springfield City Utilities gets a Rusty Rave because it buys wind power from Kansas. As a former Kansan, I can tell you that there is no shortage of wind.|ret||ret||tab|

Wind power is cheap, nonpolluting and the supply will never run out. Surely, if God had intended us to sit around in the dark, he wouldn't have given us wind. A Rusty Rave, indeed.|ret||ret||tab|

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