Friday, October 12, 2007

What is News? Give the People What They Want.

THIS IS POSSIBLY the most disgusting story I've ever seen on television.

Someone is defecating under an overpass in Eastern Idaho.

"Here's the scoop on the poop,"
the story from KIDK3 says. "The city has gotten so many calls about the phantom pooper that they've set up a pooper stake out to see if they could catch him doing his business."

First of all, is this news? Second, should they be showing such foul stuff on public television? And finally, should they be making light of the situation so much (they actually say, "His preferential place to leave a log is under the Lindsey Boulevard Overpass.").

Oh, and they just assume it is a "he." What's up with that?

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

first and foremost, that was pretty disgusting. as to whether its newsworthy, i guess it depends. i mean, if someone did something like that in philly, it would be more laughed upon or just disgusted upon but not many would actually do anything i.e. contact a news station. but this is idaho, so who knows. and yes, its pretty wrong that they make the general assumption that it is a man, im pretty sure both sexes go to the bathroom

Doanh said...

I guess it's become newsworthy since the city is getting so many calls about it. What I want to know is how much poop is actually there for it to get that serious..

How do they know it's human, much less a man? What if it's a dog? What if someone thought it was funny to collect poop and toss it under the overpass?

Anonymous said...

Seriously guys, it's Idaho. It's probably the most exciting thing to happen there in like 3 years. That's all that can be said about that.
--Kami Mattioli

Anonymous said...

The person finger painted with the poop? Wow.

I suppose it is a story relevant to the area, but I think they went a little too into the story. I mean, who really wants to see the poop? Or two hicks keep talking about how a person should poop?

-Lisa Wilk

Anonymous said...

i'm no genius, but i'll bet everybody 5 $ (yes i'm broke) that this guy is homeless. He has to go somewhere...maybe he thought that the ventrifical force of passing cars would "air out" the area. As for the figer painting, the cafe across the street from the salon i used to work at experienced the same problem in their bathroom. People are weird; don't judge them.

Anonymous said...

Brings new meaning "just for poops and giggles." I think this story is just meant to be humorous more than anything. And just for the record Miller, women don't poop, so it has to be a guy.

-Justin Horn

Geo said...

Ew.

- George (the teacher)

Anonymous said...

As far as it being news I do not think it follows the newsworthiness criteria. I mean if they were receiving so many calls then I guess it is necessary for something to be done about it, but I do not think that all this publicity is necessary.

Anonymous said...

Sometimes people need a little entertainment. Leave it alone, George. It made me laugh and I'm sure it did the same for other people, and a small relief (no pun intended) from all of the terrible news that people generally here is sometimes just as important as learning about the latest presidential candidate.

Anonymous said...

Also...

Correction: "...people generally HEAR.." not "here."

My bad.

Anonymous said...

I honestly just don't know what I can say about this. hahaha

Anonymous said...

The end of the story was the best part. That these people are actually stupid enough to say they would offer their bathrooms to the "Phantom Pooper" is just dumb. Emily bet $5 the guy was homeless. I'll bet anyone that I know why. Spreading your poop around like Rembrandt, as the reader speculated the pooper fancies "himself," is a mental disorder. Anyone seen Girl Interrupted? This story is news. Well, at least for those how get KIDK3 in Idaho.