I Couldn't Live Like That, No Siree!

The Orange County Register, no prize bastion of brilliant journalism itself (look! INOTBB rags on a newspaper besides Wendy McCaw's chew toy!), has decided it needs a yet inferior version of itself to attract a different demographic, or, as the paper puts it, a "psychographic," since it's not really aimed at the demos/people but rather at the thought of people, as if the residents of Orange County all starred on MTV's Laguna Beach. Needless to say this means shorter articles, more color images, more things to buy masquerading as newsly importance.

But does the dumbing-down have to continue at this quick a pace? Check out this page (PDF) from today's on-line edition that hypes new DVD releases. Poseidon, Just My Luck and Phat Girls rate actual write-ups, if one can "up" in 100 words or less (if that's too much for readers to handle, the films get letter graded, too). Now look at what films are merely listed as "More on DVD": Silent Hill--worth remaining silent about, sure--but also Double Indemnity: Special Edition and House: Season Two, Invasion: Season One, and Veronica Mars: Season Two.

Sure, the "psychographic" probably can't even handle Fred MacMurray as the dad in My Three Sons, let alone as a tough talking murderer. So there's no reason to bother with the classic. We'll call House and Invasion a wash. But the "skews a little female and a little younger" audience doesn't want to read about Veronica Mars? Why, like 'cause she's too brainy and from San Diego?