Hypocrisy Sells--and they think you're buying

Via Bitch comes the story of an attempt to manipulate throught the press, and the complicity of same:

So the broadcast begins with the assertion that the website "is causing concern." But as it continues, they make it clear that they, Channel 4 news, brought dianablaine.com to the attention of the administration, not the other way around as implied. [L.A. Channel 4 "reporter" Cary] Berglund even reports that the spokesperson was "caught off guard" when asked about this supposed breach of professorial conduct.

So exactly who is "concerned"? The news never makes that clear because what's really happening is the manufacture of a scandal, for all the reasons detailed above.

As they say in the BlogSphere, Read the Whole Thing.

I wouldn't necessarily be addressing this--better people have done so, including Dr. Blaine herself--except that Dr. Blaine's previous post includes a link to the Channel 4 article and video. Note the advertisement:

A picture is worth a thousand words, but shouldn't Channel 4 have warned about the "Graphic Image" of their advert, instead of just presenting it?

There may even be a happy ending to it all, as Dr. Blaine notes:

I would like to thank those who have declared war on me for bringing me so much attention because I am writing a book on breast implants--why I won't get them in spite of cultural pressure to conform--and I am looking for an agent, someone who wants to make a LOT of money backing a beautiful, articulate, brilliant, highly educated compassionate woman who has tons to say and has the power to change women's lives for the better.

Which is more than Mr. Berglund and the staff at Channel 4--including their web managers--can say.