Public Discourse (EC)

Given that the heavy criticism thrown at cable news programs in this class (and rightly so), I find it amazing that the same phenomenon exists in the sports world. Most of the talk shows feature two individuals verbally sparring to the point where it is theatrical more so than rational and informative. The king of these programs is ESPN's First Take. For the non-sports fans, imagine everything you don't like about cable news shows and transfer that to a sports program. For as much criticism as First Take receives, it still gets great ratings , so why would it change?

I have completely turned against Hollywood and the entertainment industry, as I'm tired of them lecturing people on how to live their lives and moralizing, while openly celebrating the likes of Roman Polanski and Alex Baldwin . They are such hypocrites, and sadly it's beginning to affect sports as ESPN was recently forced to cut almost $100 million in on air talent , as they too are beginning to drift away from sports and admittedly are focusing more on lecturing others on how they should act and speak . This is extremely hypocritical, given that ESPN is owned by Disney, who are more than happy to take billions from the brutal Wahhabi-ruled theocracy  in Saudi Arabia and do business in Qatar . If Disney/ESPN really championed women, they would refuse to be involved with such regimes. It is interesting how they put on a front like they actually care about these issues to suck in well-meaning people, but are ultimately about the money when it comes down it. People who are

As far as social movements go, social media brings both positives and negatives. Most importantly, it gives people a platform to exercise their right to free speech, which is something that unfortunately too many people in the west take for granted. That fact alone means I really cannot be too critical of social media in general. The downside is most of social media is that too many people use it as a platform to virtue signal and give themselves a false sense of moral superiority (I support their right to do it but choose not do it myself). This will be an unpopular thing to say, but take for example Emma Watson's #HeForShe campaign. While she is well-meaning, unfortunately she is being used and the campaign is a scam. The UN has no credibility at all, especially since Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Cuba are members of it's Human Rights Council . Saudi Arabia was also just voted onto the UN's Women's Right Council , proving that truth is indeed stranger than fiction.

It was in 2013 that former Pro-Bowl quarterback Donovan McNabb said on Fox Sports that six-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion Jimmie Johnson was no athlete, but rather someone who just “sits in a car and drives,” echoing every hot take you have ever heard in the “is motor racing a sport?” debate while sitting at the bar with your friends. Are McNabb and the anti-motor racing considered a sports crowd factually correct in this? Absolutely not. First, we must examine what the experts constitute as what makes a sport. Those who get paid to have the conversations most of us are paying to have. Dan Lebowitz, executive director of the Center for the Study of Sport in Society in Boston, believes “Sport is a competitive endeavor that involves athleticism in which the goal is to win.” (Walters, 2016) The Council of Europe charter on sport uses the following definition: "Sport means all forms of physical activity, which through casual or organized participation, aim at expressing

In the sports world, a common debate is about whether sports like motor racing, golf, bowling and cheer leading are actually sports. I believe they are indeed sports, and am going to focus specifically focus on motor racing and explain why this is the case.

There are certainly negatives to polarization, as nothing is perfect. Losing friends over differing opinions has become more commonplace, especially with social media and the fact people exist who think arguing over social media can accomplish anything. The algorithm on social media that shows us other news items based on what we have previously liked also does us no favors in terms of hearing new viewpoints and perspectives. Sure, there are extreme cases, but every day, people work alongside and coexist peacefully with those who have differing opinions on politics. Ultimately though, the fact we are allowed to have so many different viewpoints broadcast publicly is a great thing that we should not take for granted. I'm sure in countries like China and Saudi Arabia, citizens wished that they have access to as many different opinions and perspectives as we do in the West. In the mainstream media, are some opinions more common than others? Absolutely. That's fine, even if y