Commentary

Whatcha Watchin', Joe The Plumber?

I am utterly fascinated by American politics and media. The rise of Joe The Plumber as an iconic Everyman of a national election is well, interesting. Especially when we consider that this man and his story is unremarkable (and I mean that in the clinical sense of the word). But even as he recognizes the absurdity of the attention, being quoted by The Associated Press as saying, "I'm kind of like Britney Spears having a headache ... [e]verybody wants to know about it." Well, I am going to hop on the bandwagon and ask this medium of the middle, this avatar of the average American, the following questions that drive the world I live in everyday:

1. How much TV do you watch? Do you intend to increase the amount of time spent watching, decrease the amount of time spent watching, or keep the amount of time spent the same in the next 6 months?

2. Do you have a DVR in your house? If so, do you skip over the ads?

3. How many hours a day does your 13-year-old son spend online?

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4. Do you have a game console in the house? If so, which brand?

5. How much do you spend on entertainment? Are you planning on scaling back?

6. Do you intend to buy any consumer electronics products this holiday season?

7. How many times have you seen a movie in the last month? Six Months? One year?

8. When was the last time you clicked on an online advertisement or promotional offer?

9. Do you intend to purchase a car in the next six to 12 months?

10. Would you be inclined to pay a premium to watch your favorite television programs on your computer or cell phone?

I admire a man who asks the good question no matter what his politics -- but question the motives of the media in focusing on him rather than the larger issues. One last question: Joe, whatcha watchin' tonight?

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