Bloomingdale’s is an American department store chain. It was
founded in 1861, so its first few years in business coincided with The Civil
War. But Joseph and Lyman Bloomingdale could not have seen this coming: the
company they founded has come under attack for selling t-shirts sporting the
words, “Fake News.” And that is real news.
A number of self-important
reporters and members of the media (are there any other kind?) took to Twitter
and other platforms to lambaste the retailer for its insensitivity in selling
these “offensive” items. Allison Kaden, a reporter for WPIX-TV in New York
City, tweeted: “Hey @Bloomingdales, this isn’t funny or fashionable. It further
delegitimizes hard working journalists who bring REAL news to their communties.”
And REAL spelling competency, too! I’m sure your “communties” appreciate that,
as well. This is funny and further
delegitimizes self-styled “journalists” who can’t even fact-check or proof-read
their own 20-word missive touting their accuracy and honesty.
Pathetically, Bloomingdale’s
immediately caved to the delicate sensibilities of one person, replying: “Thank you for bringing this to our attention
and we apologize for any offense we may have caused. We take this feedback very
seriously and are working quickly to remove
this t-shirt. Again, thank you for taking the time to alert us.” That’s
obsequious enough to make Eddie Haskell barf. Though the store said, “The item
was immediately removed from our selling floor” and essentially apologized to
everyone in the world for it having arrived there in the first place, that
wasn’t enough to sate the blood lust of some in the REAL news community. Such
as the Baltimore Sun’s Pamela Wood, who wrote: “Hi, @bloomingdales. Apologizing
‘for any offense we may have caused’ is not a sincere apology. This is not
about journalists’ hurt feelings. This is about damage done to our democracy
when your brand joins in perpetuating and celebrating the idea of ‘fake news.’
Please try again.”
Ms. Wood’s claim that this isn’t
about “journalists’ hurt feelings” is fake news. It obviously is. Her claim
that this is about “damage done to our democracy” is also fake news.
Preposterously—if inadvertently humorously—so. I thought “democracy dies in
darkness,” not in the light of a department store selling a shirt with “fake
news” on it. Democracy certainly isn’t served by members of the fourth estate
telling private companies what words can adorn the apparel that they sell. I am
highly offended at Kaden’s and Wood’s statements-- and at much of what passes
for news in the mainstream media. Will this lead them to remove that with which I
disagree? And issue me a heartfelt
apology?
It is fitting that the “fake news”
t-shirts at Bloomingdale’s were displayed on mannequins. Fake people. Perhaps
they represent all those anonymous sources reporters love to cite.
Journalists should get over
themselves. For the most part those in the mainstream media are just another
brick in the wall preventing those who follow them from seeing the truth.
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