It's All in the Spin . . .
Quote:
Originally posted by VEGETA990
. . . I NEVER heard of a steroid bust. I never heard about the task force setting up stings or buys. I bet it was the coke the cops were looking for and they stumbled upon the steroids.
Not necessarily. Remember that there are a few peripheral factors working here. For example:
1. Think Law & Order (yes, the TV show). The cops investigate, the District Attorney's office decides whether to prosecute. Any of these levels can be personality driven, so the story ends up being blown out of proportion by some party along the way. It makes great press.
2. This particular story involves a local TV personality and her studmuffin husband - a true scandal in the making. It was bound to be news, especially when competing media was involved.
3. Of course steroids are not as bad as coke. But given a creative politician who can put a spin on words, a steroid bust can prevent our children from sinking into the depths of degradation. Yaaaaaaas, you got truble in River City, my friend.
(For those who don't know the reference, get thy buns to a local video store and rent The Music Man. Robert Preston's performance as a con man who blows things out of proportion by turning a local pool table into the source of Satan is pure brilliance. And the illustrayion fits: all it takes is a creative twist to turn a minor steroid bust into the salvation of our kiddies.)
4. Y'all are in the Bible belt, son. Columbia, South Carolina, is the home of Columbia Bible College & Seminary. It's just a ways down the road (well, about 100 miles down the road) from Greenille, the home of Bob Jones University (where it's spiritually illegal to make a sandwich on anything other than WHITE bread). We're talkin family values, my children - and a good sense of drama can convince any parent that there's evil in our schools in the form of those mean nasty roids.
5. Notwithstanding the conservative values of #4, and at the risk of sounding like I'm stereotying, I get the impression from their names that Marion and Shanai Benton may be African American. That is merely a speculation. But if true, once again, we're talkin' the deep south here.
6. If Benton's cocaine bust had taken place previously, the D.A. may be looking for some oil to throw on top of the fire. (Bible belt version: When God closes a door, He opens a window. If the D.A. can't crack Benton on the coke bust, there's now new ammunition - the steroid bust.)
I don't think that this is a TV Movie of the Week, but like I said, in the right hands . . .