Breaking News: The Media Manipulate You (Sunday Sociological Song)

Here’s for another episode of our trans-blog ongoing series Sunday Sociological Song. You know the rules by now: one sociological concept or book + one song to go with it. This time the book is Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media (1988) by Noam Chomsky and Edward S. Herman – and the song is Bad Day by REM.

Title: Bad Day
Artist: R.E.M.
Album: In Time (2003)

A public service announcement followed me home the other day.
I paid it nevermind. Go Away.
Shits so thick you could stir it with a stick-free Teflon whitewashed presidency.
We’re sick of being jerked around.
Wear that on your sleeve.

Broadcast me a joyful noise unto the times, lord,
Count your blessings.
We’re sick of being jerked around.
We all fall down.

Have you ever seen the televised St. vitus subcommittee prize
Investigation dance? Those ants in pants glances.
Well,look behind the eyes.
It’s a hallowed hollow anesthetized
“save my own ass, screw these guys”
smoke and mirror lock down.

Broadcast me a joyful noise unto the times, lord,
Count your blessings.
The Papers wouldn’t lie!
I sigh, Not one more.

It’s been a bad day.
Please don’t take a picture.
It’s been a bad day.
Please.

We’re dug in deep the price is steep.
The auctioneer is such a creep.

The lights went out, the oil ran dry
We blamed it on the other guy
Sure, all men are created equal.
Heres the church, heres the steeple
Please stay tuned-we cut to sequel
ashes, ashes, we all fall down.

Broadcast me a joyful noise unto the times, lord,
Count your blessings.
Ignore the lower fear
Ugh, this means war.

It’s been a bad day.
Please don’t take a picture.
It’s been a bad day.
Please.

Broadcast me a joyful noise unto the times, lord,
Count your blessings.
We’re sick of being jerked around.
We all fall down.

It’s been a bad day…

Ps. This week’s Sunday Sociological Song International features John Lennon’s Working Class Hero (as submitted by Josh McCabe from the blog The Sociological Imagination) and Bobby Womack’s Across 110th Street (contributed by SocProf at the Global Sociology Blog).